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Badge of Ossett town. The three white roses represent the three ridings of Yorkshire. The uppermost image is of manufacturing. The central image is a sheep, representing the wool trade. The image on the left is grain, representing agriculture. The image on the right is a coal mine. Only manufacturing has any presence in the town's modern economy

Ossett [pronounced "Oss-it"] is an old industrial town in West Yorkshire, England on junction 40 of the M1 motorway. It is located half-way between Dewsbury, to the west, and the city of Wakefield, to the east. The township was formed as "Ossett-cum-Gawthorpe" in 1866 and became just "Ossett" in 1890. In the 2001 census, it was classified as part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area.[1]

The town is exactly half-way between the west and east coasts.

The South African astronomer Cyril V. Jackson, who was born in Ossett, honoured the town when he named asteroid 1244 Deira; the citation he submitted to the IAU boils down to « Ancient name of Ossett, Yorkshire ». That is something of an exaggeration: the ancient Kingdom of Deira actually encompassed (at its height) most of modern Yorkshire.

Ossett became incorporated as a municipal borough in 1890. Under the Local Government Act 1972, it became an unparished area in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield.

Stan Barstow said that Ossett and Horbury were the "border country" where the north-west of the coalfield merged with the south-east of the wool towns. Local historian John Goodchild said, "The place was essentially one of small mines and small mills."

The town was once a thriving centre of the "shoddy" industry; i.e. the recycling of woollen garments. Whilst some mill towns employed mostly females in its textile sector, Ossett's mills always had roughly equal numbers of men and women. The town's mills were generally small, but they had a reputation as high-quality producers. Whitehead's Mill used to have a float that said "We Export to the World" at the Gawthorpe May Pole parade.

There are still three operational textile mills in the town: Ings Mill, off Dale Street, now deals with recycled textiles; the Victoria mills off the Green, close to Ossett School, produce carpets; and "Edward Clay & Son" on Church Street deal with shoddy, mungo and flock. Other have been converted into units: some of the most prominent being Royds Mill on the Leeds Road roundabout and the large congregation of mills in the Healey area. Some mills remain derelict, such as Healey New Mill with its large chimney.

Coal-mining was, up to the late '60s, Ossett's second industry in terms of people employed and the first in terms of males employed. There were a large number of pits around the turn of the century. After the Second World War, the main pits were "Old Roundwood", which closed in 1966, and "Savile & Shawcross", on the Ossett/Dewsbury border, which closed in 1968.

At the time of the UK miners' strike (1984-1985), the nearest pits were "Denby Grange" and "Bullcliffe Woods" - both being about 3 miles to the south. The latter was one of the pits threatened with closure and one of the few concessions won was the merger of the latter with the former; the combined pit finally closed in 1991. The town's badge features images of both mills and collieries.

The town once had four train stations: Chickenley Heath closed in 1911, Flushdyke closed in 1941, Ossett in 1964 and Ossett & Horbury in 1970. It is now the largest town in Yorkshire and one of the largest towns in Britain without a train station. The slight 'bump' on Station Road is the only remainder of Ossett Station. Railway sidings and yards are still to be found at the old Ossett & Horbury Station site, heading towards Huddersfield and Horbury Bridge. Queen Elizabeth II spent a night aboard the royal train there during her 1977 Silver Jubilee tour.

In 2005 a brand new bus station was opened in the town built by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive

Ossett was, for a brief period in the 19th century, a spa town. Having been founded by a local mill owner, the waters were popular with those seeking relief from certain skin diseases, but it did not transform the town in the way that many other British spas did. The spa has now long since closed but the south-east of the town is still known as "Ossett Spa".

There are 7 Christian Churches in the town, each with their own particular identities and initiatives. Many of the leaders of these churches meet regularly to collaborate and support each other. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, the town had a reputation as a centre of religious Nonconformism[2]. Although nonconformist churches were common across of West Yorkshire, Ossett was a particular hotbed. In 1890, seventeen different churches were recorded in Ossett [and it is likely that spiritualist churches were never recorded].

TrinityChurch is one of three Church of England churches in the town. The others are Christ Church, South Ossett, and St. Mary's Church on Chancery Lane, but the latter is now only used as an outpost of Holy Trinity Church.

St Ignatius Church is the only Roman Catholic Church in Ossett. The Salvation Army is now the only active Christian church with community centre in Gawthorpe. There is also a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Ventnor Way, and a spiritualist church in the town centre.

Ossett Town Centre, showing the Town Hall building

At the 2001 census, the town's population was estimated at 20,988 residents plus an extra 88 in communal establishments[3]. This may now be slightly higher due to continued expansion. Ossett's convenient proximity to the M1 motorway has led the old industrial town to become more affluent in recent years, attracting both industry and resident commuters to Leeds, following on from a period of economic decline that lasted almost three decades. The town now serves as the best example of gentrification in this part of Yorkshire.

House prices increased from around £50,000 in 1998 to around £130,000 in 2003 - one of the largest increases in the country. This rise was noted at the time as being in line with price rises in West London and Cheshire. In contrast, "The Yorkshire Dictionary" defines Ossett as once being known as "wheeare the' black-leead t'tram lines", at a time when the town was seen as being dirty and having a very different reputation from what it has today.

The Ossett accent was included as part of the English Accents and Dialects collection as a comparison with the recording from Thornhill from the Survey of English Dialects.

Ossett has 8 Primary Schools: (including Holy Trinity School) however it now has only one High School, Ossett School. All of the primary schools in Ossett bear the town's name in the title as a mark of civic pride. The only two exceptions to this is Highfield School, which caters to those with learning disabilities; the building was the old North Ossett Comprehensive before its closure in 1997, and St. Ignatius Catholic Primary School.

Ossett is the home of the Wakefield Wind Orchestra.

Ossett is currently famous for its fish and chips and for its high stock of hairdressers.

Ossett is home to two real ale breweries. Ossett Brewery, located just down the road from The Brewer's Pride pub in Healey is best known for Ossett Pale Gold and Excelsior (the latter a winner of several CAMRA awards) ; The Red Lion Brewery, at The Red Lion on Dewsbury Road is best known for its unusual Chardonnale. Both are available across the North of England and the breweries also produce several other beers.

The Yorkshire and the Humber branch of the Disability Sports Federation has its headquarters on the Longlands Industrial Estate in the town.

Gawthorpe, an area of north Ossett, is known for its striking 'water tower' and also hosts the annual World Coal-Carrying Championships (Every Easter Monday) and an annual 'Maypole' parade on the first Saturday in May.

Ossett Gala is a well supported event taking place on the second Saturday in July. The turning on of the Christmas Lights (early December) is another focal point for the community, along with the Fire station's annual bonfire on the Friday evening nearest to the 5th November.

The Ossett Beer Festival takes place annually in the Brewers' Pride pub in the Healey area of Ossett.

Holy Trinity Church, Ossett, viewed from Dale Street

Politically, Ossett has changed which constituency it is in several times. In 1983, a very unpopular decision transferred the town from the Dewsbury seat to the Normanton constituency. This is represented by Ed Balls, who was formerly chief economic adviser. The seat has been continually represented by Labour since 1885: longer than any other British constituency. At the next election, Ossett [and Horbury] shall be part of the Wakefield seat.

In local elections, Ossett tends to be keenly contested between Labour and the LibDems. The British National Party reached a high of 18.5% in 2003. About a quarter of the town is included in the "Horbury and South Ossett" ward.

Ossett's local paper is the Ossett Observer, which was founded in 1864. The Wakefield Express and the Dewsbury Reporter are also regularly stocked in local newsagents. The Wakefield Express also contains an Ossett and district section.

Despite being smaller than nearby Wakefield, Ossett hosts two semi-professional football teams, to Wakefield's one. Ossett Town play at Ingfield across from the bus station, and are in the Unibond Premier Division. Neighbours Ossett Albion make their home at Queen's Terrace, more commonly known as Dimplewells, and are one league below Town, in the Unibond First Division.

Ossett Rugby Union Football Club [4] play at Spring Mill Playing Fields on Queen's Drive. Ossett Trinity, the local rugby league team, resigned from the Rugby League Conference in 2006.

Ossett cricket club also play at Dimplewells. The Heavy Woollen District has its own cricket association and its own cricket team. Residents of Ossett are eligible to play for the Heavy Wollen District team.

• Novelist Stan Barstow, the author of A Kind of Loving, was born in Ossett.
• Benjamin Ingham, one of the founders of Methodism came from the town. According to Arthur Mee's The King's England, he eventually founded his own religious domination - the Inghamites.
• South African astronomer Cyril V. Jackson was born in Ossett.
• Software house Team17 are based there and their most famous game - "Worms" - contained a Hell level with a sign saying, "Welcome to Ossett".
• The crime novelist David Peace originates from Ossett and has set all of his books in the West Riding. In Nineteen Seventy Four, Ed Dunford, the main character, lived at 10, Wesley Street in the town. There is also an insider joke where Ed tries to make up a fake name of a solicitors' firm to a policemen, and says "Edward Clay & Son Ltd." above, which the policeman immediately deduce as false.
• Actress Helen Worth (Gail Platt From Coronation Street) was born and brought up in Ossett.
• Black Lace (band).
• The Cribs, an indie rock band consisting of 3 brothers who come from Netherton in south ossett.
• Earl Fraser
• Cussons (soap manufacturer) was first started in Ossett, and the Company's crest can still be found in the wall of the original building.... the Yorkshire Bank on Station Road

• The red phone booth in Ossett town centre, opposite the Kingsway roundabout, is a grade II listed building[5].
• In the Second World War, it seems that Ossett was accidentally bombed on 16th September, 1940[6]. Ten HE bombs were dropped. No one was killed, save for a number of chickens. Several properties were damaged. Also, a V1's engine was reportedly heard to cut out, and came down at Grange Moor, to the west of the town.
• Ossett is half way between the East and the West Coast of England

• Ossett is the largest town in the UK not to have a railway station

South Ossett

• "Bygone Ossett" - Norman Ellis, Rickaro Books, November 2003, ISBN 0-9546439-0-9
• "Old Ordnance Survey Maps: Ossett 1890", Alan Godfrey Maps, ISBN 0-85054-237-5
• "The King's England: Yorkshire, West Riding", Arthur Mee

Coordinates: 53°40′N, 1°34′W