Overton, West Yorkshire Explained

Country:England
Official Name:Overton
Coordinates:53.6472°N -1.6076°W
Map Type:West Yorkshire
Metropolitan Borough:City of Wakefield
Metropolitan County:West Yorkshire
Region:Yorkshire and the Humber
Constituency Westminster:Wakefield
Post Town:WAKEFIELD
Postcode District:WF4
Postcode Area:WF
Dial Code:01924
Os Grid Reference:SE260168
London Distance Mi:160
London Direction:SSE

Overton is a village between Wakefield and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. The village is situated approximately 5.5miles south-west of Wakefield, 4miles south of Ossett, 1miles west of Netherton and 4 miles south-west of Horbury. Overton is conjoined at its north-east to the larger village of Middlestown. Coxley Woods are less than 1miles to the south-east.

Overton was historically called 'Over Shitlington',[1] and was one of four villages in the township of 'Shitlington' in the civil parish of Thornhill. In 1881 Overton was in the county court district and Poor Law Union of Wakefield. Village occupations at the time included two farmers, a shopkeeper, the manager of "Cap House pit," and the landlords of The Reindeer and The Black Swan public houses.[2] Shitlington was officially changed to Sitlington in 1929.[3] St Luke's Parish Church in Overton is part of the ecclesiastical parish of Middlestown with Netherton.[4]

Overton is significant for the National Coal Mining Museum, situated on the A642. The former Caphouse Colliery was worked from at least 1789 until the coal was exhausted in 1985 when work was started to convert it to a museum.

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Notes and References

  1. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Thornhill/Thornhill68.html "Thornhill: Shitlington"
  2. Kelly's Directory of the West Riding of Yorkshire, 1881, p. 1382
  3. Woodall, R.D. (1977), The Sitlington Story, Horbury School Publishing Committee, p. foreword.
  4. http://www.leeds.anglican.org/content/lesley-anne-mattacks "Lesley Anne Mattacks"