Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the township comprised the villages of Kirkburton and Highburton and several hamlets, including Thunder Bridge, Thorncliffe, Storthes Hall and Linfit.

In the Middle Ages the township was part of the Manor of Wakefield and Kirkburton church was at the head of a 16,000-acre (60 km2) parish, that extended to the Holme Valley.

The Huddersfield–Kirkburton Branch Line opened in 1867, serving two terminal railway stations as well as Deighton, Kirkheaton, Fenay Bridge and Lepton.

The line continued as a transport goods until the 1960s, when a combination of road haulage and a decline in industry lead to closure of the railway station in 1965.

Parts of the railway station still remain, albeit in ruined state, and the bricked-up tunnel can be seen when travelling into the village centre from the Penistone Road.

The first textile mill was built at Dogley in about 1787 and used waterpower to prepare wool for spinning and for fulling the finished cloth.

Leather tanning and the exploitation of coal seams made valuable contributions to the economy of Kirkburton for several centuries.

Coal mining grew in importance with the increased use of steam for pumping water and by 1850 there were 20 small pits in the township.

The remains of a number of mines and bell pits can be seen, including the former St Helen's Colliery on Moor Lane in Highburton.

Known as Shepley Spring Brookfield, the site operates 24 hours a day and produces tens of millions of bottles for UK supermarkets and wholesalers.

Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the township and ecclesiastical parish covered a large area centred on Kirkburton.

Kirkburton Urban District was created in 1894 and on 1 April 1938 it was enlarged by the addition of Shelley, Shepley, Whitley Upper and parts of Kirkheaton, Lepton, Thurstonland and Farnley Tyas.

Its parish council represents the village and other places within its boundaries including Farnley Tyas, Flockton, Grange Moor, Highburton, Kirkheaton, Lepton, Shelley, Shepley and Thurstonland.

The village has a masonic hall, six public houses, a purpose-built health centre (opened October 2005), a dental surgery, and a partially staffed police station.

The team adhere to what is largely believed to be the original dress of clogs, blue waistcoats and trousers with ribbons down the side.

Affiliated with the All Hallows Church in Kirkburton, the Uniformed Group have nearly 100 young members, both Scouts and Guides.

Inside the church is a late-medieval nave ceiling, large wooden pulpit, stone font and Elizabethan and Jacobean pews.

A restored 10th-century stone crucifix can be found inside, supporting the belief that another church or Christian settlement may have existed on this site.

The Salvation Army left the village in 2005 and the premises are owned by the Denby Dale Centre, a registered charity.

[citation needed] The Masonic Hall is opposite the police station and All Hallows' Church on George Street.

It was bought by Kirkburton Urban District Council in 1935 and as re-opened it as the local town hall three years later.

Dating from about 1832, this mill had one of the largest water wheels in the country, with a diameter of 50 feet: it was removed for scrap during the Second World War.

Recent archaeological excavations at Myers Wood have uncovered the most complete iron-working site in the North of England.

The Cistercian monastic site was in operation from the 12th to the 14th century, using advanced techniques and water power for smelting and smithing iron.