Aberford
Encyclopedia
Aberford is a large village
and civil parish
on the eastern outskirts of the City of Leeds
metropolitan borough
in West Yorkshire
, England
. It has a population of 1,059 according to the 2001 census
. It is situated 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Leeds city centre
and lies in the LS25 Leeds postcode area
.
and lying as it does on the ancient Great North Road, until the construction of the A1 bypass starting at Hook Moor.
It lies in the ancient Kingdom of Elmet
, the name now given to the local parliamentary constituency. The name 'Aberford' is of Anglo-Saxon
origin, approximately translating as 'the crossing over the river', indicating the once strategic importance of the settlement. Aberford is supposed to have once had a reputation for making pins.
Aberford's population
growth has historically been around the road, and so the village has developed a linear rather than nucleated profile. Since the early 1990s much new housing has been constructed in the village, as increasing affluence allows people to move away from city centres to rural
and suburban areas.
The village also contains a number of functional buildings, such as Aberford Church of England
primary School, affiliated with the St Ricarius
parish church adjacent to it. The school was originally a tithe barn
. Towards the southern boundary of the village lie the Aberford Almshouses, built by the two Oliver Gascoigne sisters Mary Isabella and Elizabeth in 1844 to commemorate their father, Richard Oliver Gascoigne and two brothers who died in quick succession in 1842 and 1843. Originally serving as housing for eight poverty-stricken inmates, it is today a thriving business centre occupied by Masternaut Three X. At the northern boundary lies the A64 road
from Leeds to York and Scarborough.
, built by a member of the Gascoigne family (Sir Thomas Gascoigne, last of the Gascoigne blood line). Inscribed on both elevations is the phrase "Liberty in N.America Triumphant MDCCLXXXIII". The Parlington estate holds many artefacts and constructions of interest, in particular the 'Dark Arch', a short curved tunnel along Parlington Lane reputed to be haunted. It was built c.1813-4 to shield the residents of Parlington Hall
from the traffic passing along Parlington Lane, mostly horse drawn coal traffic, as it was taken to the village distribution point in Aberford for onward travel into the local market.
The lane was later developed for a private railway (Aberford Railway
commonly called the "Fly Line") to transport the coal from the Gascoigne's pits to Garforth
. The railway closed in 1924. Parlington Hall
was left to run to ruins from 1905 after the death of Col F. C. T. Gascoigne, the Hall was largely demolished in the 1950s and 1960s, though the west wing is still intact. The estate was used by the army during the First World War and Second World War, the structures built during Second World War and still in existence today (2009) were constructed by the soldiers of No.3 Vehicle Repair Depot, part of Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
' soft Coal Measures
and much harder magnesium limestone deposits, and sits in an area shaped heavily by subsidence
of the underlying Coal Measures.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
on the eastern outskirts of the City of Leeds
City of Leeds
The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. The metropolitan district includes Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell,...
metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has a population of 1,059 according to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. It is situated 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Leeds city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
and lies in the LS25 Leeds postcode area
LS postcode area
The LS postcode area, also known as the Leeds postcode area, is a group of postcode districts around Leeds, Wetherby, Tadcaster, Pudsey, Otley and Ilkley in England...
.
History
Aberford was held to be the midway point between London and Edinburgh, being around 200 miles (321.9 km) distant from each cityCity
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and lying as it does on the ancient Great North Road, until the construction of the A1 bypass starting at Hook Moor.
It lies in the ancient Kingdom of Elmet
Elmet
Elmet was an independent Brythonic kingdom covering a broad area of what later became the West Riding of Yorkshire during the Early Middle Ages, between approximately the 5th century and early 7th century. Although its precise boundaries are unclear, it appears to have been bordered by the River...
, the name now given to the local parliamentary constituency. The name 'Aberford' is of Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
origin, approximately translating as 'the crossing over the river', indicating the once strategic importance of the settlement. Aberford is supposed to have once had a reputation for making pins.
Aberford's population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
growth has historically been around the road, and so the village has developed a linear rather than nucleated profile. Since the early 1990s much new housing has been constructed in the village, as increasing affluence allows people to move away from city centres to rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
and suburban areas.
Landmarks and historic buildings
- The Swan Hotel, previously a staging post used by those travelling the Great North Road
- The Arabian HorseArabian horseThe Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
inn, one of only a very few public housePublic houseA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in the UK with this name - The buried remains of a Roman fort beneath Aberford House
- Bisecting the village a stream known as Cock BeckCock BeckCock Beck is a stream in the outlying areas of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from its source due to a runoff north-west of Whinmoor, skirting east of Swarcliffe and Manston , past Pendas Fields, Scholes, Barwick-in-Elmet, Aberford, Towton, Stutton, and Tadcaster, where it flows...
(previously Cock River) famous from the Battle of TowtonBattle of TowtonIn 1461, England was in the sixth year of the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster over the English throne. The Lancastrians backed the reigning King of England, Henry VI, an indecisive man who suffered bouts of madness... - The Aberford Dykes
- Proximity to Hazlewood CastleHazlewood CastleHazlewood Castle is a country residence situated in North Yorkshire, England by the A1 and A64 between Aberford and Tadcaster.The first records of the house are to be found in the Domesday Book...
- Proximity to Parlington HallParlington HallParlington Hall was the seat of the Gascoigne family, Aberford near Leeds in the county of Yorkshire, in England. It was the birthplace of Isabella and Elizabeth Oliver Gascoigne, who inherited the Gascoigne family fortune in 1843...
, Lotherton HallLotherton HallLotherton Hall is a country house near Aberford, West Yorkshire, England. It lies a short distance from the A1 motorway, 200 miles equidistant between London and Edinburgh....
and the Becca HallBecca HallBecca Hall is a country residence situated in Aberford, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England at OS grid reference Lat.53:50:35N Lon.1:22:08W. It is situated on Becca Lane within the old Gascoigne estate...
Estates
The village also contains a number of functional buildings, such as Aberford Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
primary School, affiliated with the St Ricarius
Richarius
Richarius was a Frankish hermit, monk, and the founder of two monasteries. He is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.-Life:...
parish church adjacent to it. The school was originally a tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
. Towards the southern boundary of the village lie the Aberford Almshouses, built by the two Oliver Gascoigne sisters Mary Isabella and Elizabeth in 1844 to commemorate their father, Richard Oliver Gascoigne and two brothers who died in quick succession in 1842 and 1843. Originally serving as housing for eight poverty-stricken inmates, it is today a thriving business centre occupied by Masternaut Three X. At the northern boundary lies the A64 road
A64 road
The A64 is a road in North and West Yorkshire, England which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64 ring road motorway in Leeds and then is a dual carriageway for the rest of its route, except parts of the road from Malton to Scarborough.The road approximates a section of the...
from Leeds to York and Scarborough.
Parlington Estate
The Parlington Estate holds a monument to the independence of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, built by a member of the Gascoigne family (Sir Thomas Gascoigne, last of the Gascoigne blood line). Inscribed on both elevations is the phrase "Liberty in N.America Triumphant MDCCLXXXIII". The Parlington estate holds many artefacts and constructions of interest, in particular the 'Dark Arch', a short curved tunnel along Parlington Lane reputed to be haunted. It was built c.1813-4 to shield the residents of Parlington Hall
Parlington Hall
Parlington Hall was the seat of the Gascoigne family, Aberford near Leeds in the county of Yorkshire, in England. It was the birthplace of Isabella and Elizabeth Oliver Gascoigne, who inherited the Gascoigne family fortune in 1843...
from the traffic passing along Parlington Lane, mostly horse drawn coal traffic, as it was taken to the village distribution point in Aberford for onward travel into the local market.
The lane was later developed for a private railway (Aberford Railway
Aberford Railway
The Aberford Railway was a privately owned light railway built in the 19th century between Garforth and Aberford by the Gascoigne family of Yorkshire to transport coal from their collieries via the Great North Road and a connection with the contemporary Leeds and Selby Railway.The railway was...
commonly called the "Fly Line") to transport the coal from the Gascoigne's pits to Garforth
Garforth
Garforth is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. The 2001 Census lists 23,892 residents in the Garforth and Swillington ward - 80.57% of which are homeowners, 20% more than the average for Leeds. Garforth itself has 15,394 of those people...
. The railway closed in 1924. Parlington Hall
Parlington Hall
Parlington Hall was the seat of the Gascoigne family, Aberford near Leeds in the county of Yorkshire, in England. It was the birthplace of Isabella and Elizabeth Oliver Gascoigne, who inherited the Gascoigne family fortune in 1843...
was left to run to ruins from 1905 after the death of Col F. C. T. Gascoigne, the Hall was largely demolished in the 1950s and 1960s, though the west wing is still intact. The estate was used by the army during the First World War and Second World War, the structures built during Second World War and still in existence today (2009) were constructed by the soldiers of No.3 Vehicle Repair Depot, part of Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
Geology
Geologically, Aberford lies slightly east of the narrow basal sandstone boundary between central LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
' soft Coal Measures
Coal Measures
The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
and much harder magnesium limestone deposits, and sits in an area shaped heavily by subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
of the underlying Coal Measures.
Location grid
External links
- Aberford community website with local news and parish council information
- A comprehensive History of Parlington Hall, and features associated with the hall like the Ice House, the Dark Arch and the Triumphal Arch.'
- Leeds's geology
- Aberford C of E School
- Roman Roads in Britain (large map, recommended that this is opened in a separate window)
- Details on the Great North Road
- The Aberford Railway (Fly Line), at the LNER Encyclopedia
- Photos of Aberford and surrounding area on geograph
- Leodis View photographs of Aberford on the Leeds photographic archive.