Harehills
Encyclopedia
Harehills is an inner-city area of east Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
. It is approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) north east of Leeds city centre
. Harehills is situated between the A58
(towards Wetherby
) and the A64
(towards York
).
and Gipton
, and adjacent to Chapeltown
. As the name suggests it is a hill area, basically a south-facing slope, with many streets of terraced houses on hills. In the middle is Banstead Park, a grassy slope with trees and play areas, giving a view over the city of Leeds. Banstead Park was home to rioting in 2001. Along with neighbouring Chapeltown, Harehills has suffered from rioting and sporadic unrest. However, there have been no notable incidents of unrest in Harehills since 2001.
The cheaper housing has made it attractive to immigrants, with the result that it has a considerable cultural and ethnic mixture. There are two main shopping streets, Harehills Lane and Harehills Road which join at the junction of Roundhay Road (A58 road
) leading to Oakwood
. Also, heading 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) up Harehills Lane towards the A64 York Road
at the junction with Compton Road, is Harehills's other main shopping area.
Official Government figures have listed Harehills as the 429th most deprived of England’s 8,414 electoral wards – in the top 5%. Unemployment in Harehills is at 9%, compared to less than 4% across the City of Leeds
.
St James' University Hospital is partly situated in Harehills.
On the August Bank Holiday the Leeds Carnival is held with a procession through Harehills and Chapeltown.
IMPaCT is a community partnership which aims to improve the Chapeltown and Harehills areas.
had grown through industrialisation, to the North, South and West, however there was a particular lack of development to the East of the city. The existing villages did not seem to stimulate any suburban growth in this area. The mining activity to the East of the city also failed to stimulate growth. At this time there was open countryside only a mile from Briggate
. The building of the Leeds tramway
along York Road and Roundhay Road began to stimulate some growth, and by the time of the production on the 1906 Ordnance Survey Map, Harehills was an established community. At this time Harehills was home to a purpose built reservoir
, owned by the Leeds Corporation Water Works. There were also by this time two large textile factories on Hudson Road, as well as two large brick works, The Harehills Brickworks and the Gipton Brickworks (the latter being on Darfield Road in Harehills and not in Gipton
as the name would suggest), there was the York Road Iron Works as well as a few farms, which were quickly redeveloped.
Harehills and the surrounding area also had significant mining infrastructure, with collieries at York Road, Killingbeck
, Neville Hill, Osmondthorpe
and Burmantofts
. However none of these collieries survived beyond the 1960s. Throughout the second half of the Twentieth century, coal was generally brought from Rothwell
, Castleford
and Pontefract
.
Until 1900 the tramways on York Road were pulled by horses, however in 1900 they were electrified. This improved transportation and stimulated further growth around Harehills, Burmantofts
and Osmondthorpe
. The location of St James' Hospital also stimulated growth in the area. The Hospital quickly grew to be one of the city's main hospitals, and is now the largest in Yorkshire
.
By the 1960s, the mining and textile industry in Harehills was dwindling and the area was particularly run down. This led to the development of new housing, particularly around the hospital, such as the building of the Shakespeare high rise flats. Most of Harehills stayed the same, and even now, most of the Victorian
terraces and back to backs still stand. Most of the council development around East Leeds was in new communities such as Gipton
, Seacroft
, Halton Moor
, Swarcliffe
and Whinmoor
. Throughout the latter decades of the twentieth century Harehills' industrial areas generally declined and have been converted into car garages, light warehouses, self storage centres and such.
Low rental prices coupled with the fact that most could not qualify for a council house attracted many commonwealth
immigrants to Harehills, throughout the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Harehills now has significant Asian
and Afro-Caribbean
communities. Crime and deprivation continue to be an issue in Harehills. Racial tension has caused problems in the area, resulting in rioting in 2001.
Harehills' amenities are not located within one centre but spread across the area, mainly on Roundhay Road and Harehills Lane. Harehills Lane is a traditional shopping street with many individual shops and the library. Harehills Conservative
Club is a large brick building on Harehills Lane, and Harehills Liberal
Club is round the corner on Foundry Approach. The area's largest supermarket, Kwiksave on Roundhay Road recently closed. There is however still a Co-op, a Farmfoods
, a small Sainsbury's and a large new continental supermarket. However, there are a great many individual shops frequently aimed at the various immigrant communities, as can be seen by shop signs in languages other than English
. Harehills is home to many different fast food shops, and Roundhay Road has been referred to as 'The Curry Mile'. There are several public house
s in Harehills, although considerably fewer than there once were. This has been partly ascribed to the increase in the Muslim population, who do not drink alcohol. Pubs remaining in Harehills include Delaney's Irish Bar, The Dock Green and The Samuel Smiths pub, The Brown Hare. There are no secondary schools actually in Harehills but many situated close by.
and the A64
. It has no form of public transport other than the numerous bus routes that run through various parts of the district. It was formerly on the network of the Leeds Tramway
and was on a proposed route of the Leeds Supertram
before its cancellation. However it may yet gain a light transit system, if its inclusion on the Leeds Trolleybus
comes to fruition as suggested. The location of St James' University Hospital has prompted the inclusion of Harehills in such projects. In 1949 Tetley's Coaches, a local coach operator, was founded in Harehills. However since then the coach operator has moved it's offices to Hunslet
. Harehills is well placed for access to Leeds city centre
and Wetherby
. Buses run through Harehills to Leeds city centre
, Oakwood
, Roundhay
, Gipton
, Seacroft
and Wetherby
. Buses running through Harehills are operated by First Leeds
, while other infrastructure is maintained by Metro.
colour coded map similar to that used on the London Underground
). The Orange line runs along the A58 Roundhay Road, linking Harehills with Seacroft
, Leeds city centre
and Horsforth
. The Purple line also runs along Roundhay Road linking Harehills with Seacroft
, Leeds city centre
and Bramley
. The Blue line runs along Roundhay Road linking Harehills with Oakwood
, Roundhay
and Leeds city centre
. The Mauve line runs along Harehills Lane, linking Harehills with Gipton
, Leeds city centre
and Farnley.
, the Anglican parish church, a Victorian
brick building, noted for its Frank Brangwyn
mosaics. It was completed in 1894, and is on Roundhay Road, on the south side of Banstead Park. The vicar
of St Aidan's Church, Alan Taylor, is also (2010) a Leeds City Councillor
. Another Anglican Church is St Wilfrid's
on Chatsworth Road, a 1927 brick building, part of the Forward in Faith
movement. The Roman Catholic parish church is St Augustine's, a 1937 brick building on Harehills Road, a little to the north of Banstead Park. On Banstead Terrace, the north side of Banstead Park is the Trinity United Church a 1983 brick building. It combined congregations from a Methodist and two United Reform Churches in the area. On Harehills Lane is the Baptist
Church, a 1928 brick building and the Jamia Masjid Bilal Mosque built in 1996 to serve the local Pakistani community, but now having a much more diverse congregation of recent immigrants. On Easterly Road an old school building is (since 1988) home to the New Testament Church of God, a Pentacostal congregation of mainly African or Afro-Caribbean origin. The only Greek Orthodox Church in Leeds is The Three Hierarchs
, in a former Methodist
Church (1906 stone building) on Harehills Avenue, which attracts worshippers from all over Yorkshire.
said was a poor excuse for legitimising criminal behaviour. Harehills also has problems with drug dealing and gun crime.
The area has been subject to much bad press over the years. In 2002, the BBC
interviewed local residents. One resident described Harehills as "a horrible place to live" and complained about joy riding, rubbish, drug dealing, arson and vermin. The man's report went on to say:
"Often you will see a group of young children chasing vermin into an overgrown backyard. This is a sight you would expect to see in a third-world country not the modern, vibrant city that Leeds portrays itself to be."
Another resident described it as being a pleasant place since the 1970s, but has since changed 'beyond recognition'.
However a third interviewed resident was more positive, although critical in her report, and echoing many of the complaints before, she mentions the 'pride of the residents in the upkeep of their houses'.
Yorkshire Evening Post
The Yorkshire Evening Post
has reported on numerous crimes in Harehills. Most articles regarding Harehills are regarding serious crime in the area, including assault, robbery and shootings. From June to August 2008, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported on four murders and serious assaults (including the use of firearms)
The Yorkshire Evening Post has also reported on the poor state of public space in Harehills.
. Leeds City Council
have also invested in the area. Investment has also included a new children's centre. A feature of the community effort is a number of colourful mosaic street signs, made by youths who are residents of Harehills.Over the past years residents and local agencies, have come together and organised community events Harehills Festival and the improvements to the local library to include a one stop shop for the local council.Leeds City Council
Leeds
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...
, 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 is approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) north 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...
. Harehills is situated between the A58
A58 road
The A58 is a major road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire.It runs north east from Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool via St Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Westhoughton, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough then over the...
(towards Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
) and the A64
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...
(towards York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
).
Overview
It is situated between BurmantoftsBurmantofts
Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, but suffers the social problems typical of similar areas...
and Gipton
Gipton
Gipton is a suburb of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, between the A58 to the north and the A64 to the south. It is joined with Harehills as a City Council Ward...
, and adjacent to Chapeltown
Chapeltown, West Yorkshire
Chapeltown is a suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British African-Caribbean community. It is approximately one mile north of Leeds city centre...
. As the name suggests it is a hill area, basically a south-facing slope, with many streets of terraced houses on hills. In the middle is Banstead Park, a grassy slope with trees and play areas, giving a view over the city of Leeds. Banstead Park was home to rioting in 2001. Along with neighbouring Chapeltown, Harehills has suffered from rioting and sporadic unrest. However, there have been no notable incidents of unrest in Harehills since 2001.
The cheaper housing has made it attractive to immigrants, with the result that it has a considerable cultural and ethnic mixture. There are two main shopping streets, Harehills Lane and Harehills Road which join at the junction of Roundhay Road (A58 road
A58 road
The A58 is a major road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire.It runs north east from Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool via St Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Westhoughton, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough then over the...
) leading to Oakwood
Oakwood
-Places:in Canada*Oakwood, Ontario*Oakwood-Vaughan, Toronto, Ontario, a neighbourhood**Oakwood Collegiate Institute, a public high school in the southern end of the Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhoodin the United Kingdom...
. Also, heading 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) up Harehills Lane towards the A64 York 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...
at the junction with Compton Road, is Harehills's other main shopping area.
Official Government figures have listed Harehills as the 429th most deprived of England’s 8,414 electoral wards – in the top 5%. Unemployment in Harehills is at 9%, compared to less than 4% across 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,...
.
St James' University Hospital is partly situated in Harehills.
On the August Bank Holiday the Leeds Carnival is held with a procession through Harehills and Chapeltown.
IMPaCT is a community partnership which aims to improve the Chapeltown and Harehills areas.
History
By 1850, 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...
had grown through industrialisation, to the North, South and West, however there was a particular lack of development to the East of the city. The existing villages did not seem to stimulate any suburban growth in this area. The mining activity to the East of the city also failed to stimulate growth. At this time there was open countryside only a mile from Briggate
Briggate
Briggate is one of the pedestrianised principal shopping streets in central Leeds, England. Most of Leeds' department stores are on Briggate, including the Harvey Nichols branch. It is home to a number of major high street retailers as well as banks, restaurants and cafes. Recently there have been...
. The building of the Leeds tramway
Leeds Tramway
Leeds Corporation Tramways formerly served the city of Leeds, England. The original trams were horse-drawn, however by 1901 electrification had been completed. The tramway opened on 29 October 1891-Routes:...
along York Road and Roundhay Road began to stimulate some growth, and by the time of the production on the 1906 Ordnance Survey Map, Harehills was an established community. At this time Harehills was home to a purpose built reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, owned by the Leeds Corporation Water Works. There were also by this time two large textile factories on Hudson Road, as well as two large brick works, The Harehills Brickworks and the Gipton Brickworks (the latter being on Darfield Road in Harehills and not in Gipton
Gipton
Gipton is a suburb of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, between the A58 to the north and the A64 to the south. It is joined with Harehills as a City Council Ward...
as the name would suggest), there was the York Road Iron Works as well as a few farms, which were quickly redeveloped.
Harehills and the surrounding area also had significant mining infrastructure, with collieries at York Road, Killingbeck
Killingbeck
Killingbeck is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England that is situated between Seacroft to the north, Cross Gates and Whitkirk to the east, Gipton to the west, Halton Moor to the south, Halton to the south east and Osmondthorpe to the south west. It blends in to the Cross Gates and...
, Neville Hill, Osmondthorpe
Osmondthorpe
Osmondthorpe is a district of east Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, although it is considered part of the Halton Moor district.It is situated in the LS9 Leeds postcode area, two miles to the east of Leeds city centre between East End Park and Halton Moor.At the edge of Osmondthorpe lies the...
and Burmantofts
Burmantofts
Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, but suffers the social problems typical of similar areas...
. However none of these collieries survived beyond the 1960s. Throughout the second half of the Twentieth century, coal was generally brought from Rothwell
Rothwell, West Yorkshire
Rothwell is a market town on the River Dolphin in the south east of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, situated between Oulton to the east, Belle Isle to the west, Woodlesford to the north east and Robin Hood to the south west. Swillington, Methley and Kippax are located...
, Castleford
Castleford
Castleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
and Pontefract
Pontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
.
Until 1900 the tramways on York Road were pulled by horses, however in 1900 they were electrified. This improved transportation and stimulated further growth around Harehills, Burmantofts
Burmantofts
Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, but suffers the social problems typical of similar areas...
and Osmondthorpe
Osmondthorpe
Osmondthorpe is a district of east Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, although it is considered part of the Halton Moor district.It is situated in the LS9 Leeds postcode area, two miles to the east of Leeds city centre between East End Park and Halton Moor.At the edge of Osmondthorpe lies the...
. The location of St James' Hospital also stimulated growth in the area. The Hospital quickly grew to be one of the city's main hospitals, and is now the largest in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
By the 1960s, the mining and textile industry in Harehills was dwindling and the area was particularly run down. This led to the development of new housing, particularly around the hospital, such as the building of the Shakespeare high rise flats. Most of Harehills stayed the same, and even now, most of the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
terraces and back to backs still stand. Most of the council development around East Leeds was in new communities such as Gipton
Gipton
Gipton is a suburb of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, between the A58 to the north and the A64 to the south. It is joined with Harehills as a City Council Ward...
, Seacroft
Seacroft
Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
, Halton Moor
Halton Moor
Halton Moor is a district of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, located around three miles east of Leeds city centre and is close to the A63. It is situated between Killingbeck to the north, Temple Newsam to the south, Osmondthorpe to the west and Halton and Colton to the east.The area is mainly...
, Swarcliffe
Swarcliffe
Swarcliffe, originally the Swarcliffe Estate, is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre, and within the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
and Whinmoor
Whinmoor
Whinmoor is residential area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The area is 5 miles to the north east of the city centre, adjacent to Swarcliffe and Seacroft in the LS14 Leeds postcode area...
. Throughout the latter decades of the twentieth century Harehills' industrial areas generally declined and have been converted into car garages, light warehouses, self storage centres and such.
Low rental prices coupled with the fact that most could not qualify for a council house attracted many commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
immigrants to Harehills, throughout the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Harehills now has significant Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
and Afro-Caribbean
British African-Caribbean community
The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa...
communities. Crime and deprivation continue to be an issue in Harehills. Racial tension has caused problems in the area, resulting in rioting in 2001.
Amenities
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Club is a large brick building on Harehills Lane, and Harehills Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Club is round the corner on Foundry Approach. The area's largest supermarket, Kwiksave on Roundhay Road recently closed. There is however still a Co-op, a Farmfoods
Farmfoods
Farmfoods is a Scottish supermarket chain operating throughout the United Kingdom. Farmfoods predominately sells frozen food and also grocery items.- History :...
, a small Sainsbury's and a large new continental supermarket. However, there are a great many individual shops frequently aimed at the various immigrant communities, as can be seen by shop signs in languages other than English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Harehills is home to many different fast food shops, and Roundhay Road has been referred to as 'The Curry Mile'. There are several public house
Public house
A 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 Harehills, although considerably fewer than there once were. This has been partly ascribed to the increase in the Muslim population, who do not drink alcohol. Pubs remaining in Harehills include Delaney's Irish Bar, The Dock Green and The Samuel Smiths pub, The Brown Hare. There are no secondary schools actually in Harehills but many situated close by.
Transport
Harehills is situated between the A58A58 road
The A58 is a major road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire.It runs north east from Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool via St Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Westhoughton, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough then over the...
and the A64
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...
. It has no form of public transport other than the numerous bus routes that run through various parts of the district. It was formerly on the network of the Leeds Tramway
Leeds Tramway
Leeds Corporation Tramways formerly served the city of Leeds, England. The original trams were horse-drawn, however by 1901 electrification had been completed. The tramway opened on 29 October 1891-Routes:...
and was on a proposed route of the Leeds Supertram
Leeds Supertram
The Leeds Supertram was a proposed light rail/tram system in Leeds and West Yorkshire in England.-Initial proposals:Proposals for the reinstatement of trams or a light rail system in Leeds which were withdrawn in 1959 have been ongoing since the 1970s with various plans for varying light rail...
before its cancellation. However it may yet gain a light transit system, if its inclusion on the Leeds Trolleybus
Leeds Trolleybus
A Leeds trolleybus system served the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England between 1911 and 1928, and a very different new system for Leeds, known as the New Generation Transport - NGT project, is currently proposed....
comes to fruition as suggested. The location of St James' University Hospital has prompted the inclusion of Harehills in such projects. In 1949 Tetley's Coaches, a local coach operator, was founded in Harehills. However since then the coach operator has moved it's offices to Hunslet
Hunslet
Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co...
. Harehills is well placed for access to 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 Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
. Buses run through Harehills to 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...
, Oakwood
Oakwood
-Places:in Canada*Oakwood, Ontario*Oakwood-Vaughan, Toronto, Ontario, a neighbourhood**Oakwood Collegiate Institute, a public high school in the southern end of the Oakwood-Vaughan neighbourhoodin the United Kingdom...
, Roundhay
Roundhay
Roundhay is a large suburb and City Council ward of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, largely within the LS8 postcode. The ward boundary is the A6120 ring road on the north and the A58 Wetherby Road on the south and east. The boundary follows Gledhow Valley Road to the west before heading...
, Gipton
Gipton
Gipton is a suburb of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, between the A58 to the north and the A64 to the south. It is joined with Harehills as a City Council Ward...
, Seacroft
Seacroft
Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
and Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
. Buses running through Harehills are operated by First Leeds
First Leeds
First Leeds is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
, while other infrastructure is maintained by Metro.
Leeds Overground
Harehills is served by four bus services on the 'Leeds Overground' (frequent bus services identified by a schematicSchematic
A schematic diagram represents the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. A schematic usually omits all details that are not relevant to the information the schematic is intended to convey, and may add unrealistic elements that aid comprehension...
colour coded map similar to that used on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
). The Orange line runs along the A58 Roundhay Road, linking Harehills with Seacroft
Seacroft
Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
, 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 Horsforth
Horsforth
Horsforth is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, lying to the north west of Leeds. It has a population of 18,928....
. The Purple line also runs along Roundhay Road linking Harehills with Seacroft
Seacroft
Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
, 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 Bramley
Bramley, Leeds
Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is an old industrial area and home to a lot of 19th century architecture alongside 20th century council housing in the east and private suburban housing to the west. It has its own railway station which is on the Caldervale and...
. The Blue line runs along Roundhay Road linking Harehills with Oakwood
Oakwood, Leeds
Oakwood is an affluent suburb of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, that lies between Gipton and Roundhay Park. It is within the LS8 postcode and part of the Roundhay City Council Ward.-Notable features:...
, Roundhay
Roundhay
Roundhay is a large suburb and City Council ward of north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, largely within the LS8 postcode. The ward boundary is the A6120 ring road on the north and the A58 Wetherby Road on the south and east. The boundary follows Gledhow Valley Road to the west before heading...
and 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...
. The Mauve line runs along Harehills Lane, linking Harehills with Gipton
Gipton
Gipton is a suburb of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, between the A58 to the north and the A64 to the south. It is joined with Harehills as a City Council Ward...
, 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 Farnley.
Religion
The area has at least eight places of worship, indicative of the changing population of the area, with an Anglican church being the oldest and a mosque the most recent. The oldest is St Aidan'sSt Aidan's Church, Leeds
St Aidan's Church in Harehills, Leeds, West Yorkshire is a Church of England parish church built in 1894. It is a large Victorian basilica-type red-brick building which is Grade II* listed. A church hall is adjacent. The architects were Johnson and Crawford Hick of Newcastle. The apse is...
, the Anglican parish church, a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
brick building, noted for its Frank Brangwyn
Frank Brangwyn
Sir Frank William Brangwyn RA RWS RBA was an Anglo-Welsh artist, painter, water colourist, virtuoso engraver and illustrator, and progressive designer.- Biography :...
mosaics. It was completed in 1894, and is on Roundhay Road, on the south side of Banstead Park. The vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of St Aidan's Church, Alan Taylor, is also (2010) a Leeds City Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
. Another Anglican Church is St Wilfrid's
Wilfrid
Wilfrid was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Gaul, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and became the abbot of a newly founded monastery at Ripon...
on Chatsworth Road, a 1927 brick building, part of the Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith is a movement operating in a number of provinces of the Anglican Communion. It represents a traditionalist strand of Anglo-Catholicism and is characterised by its opposition to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate and, more recently, to more liberal Anglican...
movement. The Roman Catholic parish church is St Augustine's, a 1937 brick building on Harehills Road, a little to the north of Banstead Park. On Banstead Terrace, the north side of Banstead Park is the Trinity United Church a 1983 brick building. It combined congregations from a Methodist and two United Reform Churches in the area. On Harehills Lane is the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, a 1928 brick building and the Jamia Masjid Bilal Mosque built in 1996 to serve the local Pakistani community, but now having a much more diverse congregation of recent immigrants. On Easterly Road an old school building is (since 1988) home to the New Testament Church of God, a Pentacostal congregation of mainly African or Afro-Caribbean origin. The only Greek Orthodox Church in Leeds is The Three Hierarchs
Three Holy Hierarchs
The Three Holy Hierarchs of Eastern Christianity refers to Basil the Great , Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. They were highly influential bishops of the early church who played pivotal roles in shaping Christian theology...
, in a former Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
Church (1906 stone building) on Harehills Avenue, which attracts worshippers from all over Yorkshire.
Crime
Harehills has a poor reputation in the Leeds area. Harehills shares its poor reputation with neighbouring Chapeltown. Harehills was subject to sporadic rioting in 2001, however there has been no unrest on such a scale since. The Fforde Green Public House had a poor reputation and has since been closed down and is now a continental supermarket. Racial motives were cited as the reason for the rioting, a claim which the West Yorkshire PoliceWest Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. It is the fourth largest force in England and Wales by number of officers, with 5671 officers....
said was a poor excuse for legitimising criminal behaviour. Harehills also has problems with drug dealing and gun crime.
Bad Press
A Kooky Old Place, a BBC ReportThe area has been subject to much bad press over the years. In 2002, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
interviewed local residents. One resident described Harehills as "a horrible place to live" and complained about joy riding, rubbish, drug dealing, arson and vermin. The man's report went on to say:
"Often you will see a group of young children chasing vermin into an overgrown backyard. This is a sight you would expect to see in a third-world country not the modern, vibrant city that Leeds portrays itself to be."
Another resident described it as being a pleasant place since the 1970s, but has since changed 'beyond recognition'.
However a third interviewed resident was more positive, although critical in her report, and echoing many of the complaints before, she mentions the 'pride of the residents in the upkeep of their houses'.
Yorkshire Evening Post
The Yorkshire Evening Post
Yorkshire Evening Post
The Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
has reported on numerous crimes in Harehills. Most articles regarding Harehills are regarding serious crime in the area, including assault, robbery and shootings. From June to August 2008, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported on four murders and serious assaults (including the use of firearms)
The Yorkshire Evening Post has also reported on the poor state of public space in Harehills.
Regeneration
In October 2003, Harehills received £100,000 toward regeneration from Yorkshire ForwardYorkshire Forward
Yorkshire Forward is the regional development agency for the Yorkshire and the Humber region of the United Kingdom. It supports the development of business in the region by encouraging public and private investment in education, skills, environment and infrastructure...
. Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
have also invested in the area. Investment has also included a new children's centre. A feature of the community effort is a number of colourful mosaic street signs, made by youths who are residents of Harehills.Over the past years residents and local agencies, have come together and organised community events Harehills Festival and the improvements to the local library to include a one stop shop for the local council.Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
Location grid
External links
- IMPaCT Community Website
- BBC Guide to Harehills
- Appeal after take-away shooting Historical and genealogical resource for area including Harehills
- Leodis Aerial view of Harehills (1990s)