The history of Gomersal is neatly reflected in four of its buildings, two of them museums, two hostelries. In Elizabethan times Oakwell Hall was built, with a fine park around it reflecting the prosperity and power of the owners in the pre-industrial age, when farming would have dominated the local economy. This is now a museum and country park, the interior of the house set out in the style of the reign of William and Mary, as the owners, the Batts, would have seen it in 1690. At the other end of the social scale was the Old Saw pub, now moved from its original location, but with legends attaching to it that tell of priests hidden in the cellars, and a secret escape tunnel leading from the pub to the nearby Spen Hall, from a time when being of the wrong religion was potentially fatal. Oakwell Hall and the Red House Museum - a fine Caroline property - are linked in another important aspect of Gomersal’s history, its ties with Charlotte Bronte. The novelist who stayed at the Red House used both buildings in Shirley, under fictitious names. She also derived material from perhaps Gomersal’s greatest claim to fame, the Luddite riots of 1812, when the old textile ways were being supplanted by mechanisation. Many died in the riots, and others were hanged in York in the aftermath. The last building that gives a snapshot of Gomersal today is the Gomersal Park Hotel. Coal mining is long gone, the textile industry in any significant form likewise. Now the village’s location close to Leeds and Bradford means that it serves as a dormitory settlement for people working in those cities - there are many new houses in the area, but it also retains some marvellous older properties of considerable style - and places like Gomersal Park Hotel with its helipad hosts visitors to them.
Pub and Bar
Bulls Head Inn
Old Saw Inn
White Horse
School
Gomersal C of E Middle School
Gomersal First School
St Mary’s First & Nursery School
Taxi
Places to Stay near Gomersal
Gomersal Park (0.45 miles)
Set in our extensive grounds the Gomersal Park Hotel is a deceptively quiet setting for a Hotel only a short distance from the centre of Leeds and Bradford. The good food and wine in ... More | visit website
Gomersal Lodge Hotel (0.67 miles)
Healds Hall Hotel (1.54 miles)
Healds Hall is a family-run hotel with a nationally acclaimed award-winning restaurant and bistro. Set peacefully in landscaped, picturesque gardens Healds Hall presents an ideal venue when planning a conference, meeting or visiting the area. ... More | visit website
Premier Inn Bradford South (1.56 miles)
Premier Inn Leeds Bradford (South) (1.83 miles)
Close to shops and local amenities Leeds city centre is only 6 miles away. Our Leeds / Bradford (South) Premier Inn has everything you'd expect, incredibly comfy beds in every room and an onsite Brewers ... More | visit websiteHeadlands House Hotel (1.97 miles)
Family run hotel conveniently located between Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Halifax and Wakefield. Located close to the major motorway networks. Extremely friendly and hospitable staff who are more than happy ... More
Healey House Hotel (1.98 miles)
Alder House Hotel (1.98 miles)
Set in 2.5 acres of wooded gardens, just a short drive from Leeds and Bradford, this converted Georgian house provides a quiet and relaxed atmosphere for your break away.
Whether you are considering a romantic weekend, ... More | visit website
Innkeeper's Lodge Leeds South (2.61 miles)
The Innkeeper's Lodge Leeds South is located four miles south of Leeds city centre on the A650, this lodge shares its grounds with the Toby Carvery restaurant at Morley. All ... More
Old Vicarage Hotel (2.73 miles)
The Old Vicarage built in 1893, formerly the home of the Vicars of Bruntcliffe, was purchased from the Church by the previous owners in 1977 and in 1986 the building ... More
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