Sowerby, West Yorkshire
Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Sowerby appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, and was an important settlement long before Halifax began to dominate.The ancient district of Sowerbyshire, a stretch of forest centred on the town leading down the Ryburn and Calder valleys and almost up to Halifax, was a Royal chase.A local legend described a castle in Sowerby, and its presence was confirmed by excavations on 'Castle Hill' at the high end of the old town in the early 1900s by the Halifax Antiquarian Society.The nearby mansion of Field House was the seat of the Stansfeld family, who contributed much to the local community, including building St Peter's Church.Sowerby Hall, close to the church, was built by Josiah Horton in 1650 and the Rawson family, who owned the Brockwell estate at the lower end of St Peter's Avenue, contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in the town during the 18th century.