Mural
This mural (see photo), depicting the history of Mirfield and some of its well known characters, was created by local young people as part of the "Mills, Mines and Malt" project, and can be found at Shepley Bridge Marina. The project received Heritage Lottery Funding and was co-ordinated by
"Dare 2B Different", an organisation working to help young people with disabilities.
The youngsters worked with artist Eva Mileunsic to find out about Mirfield's past and
create the art work, which features Robin Hood, Prime Minister Herbert Asquith and actor Patrick Stewart amongst others.
Old St. Mary's Church
The ruins of the old church stand next to the more recent church of St. Mary the Virgin, consecrated in 1871, and near the former site of Mirfield Castle. It was here, in the old church, that Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte worshipped each Sunday whilst attending Roe Head School.
Stocks
The village stocks are by the church gate. There also used to be a ducking stool by a stream on Pinfold Lane which was used to punish wrongdoers, including scolds and shopkeepers who cheated on the weight of their goods.
The former Police Station
This is located on Knowl Road, Mirfield and still has it original blue police lamp in place.
Former Railway Bridge
This is very curious. This wall on Parker Lane has two large columns with stone surmounts within it. This is because it was once a railway bridge over a cutting. The cutting has now been completely filled in and a whole estate of houses built on top of it!
Herbert H.Asquith (1852-1928)
Herbert H. Asquith was born in Morley on 12th September 1852 the younger son of Joseph Dixon Asquith (1825-60) and Emily, nee Willans. The Asquiths were a long established Yorkshire family and were at this time engaged in the wool industry, as were the Willans. Joseph Dixon Asquith was a wool merchant. He inherited the Gillroyd Mill Company established by his own father, whilst Emily's father, William Willans, ran a similar business in Huddersfield. Both families were fairly wealthy, non-conformist and politically radical. When Herbert was about 4 years old the family moved to Mirfield and they lived from 1856 to 1860 at Eastthorpe House on the main Huddersfield to Dewsbury Road. During their time there, Herbert attended the Wellhouse Moravian Church's Board School, within walking distance of the house, which had been established in1801. Two of his three sisters had died in infancy and his older brother, William, suffered a sports injury which stunted his growth. Worst of all, when Herbert was only 8 his father died at Mirfield of a twisted colon brought on by a game of cricket. His mother, Emily, was never in the best of health either, but she brought the boys up as best she could. By 1861 she had taken them to live on West Parade, Huddersfield, to be near to her own family and her son attended Huddersfield College. Her husband had always believed in a good education for his sons and so, bearing this in mind, she and her father made the decision to send them to Fulneck Moravian School in Pudsey. However, Herbert H. seems to have had a wretched time there. They were removed and their grandfather then arranged for them to live with Emily's brother, John, near London, where they attended the City of London School. When John returned to Yorkshire for business reasons in 1864 the boys stayed on in lodgings, and from then on, with his mother retiring to St.Leonards, the Yorkshire connection was virtually lost and he came to regard himself as a Londoner, and as an orphan, although still deeply affected by his non-conformist, anti-establishment, Liberal roots.
H.H. Became an outstanding pupil, down mainly to his natural ability as well as to some quality teaching. By the time he went to Balliol College, Oxford in 1870 he was a proficient debater and he immediately spoke at the Oxford Union. He was an outstanding student and achieved a 1st class honours degree, but his personality, influenced by his circumstances, was rather subdued, a little withdrawn and altogether self sufficient.
After university he trained as a barrister but in 1886 was elected as Liberal MP for East Fife and soon made his mark in the Party, becoming Home Secretary in 1892, and after a period in opposition, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1905. Promoted to Prime Minister in 1908 his main achievements were to reduce the power of the aristocratic House of Lords, and to take the country into the First World War, building up the army and industry to back the war effort. He was less successful dealing with Irish Home Rule and was obdurate in refusing the demands of the suffragettes. After leading a Coalition Government for a time and much criticism, he was forced to resign in 1916 and never regained power, although he continued to lead the opposition. Over subsequent years the Liberal Party went into decline as the Labour Party increased in strength. He had been offered and accepted a peerage in 1925 and became known as “Lord Oxford and Asquith”. Herbert finally relinquished leadership of the Liberal Party in October 1926 and died on 15th February 1928. A memorial tablet was erected to him later in Westminster Abbey. His parents are buried in Morley. Asquith's great granddaughter is the actress Helena Bonham Carter via his daughter Violet who married one of his private secretaries, Sir Maurice Bonham Carter.