“Vibrant” village with a Millionaires’ Row becoming a new celebrity haunt

It’s not uncommon to see plush Rolls Royces appear outside a restaurant and you might even spot a famous face or two.

Footballers, ex-footballers, a TV football pundit and even big-name actors have been seen in the village, although not all are thought to live there.

The village in question is – (drum roll) Birkenshaw. The village is described as ‘vibrant and charming’ by a local estate agent and can be found halfway between Leeds and Bradford, although it is within the Kirklees boundary.

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People who live and work in Birkenshaw are proud of the village and say the people are friendly and welcoming. House prices may be higher than other local postcodes, but locals say this reflects the village’s desirability. There are various shops including Bosco’s cafe, takeaways and barbers, several pubs, a cocktail bar and restaurants including Grand Cru and The Heathfield Farm offering pub grub.

If you want to learn more about ‘celeb spotting’ pub landlord Jock Geater at The George is a good place to start. He spotted several famous faces in the village and saw the odd Rolls Royce pull up outside Grand Cru, which describes itself as a “fancy restaurant and bar” and can be found on Bradford Road.

Jock, who runs the pub with his wife Eileen, describes Birkenshaw as “rich” with plenty of houses worth more than £1 million.

“We have celebrities living here that nobody knows about,” says Jock.

He might be happy to drop a few names if you popped in for a pint and a chat. He says the former footballers seem to like the village. Perhaps they like the proximity to the M62, as well as the large stone-built houses with grand driveways. Jock even saw a few movie stars. Birkenshaw is rumored to have residential facilities to cater for big stars whenever they film in West Yorkshire.

“It’s a great area to be in – there’s no problem around here,” adds Jock. “The Grand Cru restaurant hosts some celebrities. Rolls Royces are parked outside. I saw a white one with gull-wing doors”.

Birkenshaw resident Emma said: “I love living here. It has a very nice restaurant and sometimes you see Rolls Royces parked outside, but it’s also very practical. I like the village for the fields and places to walk.”

She said the M62 was close but it wasn’t too bad. “I don’t really notice it. You can hear it, but you don’t really notice it.”

Phil, 71, who has lived in the village for 46 years, said house prices are now much higher than other postcodes in Bradford.

“I think they have gone up because we are quite handy for Leeds. Most of the developments that have gone up are not what I would call affordable.”

He said house prices were now “out of reach for a lot of people”.

Larger homes can be found on Station Lane, which some locals have dubbed Millionaires’ Row due to the large detached residences with large gardens, grand entrances and impressive driveways. Some of the properties date back to the 1800s and are listed. A Grade II listed property called The Manor House has six bedrooms and a swimming pool and is on the market for just under £1.5 million.

Adele Siddall, who runs Birkenshaw’s gorgeous gifts and cards, loves village life and said: “It’s just a lovely village. It’s still a real village, where everyone knows everyone. It’s really wonderful.”

She added: “It has an amazing community spirit and all the locals make a massive effort to shop local.”

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