Arts and crafts in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire (including Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) is in the Yorkshire and The Humber of England. It has a population of around 2,220,000 and covers approximately 200,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire.
The county of West Yorkshire was formed in 1974 and is made up of the five metropolitan boroughs of Calderdale, Kirklees and the cities of Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield. Located in Halifax in the borough of Calderdale, Bankfield Museum is within a listed Victorian Mansion, which has an impressive entrance hall, marble fireplaces, painted ceilings and walls decorated with classical designs. The museum collection includes textiles, costumes and the Duke of Wellingtons Regiment Museum. There are also a range of temporary exhibitions and events held at the museum. The Elizabethan manor house Oakwell Hall is in Birstall, within the borough of Kirklees. Visitors can appreciate the restoration of the interior decorations and furnishings of rooms inside the house and enjoy walking through the surrounding parkland and gardens. Performing arts venues in West Yorkshire include the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford, the Theatre Royal Wakefield, the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds, the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds and Square Chapel Centre For The Arts in Halifax.
Many tourists are drawn to Bronte Country, that includes part of the city of Bradford, as Charlotte Bronte and Anne Bronte were born in the village of Thornton, which is within the borough. The city also hosts a number of cultural events each year, including the Bradford Film Festival and in 2009 the city of Bradford became the first UNESCO City of Film in the world. Leeds Art Gallery has a nationally important collection of British art from the 20th century, including paintings by Francis Bacon and sculptures by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. Other exhibits on display include work by French sculptor Auguste Rodin, as well as contemporary pieces by well known artists such as Bridget Riley and Antony Gormley and the work of new emerging artists who are not yet established. Opened in 2011, The Hepworth Wakefield is an art gallery named after the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, who was born in Wakefield. In addition to a number of works by Barbara Hepworth, there are pieces on display by many other artists, including Ben Nicholson, David Hockney and Henry Moore, as well as exhibits on loan from the national collections. Other attractions in West Yorkshire include Temple Newsam House in Leeds, Wakefield Cathedral, the remains of Pontefract Castle, Shibden Hall in Halifax, East Riddlesden Hall in Keighley and the National Media Museum in Bradford.
