Knottingley is a town within the metropolitan district of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire. It has a population of 13, 503, increasing to 13,710 for the City of Wakefield ward at the 2011 Census. It was originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement, though the ancient monument of Ferrybridge Henge reveals it had major native habitation long before then. Knottingley means "the clearing of Cnotta's people", from the English personal name Cnotta meaning "knot", During the course of the 3 Sieges of Pontefract Castle, Oliver Cromwell took residence in the town of Knottingley, supposed to be in Wildbore House. Knottingley is a town whose history is tied to river travel and industry. It has actually managed to retain certain elements of that industrial history as thriving enterprises today, generating work for much of its population of some 17,000. Glass making continues to be very important. The town was one of the few in the United Kingdom to have a functioning coal mine, Kellingley Colliery. The crossing over the Aire at Ferrybridge was of value for several centuries. A bridge was built there in 1198, and another to replace it 2 centuries later. Placed on the Great North Road connecting London with York and Edinburgh beyond that, the town emerged as an essential staging place for the coach traffic on that route. Near to Knottingley is the Ferrybridge Power Station, which has the largest cooling towers of their kind in Europe. 3 of these towers collapsed in high winds in 1965. These towers can be seen for miles around. One of the oldest purpose-built cinemas in England, located in Aire Street, has been converted into flats. Knottingley is a central point for horse racing fans, with tracks at Pontefract, York, Wetherby and Doncaster all nearby. For all of your home renovations, make certain to identify trusted specialists in Knottinhgley to make certain of quality.