A bimble round Burley 1: the village

Easter was sunny and very warm - summery rather than springlike - and glorious for everyone on holiday to enjoy. I decided one of the places I'd explore was the village of Burley in Wharfedale. I usually dash past on my way to Ilkley or further afield. Burley, though, is a settlement worthy of exploration, vastly improved by a bypass opened in 1995, that now takes much of the traffic away from the village centre. It started out as a small agricultural community and there are some buildings dating back to the 1600/1700s. The datestone pictured below, though worn, appears to say 1613.

The cottage below has 1785 on its sundial.

Then came a time of growth during the Industrial Revolution when a large cotton mill opened, so there are many 18th and 19th century houses and public buildings. The building below is Burley Grange, originally built in 1840 as a private residence and used by Bradford Council and Bradford College more recently. I think it is back in private ownership again now.

St Mary's Church (top photo) is Victorian and was built on the site of a 17th century chapel.

Nowadays, with good rail links to Leeds and Bradford, Burley in Wharfedale continues to grow as a dormitory village and, like nearby Ilkley, is also popular with retirees. There are some beautiful houses, and many of the oldest have been sympathetically renovated. Someone (below) is using a rescued Victorian postbox as their mailbox. It does warn people not to use it as a public box!

The Malt Shovel Hotel (below) was originally a coaching inn, sited next to the church, and was rebuilt in 1880, serving as a pub and restaurant for many years. It was split and converted into private homes in about 2012, after the business went into administration. Burley does have a few remaining pubs though, and a sprinkling of nice, independent shops. What makes it a particularly pleasant place is the abundance of green spaces, parks and watermeadows in and surrounding the village. 

I meant to take a photo of Burley House, built in the18th century in the neo-classical style by Thomas Maude, a poet and local landowner. In the 20th century it became a private school and then variously a restaurant, hotel and business headquarters. It has recently been redeveloped, turning it back into private housing, incorporating the original house, stables and mews with some new builds. I say meant to... I got seduced by the magnificent copper beech tree just coming into leaf in the adjacent meadow.