{{short description|Village in West Yorkshire, England}} {{redirect|Queensbury Ward|the London ward|Queensbury (Brent ward)|similar topics|Queensbury (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}} {{Use British English|date=September 2013}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox UK place | country = England | official_name = Queensbury | map_type = West Yorkshire | coordinates = {{coord|53.768333|-1.845278|display=inline,title}} | population = 16,273 | population_ref = (2011 Census)<ref name="NOMIS">{{NOMIS2011|id= E05001360 |title=Queensbury Ward|access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref> | civil_parish = | metropolitan_borough = City of Bradford | region = Yorkshire and the Humber | metropolitan_county = West Yorkshire | constituency_westminster = Bradford South | post_town = BRADFORD | postcode_district = BD13 | postcode_area = BD | dial_code = 01274 | os_grid_reference = SE105311 | london_distance_mi = 175 | london_direction = SE | static_image_name = Chimney of the Black Dyke Mills, Queensbury.jpg | static_image_width = 250px | static_image_caption = Queensbury and the chimney of the former Black Dyke Mills | councillor1 = Matthew Bibby | party1 = Conservative | councillor2 = Luke Majkowski | party2 = The Bradford South Independents | councillor3 = Hazel Parsan | party3 = Labour }} '''Queensbury''' is a village in the metropolitan borough and city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Perched on a high vantage point above Halifax, Clayton and Thornton and overlooking Bradford, Queensbury is one of the highest parishes in England, with views beyond the West Yorkshire conurbation to the hills of Brontë Country and the Yorkshire Dales to the north and north west. Its population of 8,718 in 2001<ref name="ONS">{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls |publisher=Office for National Statistics |title=''Census 2001 : Urban Areas : Table KS01 : Usual Resident Population'' |access-date=26 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816010400/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls |archive-date=16 August 2009 }}</ref> increased to 16,273 in the 2011 Census.<ref name="NOMIS"/>
Queensbury is known as being the home of Black Dyke Mills, and the Black Dyke Band.
== History == Queensbury was originally known as Queenshead, a name derived from a local public house, now a house on the High Street, which was popular with travellers on the pack horse route from Halifax to Bradford.
== Governance == The village was divided between the township of Clayton in the parish of Bradford, and the township of Northowram in the parish of Halifax, both in the West Riding of Yorkshire.<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1162 Vision of Britain website: Queensbury, West Riding]</ref> It became a civil parish and urban district in 1894. In 1937 the civil parish was abolished, and the urban district was merged into the new Queensbury and Shelf Urban District. In 1974, the urban district was split; Queensbury was transferred to the City of Bradford in the new county of West Yorkshire.
Queensbury is a ward in Bradford Metropolitan District in the county of West Yorkshire, named after the village. It includes the villages of Clayton Heights and Horton Bank Top as well as a number of hamlets: Ambler Thorn, Calder Banks, Catherine Slack, Hazel Hirst, Hunger Hill, Little Moor, Mountain, Old Dolphin, Scarlet Heights, Shibden Head and West Scholes.
The ward typically voted for BNP and Conservative party councillors in the 2000s, however the decline of the BNP in the late 2000s and early 2010s saw a period of Conservative dominance in the ward. The 2020s have seen the first Labour councillors elected from Queensbury, amidst a national decline in Conservative party fortunes, and local disputes between candidates and the Conservative party caucuses causing the defections of Robert Hargreaves and Luke Majkowski in 2021 and 2022.
{| class="wikitable" |+ Councillors |- !Election!!colspan="2"|Councillor!!colspan="2"|Councillor!!colspan="2"|Councillor |- | 2004 |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Tracey McNulty (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Stuart Hanson (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2006 |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Paul Gregory Smith Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Stuart Hanson (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2007 |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| | Paul Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Lynda Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2008 |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| | Paul Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| | Lynda Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2010 |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Paul Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| | Lynda Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Michael Walls (Con) |- | May 2011 |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| | Paul Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|British National Party}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Lynda Cromie (BNP) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Michael Walls (Con) |- | June 2011 |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Paul Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents)<ref name="Quit_BNP">{{cite news | last = O'Rourke | first = Tanya | title = Paul and Lynda Cromie stand down for 'personal reasons' | url = http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9093128.Husband_and_wife_councillors_in_Queensbury_quit_the_BNP/ | work = Telegraph and Argus | date = 20 June 2011 | access-date = 27 September 2017}}</ref> |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Lynda Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents)<ref name="Quit_BNP" /> |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2012 |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Paul Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Lynda Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2014 |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Paul Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Lynda Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2015 |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Paul Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Lisa Dawn Carmody (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Michael Walls (Con) |- | 2016 |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Paul Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Lisa Carmody (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Lynda Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |- | By-election<br />4 May 2017 |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Paul Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#FF8C00"| Andrew Senior (Con)<ref>{{cite web | title = Election results for Queensbury By-Election - Thursday, 4th May, 2017 | url = https://bradford.moderngov.co.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=368&RPID=3360416 | website = bradford.moderngov.co.uk | publisher = City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council | date = 4 May 2017 | access-date = 27 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Mason | first = Vivien | title = Tory landslide in Queensbury by-election | url = http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/15266486.Tory_landslide_in_Queensbury_by_election/ | work = Telegraph and Argus | date = 4 May 2017 | access-date = 27 September 2017}}</ref> |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Lynda Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |- | 2018 |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Robert Hargreaves (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Andrew Senior (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Lynda Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |- | 2019 |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Robert Hargreaves (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Matthew Bibby (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Lynda Cromie (The Queensbury Ward Independents) |- | 2021 |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Robert Hargreaves (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Matthew Bibby (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Luke Majkowski (Con) |- | January 2022 |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Robert Hargreaves (The Bradford South Independents) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Matthew Bibby (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| Luke Majkowski (The Bradford South Independents)<ref>{{cite news |title=Bradford Conservative councillors quit party over conflicts |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-60083987 |access-date=4 June 2024 |agency=BBC |date=21 January 2022}}</ref> |- | 2022 |style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Hazel Parsan (Lab) |style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}"| | Matthew Bibby (Con) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Luke Majkowski (The Bradford South Independents) |- | 2023 |style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}"| | Hazel Parsan (Lab) |style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Alex Mitchell (Lab) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| | Luke Majkowski (The Bradford South Independents) |- | 2024 |style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}"| | Hazel Parsan (Lab) |style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}"| | Alex Mitchell (Lab) |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |bgcolor="#99CCFF"| Luke Majkowski (The Bradford South Independents) <!-- TO DO |- | 2018 | | | | | | |- | 2019 | | | | | | |- | 2021 | | | | | | --> |}
{{Color box|#99CCFF|border=darkgray}} indicates seat up for re-election. {{Color box|#C0C0C0|border=darkgray}} indicates councillor defection. {{Color box|#FF8C00|border=darkgray}} indicates a by-election. thumb|2004 boundaries of Queensbury Ward
== Black Dyke Mills ==
Black Dyke Mills was built from 1835 onwards by John Foster as a wool spinning and weaving mill specialising in worsted and mohair fabric, and by 1851 dominated the town. John Foster & Son, the owners of Black Dyke Mills, were responsible for the construction of many of the buildings in and around Queensbury, each being for the benefit of the employees, be it housing or accommodation, shops or leisure facilities. In 1891, the company erected the Victoria Hall in Queensbury for the benefit of its workers and the local community - it had a concert hall, with gallery to seat 650 people, library, billiards room and many other facilities. It also sponsored the Black Dyke Mills Band, a band of international renown.
The mill has now been converted into individual business units. The company now manufactures elsewhere in the area.
== Music ==
As well as being home to the world famous Black Dyke Band, Queensbury is also noted for its strong musical heritage. Home to the world-class rehearsal studio Backfeed, notable musical residents Giles Stocks and Joe Irish of Jon Jones and the Beatnik Movement, pop-punk trio State of Error, and the bands of the Sherry family, including the nationally successful Scarlet Heights (named after the hamlet), The Bad Beat Revue and Ti Amo. It is also home to Revolution, the band of the village's Scout group, who have won national youth band competitions and lead the village's annual Remembrance Day parade.
== Transport == Three railway lines once converged on Queensbury, one each from Halifax, Keighley and Bradford, known as the Queensbury Lines, all belonging to the Great Northern Railway (later the London & North Eastern Railway). Where they met was located Queensbury station, which famously consisted of continuous platforms on all three sides of a triangular junction, an uncommon layout in the United Kingdom (the only other examples were Ambergate, on the Midland Railway in Derbyshire and Earlestown in Lancashire).
A short distance from the station on the Halifax line was Queensbury Tunnel, {{convert|2501|yd|m}} in length (the second longest on the Great Northern system after Ponsbourne Tunnel in Hertfordshire), while close by on the Bradford line was Clayton Tunnel at {{convert|1057|yd|m}}. All these lines were closed to passengers in May 1955, later to freight in the 1960s, before finally closing to all traffic in 1972–74. Campaigning is underway to extend the [Sustrans] Great Northern Trail (a walking and cycling route) to Queensbury, Bradford and, through a refurbished Queensbury Tunnel, to Halifax.
The main Bradford to Halifax road A647 road runs through the village as well as the A644 road. These roads intersect at the Albert Memorial. First Calderdale & Huddersfield & First Bradford bus route 576, runs through the village between Bradford and Halifax along the A647 road.
== Gallery == <gallery> File:Black Dyke Mills, Queensbury (14th September 2007).jpg|Black Dyke Mills File:Queensbury Sunset with tower detail (29th September 2010).jpg|Sunset over Queensbury in September 2010. </gallery>
==See also== * William Foster - John Foster's grandson * Trinity Academy Bradford, a secondary school in Queensbury * Listed buildings in Queensbury, West Yorkshire
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Queensbury, West Yorkshire}} * [http://www.queensburydirectory.co.uk Queensbury Directory: community news and business directory]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090912123247/http://www.john-foster.co.uk/history.htm John Fosters/Black Dyke Mills History] * [http://www.queensbury.ngfl.ac.uk/ Queensbury School] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105122950/http://www.queensbury.ngfl.ac.uk/ |date=5 November 2009 }} * [http://www.queensburyarlfc.co.uk/ Queensbury Juniors ARFLC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704074806/http://www.queensburyarlfc.co.uk/ |date=4 July 2011 }}
{{Bradford}} {{West Yorkshire}} {{authority control}}
Category:Villages in West Yorkshire Category:Wards of Bradford Category:Unparished areas in West Yorkshire Category:Former civil parishes in West Yorkshire Category:Geography of the City of Bradford