Batley is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield. Batley is part of the Heavy Woollen District. In 2011 the population of Batley including Hanging Heaton, Staincliffe, Carlinghow, Birstall, Birstall Smithies, Copley Hill and Howden Clough was 48,730. Batley has a long history dating back to the 10th century. The town was originally a small village, but it grew in importance during the 18th and 19th centuries due to its woollen industry. Batley was a major centre for the shoddy and mungo trade, in which wool, rags and clothes were recycled by reweaving them into blankets, carpets and uniforms.