Bingley is a market town in the Aire Valley and on the edge of the scenic Yorkshire Dales.
Bingley has excellent transport access to Leeds, Bradford and Skipton, making commuting easy. The train station in the town centre offers excellent services to Leeds (taking about 20 minutes), Bradford (in 15 minutes), and Skipton (in 25 minutes). There are also good road links to nearby towns and cities too, making commuting by car an excellent option too. Leeds Bradford Airport is only 10 miles away, providing the opportunity to travel further afield for work or pleasure.
Education is well provided for in Bingley with several good primary and secondary schools. Primary schools include Myrtle Park Primary School, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Priesthorpe Primary School, and Trinity All Saints Primary School. For secondary education, there’s Beckfoot School and Bingley Grammar School, which was founded in the 16th century making it one of the oldest in the country.
There are plenty of shopping facilities in Bingley, including Darmat Shopping Centre and 5 Rise Shopping Centre, which has a Co-op for groceries, and also gift shops, cafes and more. The town also has Five Rise Records store and an Antiques Retro and Vintage store, among other shops.
Bingley boasts a great range of pubs, including the original location of The Potting Shed Bar & Gardens, which started the chain that can now be found in Guiseley, Beverley and Halifax. The Old White Horse Inn is one of the oldest buildings in Bingley, and it used to be a coaching inn. Bingley Brewery normally opens its taproom every other weekend, serving up its full range of beers.
In and around Main St there’s a great selection of pubs, takeaways, restaurants and cafes to enjoy. People enjoy Italian feasts at Valentino, and meeting friends for a drink at Martinez Wines.
There are several healthcare facilities within Bingley, including GP surgeries and medical practices in the town and its nearby villages. There’s also a pharmacy and a lot of dental practices covering the area.
Bingley has its impressive five-rise lock staircase, where one lock opens directly into another and they are all joined together. They were built in 1774 and are quite unique, rising over 60 feet across the five locks.
Myrtle Park plays host to the annual Bingley Music Live Festival, which has seen the likes of The Human League, The Charlatans, Happy Mondays, Editors and Bingley's own Marmozets. It’s a great place to visit at any time of year though as it has excellent leisure facilities like fishing, bowls and a play area for children. Bingley St Ives is just outside of the town and has 500 acres of country parkland. There’s plenty of good walks here, as well as a café and a large children’s play area.
Nearby attractions include Haworth's famous Bronte Parsonage Museum, which is the original home of the Bronte sisters and where they wrote their novels. There’s also the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire, with Salts Mill, which is a historic building offering art, shopping and dining.