meltham is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of kirklees, in west yorkshire, england. it lies in the holme valley, below wessenden moor, four and a half miles south-west of huddersfield on the edge of the peak district national park. it had a population of 8,089 at the 2001 census, which was estimated to have increased to 8,600 by 2005. the population assessed at the 2011 census was 8,534.