Otley

Otley is a town in the county of West Yorkshire, England, near Guiseley, by the River Wharfe. Otley is part of the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds.

History

The town dates from before Roman times, the first church being built there in the early 7th century. In the church there are the remains of two Early Anglo-Saxon crosses. Buried there is an ancestor of the 19th century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Thomas Fairfax who commanded Parliament's forces at the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.

Related Topics:
Roman - Anglo-Saxon - Poet - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - Thomas Fairfax - Battle of Marston Moor

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Thomas Chippendale, the famous furniture maker, was born in Otley, and his statue stands in the town, next to the old grammar school he once attended.

Related Topics:
Thomas Chippendale - Grammar school

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J.M.W. Turner, the famed painter, visited Otley in 1797, aged 22, when commissioned to paint watercolours of the area.

Related Topics:
J.M.W. Turner - Painter

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The Wharfedale Printing Machine was developed in Otley by William Dawson and William Payne. An early example can be seen in Otley Museum.

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Famous Methodist preacher John Wesley was a frequent visitor to the town in the 18th century. In his Journal for 1761 we read, "July 6 Monday; In the evening I preached at Otley and afterwards talked with many of the Society. There is reason to believe that ten or twelve of these are filled with the love of God." One of the main streets in Otley is still named after him.

Related Topics:
Methodist - John Wesley

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