Soothill Explained

Soothill is a small village in the town of Batley, West Yorkshire, England. Soothill is northeast from the town of Dewsbury and directly north of Hanging Heaton.[1] The name derives from the Old English "sot" and means a place where wood was burnt.[2]

Soothill was on the Great Northern Railway's Leeds to Batley branch line, although no station was provided.[3] The colliery at Soothill, adjacent to the railway, was the scene of a rail accident in February 1920 between a goods train and a passenger train. The accident was not fatal with only injuries being recorded.[4] The railway was closed in 1953[5] leaving a disused tunnel (Soothill Tunnel) north east of the settlement. This tunnel has been bricked up as it contains toxic gases.[6]

References

53.713°N -1.617°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History of Soothill, in Kirklees and West Riding. www.visionofbritain.org.uk. 28 February 2017.
  2. Book: Ekwall. Eilert. The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names. 1960. Clarendon Press. Oxford. 0198691033. 431. 4th .
  3. Batley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Leeds, Liversedge, Morley. SE22 . 1955 . 1:25,000 . Ordnance Survey. 28 February 2017.
  4. Web site: Soothill Wood Colliery 1920. railwaysarchive.co.uk. 28 February 2017. PDF.
  5. Web site: Batley - Beeston 1890 - 1951. lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk. 28 February 2017.
  6. Web site: Soothill Tunnel. www.forgottenrelics.co.uk. 28 February 2017.