When was dewsbury asda built?

— Now it has permission to build a drive-through branch in the car park of Dewsbury Asda. The supermarket has a large car park off Mill Street .

— . site of ASDA, Dewsbury. This is a historic photograph already, as the factory has been demolished and a new supermarket built (photo later)."Date: 19 February 2000

Asda, Dewsbury. 635 likes · 10 talking about this · 729 were here. Supermarket.

1963So inspired and energised were the Asquith brothers by their American trip they converted what was once a theatre called The Queens, into the UK's first self-service supermarket in Castleford. Soon after, they converted an indoor market into their second ‘Queens’ store.

At the same time, the Asquith brothers made an incredible discovery: the concept of food discounting. Crosse & Blackwell were offering a six penny (2½p) postal order for every soup label returned. The Asquith’s buyer, Jack Hewitt (later to become Managing Director of Asda), spotted an opportunity and ordered 1,000 cans of soup. The three then spent the next few days cutting off labels for redemption and offering the cans of soup at a 3d discount. The concept of food discounting and offering customers value for money had arrived. Customers loved the idea… and they still do!

Around the same time, the Asquith brothers pioneered late-night shopping on Fridays. It was a first in retail and, once again, customers loved it.

Introducing Asda By the mid-1960s, Britain was starting to swing. Rationing was ten years in the past; the economy was booming; car ownership was growing; and there was shopping to be done.

A great mood of optimism was sweeping the country, and nowhere more so than at Queens, where something very, very exciting was about to happen.

1965Peter Asquith built his first new supermarket from scratch, next to a large car park, knowing that cars would change the way people shop. Queens soon expanded to form a chain of self-service supermarkets.

It was around this time that Peter Asquith was also looking for a company to take over his in-store butchery operation, so he made contact with Noel Stockdale at Associated Dairies. It was the beginning of a fantastic retail partnership.

On the 3rd May 1965, Asda was born.

ASquith + DAiries = the birth of ASDA

GEM and the arrival of Superstores

Government Exchange Mart (GEM) was a major US discount retailer, with two large stores over 80,000 sq. ft. in the UK. At this point the UK stores were struggling - too many staff, too few customers. Associated Dairies saw the potential and boldly acquired the GEM stores and with Asda’s retailing skills applied they became a phenomenal success.

1966To fill the extra space in the former GEM stores, Asda became the first food store to offer General Merchandise. Customers were delighted - the Nottingham store takes £30,000 in its first week, and Judith Smith from the Castleford store becomes the first checkout operator to take £1,000 in a week.

1967The revamped large GEM stores were later to be seen as landmark events in the development of UK retailing. To expand this new trading format, Peter Asquith introduced the very first discounted petrol filling station. None of the major oil companies would support this new idea, so Peter made a deal with a little-known Russian oil company NAFTA.

1968In 1968, Associated Dairies bought out the Asquith Brothers, but Peter remained a significant force in the business.

1970By 1970 Asda had over 30 stores and was poised to expand beyond its northern heartland into the south.

1971 - 77Poised for growth, Asda appointed Peter Firmston-Williams as Managing Director recognising that talented leaders were essential to future success. Peter oversaw Asda's expansion into the south, with new stores opening in Newport, Plymouth and Gosport by 1977.

1977This year saw the launch of the 'Asda Price' TV adverts featuring the 'pocket tap'. The pocket tap eventually became so well known that it took its place in sign language as the official sign for Asda.

By the end of the 70s, Asda was booming with over 80 stores totalling 3 million sq. ft. of retail space. During this period the business had embarked upon a programme of diversification. We'd introduced Asda Property and Asda Drive, and had acquired a number of businesses including Allied Carpets and Wade's Furniture.

1980s: There's Change in the Air 1981This year saw the opening of the 100th Asda store, Peter Firmston-Williams left the business and John Fletcher became Asda’s new Managing Director.

1984John Hardman was appointed as Managing Director and embarked upon a new strategy to develop new 'Asda brand' products, commission a fresh new look for stores and create centralised distribution centres.

1985Asda and MFI (Mullard Furniture Industries) formed a merger in May this year. MFI is sold again in 1987.

It was during this period that Asda commenced building seven new distribution centres strategically located throughout the UK.

1987Asda's flagship Watford store opened with 64,000 sq. ft. It was another landmark in UK retailing and featured the longest ever checkout bank, with 45 checkouts.

1988Asda's new headquarters in Leeds was opened by the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

The building was a state-of-the-art office complex, the base from which Asda would build its future, which started with the acquisition of 61 Gateway stores.

1989Seven new distribution centres are opened across the UK.

1989George Davies was asked to produce a range of clothing for Asda - high quality, high value and with its own identity. The partnership and pioneering brand George at Asda was born – it would eventually become one of the UK's top clothing brands.

1990s: On the Right Track 1990George creates the first ever supermarket clothing brand

1991Archie Norman joined Asda and became the youngest ever CEO of a FTSE 100 company.

Archie and his new senior team, which included Allan Leighton, Phil Cox and Tony Campbell, listened to the business and produced a radical new strategy.

The Asda Way of Working was created, which provided a framework for a new organisational structure. It made stores the heroes and promoted colleague involvement. It was the start of the Asda culture we know and love today.

1995In the space of four short years, Archie, Allan Leighton and their team had returned Asda to a major force in UK retailing.

1996Asda launched the Tickled Pink campaign to raise money for the fight against breast cancer in a partnership that continues to this day.

The first pharmacy was also opened in Harrogate. Today, Asda pharmacies offer services to families including free blood pressure checks, immunisations and flu jabs - helping our customers save money and live better.

1998Asda starts its online retail service with a dedicated depot in Croydon.

1999In a move that takes the industry by surprise, Asda joins the Walmart family and becomes part of the world's biggest retailer.

A New Century, A New Chapter 2000Asda entered the new millennium at a tremendous pace and enjoyed renewed growth, with new business areas added, new brands introduced and new stores opening. Asda also launched the grocery home shopping business, later to be followed by the launch of the non-food online business.

2002Asda was named the top company to work for by The Sunday Times.

2004Asda was named 'Best Value Retailer' by The Grocer for the seventh year running and also became Britain's biggest clothing retailer. The first Asda Living store was launched in Walsall – the first 'General Merchandise' store.

This year Asda was also proud to announced that in just five years since 1999, it had helped to raise over £21million for Children in Need and Tickled Pink.

George becomes the second largest retailer of clothing in the UK and delights customers with the launch of £3 jeans

2005Andy Bond was appointed as President and CEO and with him came a fresh outlook on retail and more success for Asda. This year we also expanded into Northern Ireland.

2006Asda launched the 'we sell for less' programme, lowering the cost of living for millions in the UK.

2007Andy Clarke was named COO later to become President and CEO. Asda also expanded its online retail offering by launching direct.asda.com.

2008Asda opened its Eco Store in Bootle - the most environmentally friendly store we'd ever opened, including bricks recycled from Liverpool docks. The energy saved from using natural light could brew 11 million cups of tea!

This year marks the launch of the first online George store and in October introduced the £15 little black coat which was a huge hit.

2009Asda acquired International Produce Limited, an important part of the strategy to source fresh produce directly and deliver even better value for customers.

George was also going from strength to strength becoming number one on volume for clothing in the UK. Also, as part of the mission to support Asda parents in every way we can, the 100-day money-back guarantee on school uniforms was introduced.

2010Asda continued to grow. Online shopping was still expanding and we were meeting the challenge. We were still opening new stores, still saving our customers money every day, and raising our game in sustainability.

George introduces the ground-breaking 100 Day satisfaction guarantee. This means that if for any reason our customers weren’t satisfied with their George item purchased, they could simply return it within 100 days with their proof of purchase for an exchange or refund.

2011George becomes the main title sponsor Graduate Fashion Week, affirming its commitment to providing the latest fashions at the very best prices.

2012The new Community Life programme was launched - whether through supporting local events, charities or schools, we strived to help make our local communities better places to live and work for colleagues and customers alike.

The same year the first drive-thru Click & Collect was installed in Queensferry. It marked another first for Asda ahead of the roll out of Click & Collect.

The new Bangor store was the first to be completely fitted out with LED lighting. Stores also started using air source heat pumps - adding renewable energy to new stores.

2013Asda opened its new Merchandising Centre of Excellence in Leeds in a 90,000 sq. ft. former bottling plant. It has become a key part of Asda and an example of global best practice for Walmart.

The first stand-alone petrol filling station was launched in Sale. While the UK's first temperature-controlled Click & Collect lockers for food installed in Pudsy.

George takes the number one spot in the market for volume and value on Back to School

2014This year the Retail Industry Awards recognised the amazing work of our community colleagues as we were voted ‘Community Retailer of the Year’. We were also honoured to be named as one of the Times Top 50 Employers for Women and we were bursting with pride to have held on to our place in 2015.

By 2014 we also had 600 remote Click & Collect points installed across the country.

Asda launches the George Home range with 1000 new lines including home accessories and bedding with prices starting from just £1. This year we also launched the first supermarket premature baby clothing designed to fit babies between 1lb and 5lbs.

2015Asda celebrates its 50th Birthday! A milestone year for the company which saw many great achievements, including the 600th store being opened and profits surpassing the £1bn mark for the first time. To celebrate reaching its half century and its successful partnership with Walmart, Asda adopted its parent’s famous ‘sparks’ to its logo along with Walmart’s purpose to ‘Save Money. Live Better.’

2015 was also a time to celebrate for George Clothing, marking 25 years since its launch.

2016

Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign, which has been running for 20 years, hits £50million raised to help support Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now charities.

Sean Clarke is announced as Asda’s new President and CEO as the business continuously looks at ways to help its customers Save Money and Live better.

2017Asda's commitment to providing great value for customers is recognised again, when the company is named the lowest priced supermarket at the Grocer Gold Awards for a record 20th year in a row.

Yorkshireman Roger Burnley returns home, rejoinging Asda as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO. He had previously held a number of positions in the company in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before taking up senior roles at other retailers.

Asda is included in the Centrica Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer list as one of the UK’s leading employers of apprentices - the only one of the big four supermarkets to be included.

As part of its support for suppliers and to help small businesses better manage their cashflow, Asda commits to paying all small suppliers in 14 days.

2018After returning the business to positive sales growth, Sean Clarke hands over as President & CEO to Roger Burnley and a new era begins.

Asda rolls out a number of new technologies to help make shopping easier for its customers, including the UK's first parcel tower, meaning customers can collect online orders in less than 60 seconds, and voice-activated shopping through Google Home.

In 2018 Asda and J Sainsbury PLC announced a proposal to merge and create a new retail business. In 2019 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued its final report blocking the merger.

2020In early 2020 Asda entered into discussions with a select number of Private Equity investors who were interested in exploring a partnership with the supermarket to enable it to grow its strategy. After pausing this process in order to focus on their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Asda and Walmart restarted these discussions in July 2020. On 2nd October, 2020, the Issa Brothers and TDR Capital announced they had reached an agreement with Walmart to acquire a majority stake in Asda, with Walmart retaining an equity interest in the business.

FCA approval for the transaction was confirmed on 8th February 2020 and the acquisition closed on 16th February 2021. Asda, the Issa Brothers and TDR constructively engaged with the CMA to address any competition questions and received a positive outcome to their investigation in the second half of 2021.

— This is a historic photograph already, as the factory has been demolished and a new supermarket built (photo later).

Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds.

Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, after undergoing a period of major growth in the 19th century as a mill town, Dewsbury went through a period of decline. Dewsbury forms part of the Heavy Woollen District of which it is the largest town. According to the 2011 census, Dewsbury had a population of 62,945.

The Domesday Book of 1086 records the name as Deusberie, Deusberia, Deusbereia, or Deubire, literally "Dewi's fort", Dewi being an old Welsh name (equivalent to David) and "bury" coming from the old English word "burh", meaning fort.

Other, less supported, theories exist as to the name's origin. For example, that it means "dew hill", from Old English dēaw (genitive dēawes), "dew", and beorg, "hill" (because Dewsbury is built on a hill). It has been suggested that dēaw refers to the town's proximity to the water of the River Calder.

In the past other origins were proposed, such as "God's fort", from Welsh Duw, "God". "Antiquarians supposed the name, Dewsbury, to be derived from the original planter of the village, Dui or Dew, who … had fixed his abode and fortified his "Bury". Another conjecture holds, that the original name is Dewsborough, or God's Town" (1837)

In Anglo-Saxon times, Dewsbury was a centre of considerable importance. The ecclesiastical parish of Dewsbury encompassed Huddersfield, Mirfield and Bradford. Ancient legend records that in 627 Paulinus, the Bishop of York, preached here on the banks of the River Calder. Numerous Anglian graves have been found in Dewsbury and Thornhill.

Dewsbury Minster lies near the River Calder, traditionally on the site where Paulinus preached. Some of the visible stonework in the nave is Saxon, and parts of the church also date to the 13th century. The tower houses "Black Tom", a bell which is rung each Christmas Eve, one toll for each year since Christ's birth, known as the "Devil's Knell", a tradition dating from the 15th century. The bell was given by Sir Thomas de Soothill, in penance for murdering a servant boy in a fit of rage. The tradition was commemorated on a Royal Mail postage stamp in 1986.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, Dewsbury was in Morley wapentake, but with a recorded population of only nine households it was a relatively small settlement at that time. The Agbrigg and Morley wapentakes were administratively combined into the Agbrigg and Morley wapentake in the 13th century. When they were separated for administrative purposes in the mid-19th century, Dewsbury parish had grown to straddle the border between both wapentakes, hence being mainly in the Lower Division of the Wapentake of Agbrigg.

Dewsbury market was established in the 14th century for local clothiers. Occurrences of the plague in 1593 and 1603 closed the market and it reopened in 1741.

Throughout the Middle Ages, Dewsbury retained a measure of importance in ecclesiastical terms, collecting tithes from as far away as Halifax in the mid-14th century. John Wesley visited the area five times in the mid-18th century, and the first Methodist Society was established in 1746. Centenary Chapel on Daisy Hill commemorates the centenary of this event, and the Methodist tradition remained strong in the town.

In 1770, a short branch of the Calder and Hebble Navigation was completed, linking Dewsbury to the canal system giving access to Manchester and Hull. By the time of the Industrial Revolution, Dewsbury was a centre for the shoddy and mungo industries which recycled woollen items by mixing them with new wool and making heavy blankets and uniforms. The town benefited economically from the canal, its location at the heart of the Heavy Woollen District, and its proximity to coal mines. The railway arrived in 1848 when Dewsbury Wellington Road railway station on the London and North Western Railway opened; this is the only station which remains open. Other stations were Dewsbury Central on the Great Northern Railway which closed in 1964 and Dewsbury Market Place on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway which closed in 1930; a fourth goods-only railway station was built in the early 20th century at Savile Town by the Midland Railway. In 1985 a bypass road was built on the site of Central Station and its adjacent viaduct, and nothing remains of Market Place railway station. The 19th century saw a great increase in population, rising from 4,566 in 1801 to around 30,000 by 1890.

The town's rapid expansion and commitment to industrialisation resulted in social instability. In the early 19th century, Dewsbury was a centre of Luddite opposition to mechanisation in which workers retaliated against the mill owners who installed textile machinery and smashed the machines which threatened their way of life. In the 1830s, Dewsbury was a centre of Chartist agitation. In August 1838, after a speech by Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor, a mob of between five and seven thousand people besieged the Dewsbury Poor Law Guardians in the town's Royal Hotel. The mob was dispersed by troops. Trouble flared in 1840 when radical agitators seized control of the town, and troops were stationed to maintain order. This radical tradition left a legacy in the town's political life: its first elected Member of Parliament (MP) in 1867 was John Simon, a Jewish lawyer from Jamaica and a Liberal. The tradition of firing the "Ten o'Clock" gun dates from 1815 and was a hangover from the Luddite problems. It was fired from Wormald and Walker's Mill to reassure that all was well. It could be heard all over the area. Eventually the actual gun was replaced with a specially made firework but the tradition was discontinued in 1983 with the closure of the mill. The mills were family businesses and continued manufacturing after the wool crisis in 1950–51, which saw Australian sheep farmers begin to charge higher prices. However, the recovery of the late 1960s was reversed by the 1973 oil crisis, and the textile industry in Dewsbury declined, with only bed manufacturing remaining a large scale employer.

Massive immigration after the 1960s left a huge demographic impact on the town, which continues today. Asian British and Muslims now make up a third of the population, and the percentage is expected to grow in the coming years.

After 2005, following negative press reports, Dewsbury was labelled a troubled town and became "the town that dare not speak its name" after high-profile crimes brought it into the media spotlight. In June, a girl of 12 was charged with grievous bodily harm after attempting to hang a five-year-old boy from Chickenley. Mohammad Sidique Khan, ringleader of the group responsible for the 7 July 2005 London bombings, lived in Lees Holm, Dewsbury.

On 19 February 2008, Shannon Matthews, a nine-year-old girl from the Moorside Estate, was reported missing. After a 24-day hunt which attracted huge media and public attention nationally, she was found hidden in a flat in the Batley Carr area on 14 March 2008. Her mother Karen Matthews, along with Michael Donovan, the uncle of her stepfather Craig Meehan, were later found guilty of abduction and false imprisonment, as part of a plot to claim the reward money for her safe return by pretending to have solved her disappearance; both were jailed for eight years.

In October 2010, the Dewsbury Revival Centre opened, in the refurbished former St Mark's Church on Halifax Road, the church attended by Wallace Hartley, bandmaster of the Titanic.

In July 2014, Kirklees Council enforced a media ban covering the visit of Princess Anne, who was due to deliver a speech on the importance of restorative justice. Kirklees Council later responded that the highly unusual media ban had been insisted upon by the Royal Household. Buckingham Palace, however, was mystified over the ban, with a Royal spokesman stating: "This visit has been openly listed in the future engagements section on the Royal website for the last eight weeks. There are no restrictions on reporting on the event from the Royal Household."

Dewsbury was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1862. Its first mayor was Dr George Fearnley. The Reform Act of 1868 constituted Dewsbury a parliamentary borough, and Liberal candidate John Simon, serjeant-at-law, was returned as the borough's first MP. The Victorian town hall standing in front of the old marketplace dates from 1886 to 1889. Dewsbury's boundaries were expanded to include the urban districts of Ravensthorpe, Thornhill, and Soothill Nether, and part of Soothill Upper, in 1910, and in 1913 it was elevated to county borough status. "Soothill Nether" refers to the current east end of the town, although at that time Chickenley and Chidswell were hamlets, and Earlsheaton contained the bulk of the area's population.

In 1974, responsibility for local government passed to Kirklees Metropolitan Council, its headquarters being in Huddersfield. The population of Dewsbury has remained broadly static over the past century: the 1911 census recorded 53,351 people, and the 1971 census 51,326 people, making it the fourth-least populous county borough in England (after Canterbury, Burton upon Trent and Great Yarmouth).

The town's current MP is Mark Eastwood, a member of the Conservative Party, who was elected in the 2019 general election.

Dewsbury is situated between Leeds and Bradford 8 miles (13 km) to the north, Huddersfield a similar distance to the south west, and Wakefield 6 mi (10 km) east. Its proximity to these major urban centres, the M1 and M62 motorways and its position on the Huddersfield Line, served by the TransPennine Express, have contributed to its growth.

Dewsbury is part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area, although its natural boundaries are not well-defined, with built up areas of the town running into Batley, Heckmondwike and Ossett.

Geologically, the town is situated on rocks of the Carboniferous Period, consisting of coal measures and gritstones. Quaternary Period rock, glacial deposits and gravels exist in the Calder Valley. Coal, sandstone and gravel have been exploited commercially. Average rainfall is 100 cm per annum. The town is dominated by hills, notably Earlsheaton, Dewsbury Moor, Staincliffe and Thornhill. The town centre is between 130 and 180 feet (40 and 55 metres) above sea level, rising to 360 ft (110 m) at Earlsheaton and Batley Carr, and 755 ft (230 m) at Grange Moor. The approach from Earlsheaton through the Wakefield Road cutting, constructed in 1830, is dramatic with the view of the town centre in the Calder Valley opening up.

Dewsbury has a number of districts with different geographical and socio-economic patterns, they are, Chickenley, Crackenedge, Dewsbury Moor, Earlsheaton, Eastborough, Eightlands, Flatts, Ravensthorpe, Savile Town, Shaw Cross, Scout Hill, Thornhill Lees, Westborough, Westtown. Batley Carr, Hanging Heaton and Staincliffe have areas which lie in both Dewsbury and neighbouring Batley. Thornhill, Briestfield and Whitley Lower are part of Dewsbury unparished area. Thornhill was annexed in 1910.

The Westtown area has the large and imposing Our Lady and St. Paulinus Roman Catholic Church and its school, once run by the nuns of the area. The Irish National Club also is home to Dewsbury Celtic amateur rugby league club.

The town has a large Muslim community. Savile Town and Ravensthorpe are populated mainly by Muslims of Indian and Pakistani origin. In recent years, there has also been an immigration of Iraqi Kurds and Hungarians into the town. Dewsbury has been accused of having a controversial Shariah arbitration court. Dewsbury Moor, Ravensthorpe and Chickenley are classed among the 10% most deprived areas in the UK. In contrast to some British towns and cities, the east side of the town is generally more affluent. The majority of houses in the town are in the cheapest band for council tax, for house prices are amongst the lowest in the country.

The local market once consisted of 400 stalls and was one of the busiest in Yorkshire and in years gone by drew large numbers of visitors to the town. Wednesdays and Saturdays are the normal market days with the popular flea market on Fridays. The town's mills were located just south of the River Calder in the town centre. As the mills closed this area became a large brownfield site. However, many of the units have been reoccupied and the town's largest employer, Carlton Cards, is based in this area.

According to the 2011 census, White British people comprised 61.6% of Dewsbury's population.

Asian British were 35.9% of the population, and the majority of them are of Pakistani and Indian origin or descent. Others (Black, Arab and other ethnic groups) constitute 2.5% of population.

The 2011 census showed that Christians were largest religion in Dewsbury, with 45%. Muslims were second, at 36.5%, and unaffiliated at third place, with 17.6% of the population.

Dewsbury bus station serves the town of Dewsbury. The bus station is managed and owned by West Yorkshire Metro.

The bus station was rebuilt in 1994 with a main passenger concourse and 19 bus stands.

The town is served on the railway network by Dewsbury railway station, with services operated by Northern Trains and TransPennine Express.

Dewsbury Rams, formerly Dewsbury R.L.F.C., play in rugby league's Championship. They are based at Crown Flatt, on Owl Lane, towards Ossett, on the site of the old Savile & Shaw Cross Colliery. Shaw Cross Sharks is an amateur Rugby League club. The club was founded in 1947 and has produced several players into the professional game, including Mike Stephenson, Nigel Stephenson and David Ward. They operate from Shaw Cross Club for Young People and play their home fixtures at the adjacent Paul Lee Hinchcliffe Memorial Playing Fields. The open age first team is the National Conference League. Dewsbury Celtic play in National League 3; their ground is on the west side of the town, in Crow Nest Park. The club's headquarters are at the Dewsbury Irish National Club on Park Parade. Dewsbury is also the home of Dewsbury Rangers Football Club. With over 300 members from the ages of six through to the old boys' teams, it is one of the largest in the area.

Dewsbury Museum was located within the mansion house in Crow Nest Park, before it closed to the public in November 2016. Nearby attractions include the National Coal Mining Museum for England, located in Overton, Wakefield.

Dewsbury Town Hall contains a 700-seater concert hall and regularly hosts concerts, exhibitions, live music, cabaret evenings and weddings.

The town also has an annual event called Spirit, a street theatre show every winter which takes place in the town centre.

2018 comedy film Destination: Dewsbury was filmed and part set in the town. The production was shot in 2016 and premiered at the 2018 Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Dewsbury had two grammar schools – Wheelwright Grammar School for Boys and, further up the hill, Wheelwright Grammar School for Girls. The 1970s education reforms converted these two establishments to high schools and they were renamed Dewsbury College and Birkdale High School. Dewsbury College was merged with Huddersfield Technical College to become part of Kirklees College in 2008, and is now known by that name. Birkdale High School closed in July 2011. In the 2005 School League Tables, Dewsbury's Eastborough Junior, Infants and Nursery schools were reported to have the most consistently improved results over the past four years. However, the headteacher of the school, Nicola Roth, has been highly critical of School League Tables in the UK, and has been reported to have said, "It would be better if league tables did not exist".

Batley College of Art and Design, which is part of Kirklees College (Dewsbury Centre), has a strong reputation for print and textile-based art work, whilst St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy is a specialist Sports College and is one of the few schools in the area with a Sixth Form.

The following people are or were from Dewsbury:

Dewsbury is referenced in the Beatles' 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour. A line of dialogue in the film has one of the magicians (all portrayed by the Beatles themselves) – who are keeping an eye on the whereabouts of the bus that is taking its passengers on the journey of the film's title – exclaim: "The bus is 10 miles north on the Dewsbury road and they're having a lovely time!" Dewsbury is also referenced in the 1991 single "It's Grim Up North" by the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (also known as the KLF).

The 1960 book A Kind of Loving is set in a fictional city named "Cressley", but its description was based upon Dewsbury. The author, Stan Barstow, was born in Horbury and grew up in Ossett – both of which are just to the east of Dewsbury.

More recently, the phrase "Dewsbury noir" has been used to describe the violent novels of David Peace, who was born in Dewsbury but lives in neighbouring Ossett.

Channel 4 documentary Educating Yorkshire followed the everyday lives of the staff and students of Thornhill Community Academy, a secondary school in Thornhill. In 2014, the show won best Documentary Programme at the National Television Awards.

Dewsbury is a historic market, mill and minster town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees . In 1985 a bypass road was built on the site of Central Station and its adjacent viaduct, . ""Born and bred Yorkshireman" gets top job at Asda"."History · Governance · Geography · Demography and economy

Peter Asquith built his first new supermarket from scratch, next to a large car park, knowing that cars would change the way people shop. Queens soon expanded .