Bingley is historically an old market town situated on the Aire Valley Road between the towns of Shipley and Keighley with easy commuting to Leeds and Bradford. Once an Old Saxon town consisting of but a few houses, clustered round the Parish church, the small town lay hidden deeply embossed amidst high craggy hills and woodlands, having grown somewhat since that time Bingley still retains the old charm and character.
Bingley is centered around the Main Street which in 1592 was a cluster of houses near the church. Until the much needed Bingley “bypass” opened in 2004 the Main Street was the main thoroughfare, now the town boasts a number of shops, restaurants and the local open air market (situated in front of the Arts centre) is open three times a week all year round.
Many places of local interest include the following:
The Leeds – Liverpool canal passes through Bingley where boats negotiate the
famous Five Rise Locks and its sister the 3 Rise Locks. Both locks are “Staircase
locks” with the lower gate of each chamber forming the upper gate of the
next. The 5 rise lock is the steepest lock flight in Britain.
There are two
local golf courses on the doorstep, Bingley St Ives course and also the Shipley
Golf club.
Other nearby attractions and places of interest include the world
heritage site and village of Saltaire and Salts Mill which houses the latest
David Hockney art work collection.
The local Aire Valley railway line takes
you direct into Leeds within 20 minutes. Leeds is not only the financial capital
of the North but also the ultimate shopping experience with a designer and high
street stores sitting side by side as well as the home of Harvey Nichols store
in the Victoria Quarter.
Bingley also has both excellent road and rail links.
The nearby historic market
towns of Skipton, Halifax and Huddersfield and the Spa town of Ilkley offer
many attractions to visitors, not forgetting the village of Haworth, home
to the Bronte family.