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Negative coverage of something has not been part of any of my job descriptions over the last decade or so, and documenting a place in this way makes me mildly uncomfortable. But Dewsbury is so compelling; it was an itch that needed scratching, and, to be clear and fair to Dewsbury, this post focuses largely, but not exclusively, on the town centre.
Dewsbury is a town in West Yorkshire, a county shaped and in many ways defined by the Industrial Revolution. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a world centre for specialised textile recycling and manufacturing, where old woollen items were recycled into “shoddy” or “mungo” and manufactured into military uniforms, carpets, blankets, and heavy cloth.
This wealth built a striking town centre. There’s no denying how impressive the architecture is, with buildings like the town hall still standing today. In more recent times, it had a long-established market that people came from far and wide to visit. This history has created strong contrasts in history, wealth, and cultures. This has led the town to be captivating on a visual, cultural, and personal level, as someone who spent time there in my youth.
But today, Dewsbury has a terrible reputation. It’s probably the worst of any town in the vicinity, or even the rest of West Yorkshire, and what you don’t see in the galley below is the level of dereliction of shops and other buildings. It’s hard to say how many are empty, but the figure must be almost as high as those that are occupied. Why is this important? Because it provides an indication of a town centre’s health. Dewsbury would appear unhealthy.
Everyone I’ve spoken to describes Dewsbury as a ‘shithole’. A woman even stopped me and asked what I was taking photos of, followed by saying it’s a shithole. That is exactly why I was taking the pictures. I asked her if she lived here, and she said, “God, no. I live in Liversedge, by the Golden Fish.” I replied, “Oh, yeah? I know it. So why are you in Dewsbury?” She said she visits a cafe and likes to help the homeless. Despite what she thinks of the place, she’s still drawn to the town, too.
I remember Dewsbury when it was still alive, and what is seen today isn’t what I remember. There’s a book called Dewsbury Past & Present which compares photographs from the early 1900s to the late 1900s. Buildings were knocked down to replace old ones and to make way for new roads. That gap shows a significant shift in Dewsbury’s landscape, but both periods appear to be thriving.
Dewsbury town centre is not thriving today. What’s left of the centre is, quite frankly, a bit of a mess. Perhaps it’s the compounding of poor council management and poor tenant management, leading to social, economic, and cultural issues. It’s easy to blame the council, but it’s highly unlikely that the council would fly-tip around the town. Someone else is responsible for that decision, and we all must take some responsibility for our doorstep. We can’t turn back the clock, but it raises the question of whether the town would have become something more had things been different.
Having said that, some redevelopment work is underway. The Arcade, a Grade II-listed Victorian building, is undergoing a £10 million refurbishment, funded through public grants and council support. The Arcade is due to open in mid to late 2026 and is intended to become a community-run shopping centre. However, after speaking with a few people about the project, the question they ask is whether it’s worth it. Why should somewhere in such ruin get a boost of cash when there are better things to spend money on, and there’s no guarantee it will change the fortunes of the town? But equally, if money isn’t spent, it can only get worse. Perhaps it’s too little, too late, or not even enough.
Maybe more needs to be done, and perhaps it will be as part of the council’s Dewsbury Blueprint, a £200+ million plan aimed to be finished by 2036. After all, the attraction of a town can’t be only architectural. There needs to be other selling points, such as a good coffee scene, bars, or independent retail. Right now, Dewbury doesn’t feature any of this in its identity; it only has a stigma.
What I find most odd about Dewsbury is that it’s still succeeding in parts. There’s still plenty going on, but it’s outside the centre. There’s a busy retail park and Asda superstore, just a stone’s throw from the centre, plenty of industry, and a new £50m Kirklees District Police Headquarters in one of the town’s most impressive buildings. Perhaps these things are clues to why the centre is failing. There’s enough to draw people to the town, but not enough to draw them into the centre.
I saw a cotton tote bag in a closed shop window. It read, ‘Dewsbury Not So Shoddy.’ Perhaps some would beg to differ. Or perhaps Mystic Meg knows something we don’t. You may be surprised to hear, but I like the town. It’s a fascinating place that would make for a great socioeconomic study, and although what’s happened to it is disappointing, it’s not the only way the story can end. In the meantime, it’s a place oozing with character, and even though it may not be on your priority list, I highly recommend a visit.
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