About Knottingley in West Yorkshire

Knottingley is a town in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the River Aire and the A1(M) motorway, and is 10 miles (16 km) east of Leeds. The town had a population of 17,474 in the 2011 Census.

Knottingley was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Cheneteslai. The name is thought to derive from the Old English cniht + tæl + lēah, meaning "clearing of a young warrior".

The town was historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Knottingley was an important river port, being located at the junction of the River Aire and the River Don. It was also a market town, with weekly markets being held from 1294.

The town's fortunes declined in the 19th century with the coming of the railways. The Leeds and Selby Railway bypassed Knottingley in 1834, and the North Eastern Railway did the same in 1848. The town's river trade also declined, with Knottingley becoming landlocked after the closure of the Aire and Calder Navigation in 1961.

Knottingley is twinned with Saint-Omer in France.