▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁Census ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁Hud ders field ▁urban ▁sub - area ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁York shire ▁Urban ▁Area ▁was ▁ 1 4 6 , 2 3 4 , ▁and ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁bor ough ▁was ▁ 1 2 1 , 6 2 0 . ▁The ▁wider ▁South ▁Kirk le es ▁area ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 1 6 , 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁Indust ry ▁Hud ders field ▁is ▁a ▁manufact uring ▁town , ▁despite ▁the ▁university ▁being ▁the ▁largest ▁employ er . ▁Histor ically ▁the ▁town ▁produced ▁w ool len ▁text iles . ▁This ▁area ▁of ▁business , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁chemical ▁and ▁engineering ▁indust ries ▁that ▁emer ged ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁text iles , ▁was ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁town ' s ▁nin ete enth ▁and ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁prosper ity . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁work ▁in ▁text iles ▁has ▁decl ined ▁greatly , ▁but ▁the ▁surv iving ▁companies ▁produce ▁large ▁quantities ▁of ▁w ool len ▁products ▁with ▁little ▁labour . ▁The ▁town ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁text ile , ▁chemical ▁and ▁engineering ▁companies , ▁including ▁Brook ▁Mot ors ▁Ltd ▁founded ▁by ▁Ernest ▁Brook ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁Again st ▁conventional ▁wisdom , ▁he ▁started ▁making ▁altern ating ▁current ▁electric ▁mot ors , ▁and ▁he ▁did ▁this ▁in ▁one ▁room ▁with ▁two ▁assist ants ▁and ▁starting ▁capital ▁of ▁just ▁£ 3 0 0 .