Woolley is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 575 in 2001, which increased to 1,339 at the 2011 Census. It is 6 mi north of Barnsley, and 7 mi south of Wakefield.

History

Historically Woolley, mentioned as "Weludai" in the Domesday Book, was part of the Staincross Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In the late 19th century it was part of the Royston parish. By 1881 it had become a civil parish in its own right, which covered an area of about 2600 acres. Until 1974 it formed part of the rural district of Wakefield.

Geography

No major roads pass through the village. The A61 runs about 1 mi east of it, the M1 motorway about 2 mi west. West of the village is the escarpment known as Woolley Edge, which has given its name to the nearby Woolley Edge service station on the M1 motorway. Two miles (3 km) to the south west is Woolley Colliery village and the site of the pit is occupied by Woolley Grange, a residential development. The River Dearne is the boundary between West and South Yorkshire south of the village.