Kippax, West Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Kippax is a village and civil parish
in the City of Leeds
metropolitan borough
, West Yorkshire
, England
. It is situated in the east of the city, near to Garforth
and Great Preston
.
The name "Kippax" indicates that the village was first established in a heavily wooded area of ash
trees.
Kippax was a separate civil parish
, in Tadcaster Rural District
, until 1939, when it was annexed to Garforth
. It re-acquired civil parish status, with a parish council, on 1 April 2004.
The Kippax and Methley ward of Leeds City Council is currently in the UK Parliament constituency of Elmet
, which will become Elmet and Rothwell
at the next UK general election.
The village's historical roots are survived by the presence of an originally Anglo-Saxon
church which underwent significant modification in Norman
times. Typically Saxon
herring-bone masonry can still be seen in the tower. Despite being an administrative centre for hundreds of years, the population remained small and mostly agricultural until the late 18th century when coal mining began on a relatively small scale in local bell pits. The advent of deeper mining and the discovery of coal seams in Allerton Bywater saw Kippax undergo a rapid expansion in the 19th century into a typical northern mining community. The decline in deep coal mining saw the Allerton Bywater pit finally close in the 1990s despite being in decline since the 1970s.
Without undergoing any real "transformation" Kippax has adjusted to its new status as a commuter village. Its proximity to the A1/M1/M62 means that many residents now commute to Leeds
, Castleford
, London
, Wakefield
or York
rather than working locally. Its older identity as a "mining community" lives on within the village's older residents. This identity could be lost if Kippax becomes part of the greater urban sprawl of east Leeds. Increased housing development between Kippax and its neighbours (Swillington
, Garforth
, Great Preston
, Allerton Bywater
) over the last ten years has eaten away at Kippax's green margins meaning its village status will soon be questionable. Fifteen years ago the high street was a mix of independent butchers, grocers and newsagents along with a small co-op and still has a similar high-street today.
The village has seen a significant rise in house prices. 10 years ago many properties cost more than £60,000, with two bedroomed terrace houses costing £70,000+; now many detached properties are in excess of £300,000.
The centre of Kippax has suffered in recent years from the loss of numerous businesses. The village now has no banks and the village branch of Barclays still stands but has closed down and serves as a cash machine only. Many of the shops have closed in Kippax and stand unoccupied while several of the businesses along the high street have been demolished. The Londis shop has closed down, leaving the only grocery to be the Co-op supermarket. One reason for the partial decline of Kippax' village centre is shoppers going to larger centres such as Garforth
, Cross Gates and Castleford
as well as the building of a retail park in Colton
. The other problem is that the independent shops within Kippax have irregular opening hours, and with Kippax being a commuter village many shops miss out on the dominating evening trade as some businesses open early but close before most commuters return to the village for the evening. Despite this the community remains strong, local hero Bryan Higgins walked 100,000 steps around the village and a significant amount of money was raised by the community in aid of the Roy Castle Trust.
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...
in 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...
, 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 situated in the east of the city, near 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...
and Great Preston
Great Preston
Great Preston is a small village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated 8 miles south east of Leeds city centre, near to the town of Garforth and the villages of Kippax, Swillington and Little Preston...
.
The name "Kippax" indicates that the village was first established in a heavily wooded area of ash
European Ash
Fraxinus excelsior , is a species of Fraxinus native to most of Europe with the exception of northern Scandinavia and southern Iberia, and also southwestern Asia from northern Turkey east to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains...
trees.
Kippax was a separate 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...
, in Tadcaster Rural District
Tadcaster Rural District
Tadcaster was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974. It was named after Tadcaster.It was created by the Local Government Act 1894 from the Tadcaster rural sanitary district. It was enlarged in 1937 by the abolition of Bishopthorpe Rural District.It was abolished in...
, until 1939, when it was annexed 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...
. It re-acquired civil parish status, with a parish council, on 1 April 2004.
The Kippax and Methley ward of Leeds City Council is currently in the UK Parliament constituency of Elmet
Elmet (UK Parliament constituency)
Elmet was a county constituency in West Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, which will become Elmet and Rothwell
Elmet and Rothwell (UK Parliament constituency)
Elmet and Rothwell is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
at the next UK general election.
The village's historical roots are survived by the presence of an originally Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
church which underwent significant modification in Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
times. Typically Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
herring-bone masonry can still be seen in the tower. Despite being an administrative centre for hundreds of years, the population remained small and mostly agricultural until the late 18th century when coal mining began on a relatively small scale in local bell pits. The advent of deeper mining and the discovery of coal seams in Allerton Bywater saw Kippax undergo a rapid expansion in the 19th century into a typical northern mining community. The decline in deep coal mining saw the Allerton Bywater pit finally close in the 1990s despite being in decline since the 1970s.
Without undergoing any real "transformation" Kippax has adjusted to its new status as a commuter village. Its proximity to the A1/M1/M62 means that many residents now commute to Leeds
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...
, 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...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
or 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...
rather than working locally. Its older identity as a "mining community" lives on within the village's older residents. This identity could be lost if Kippax becomes part of the greater urban sprawl of east Leeds. Increased housing development between Kippax and its neighbours (Swillington
Swillington
Swillington is a small village and civil parish near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough. It is located east of the River Aire and surrounded by streams including Fleakingley Beck. As of 2001, Swillington had a population of about 3,530.Swillington used to be a...
, 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...
, Great Preston
Great Preston
Great Preston is a small village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated 8 miles south east of Leeds city centre, near to the town of Garforth and the villages of Kippax, Swillington and Little Preston...
, Allerton Bywater
Allerton Bywater
Allerton Bywater is a semi-rural village and civil parish in the south-east of City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. The village itself is north of Castleford and lies in the WF10 Castleford postcode area...
) over the last ten years has eaten away at Kippax's green margins meaning its village status will soon be questionable. Fifteen years ago the high street was a mix of independent butchers, grocers and newsagents along with a small co-op and still has a similar high-street today.
The village has seen a significant rise in house prices. 10 years ago many properties cost more than £60,000, with two bedroomed terrace houses costing £70,000+; now many detached properties are in excess of £300,000.
Kippax village centre
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...
, Cross Gates and 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...
as well as the building of a retail park in Colton
Colton
- England :* Colton, Cumbria* Colton, Leeds * Colton, Staffordshire- United States :*Colton, California* Colton, New York* Colton, Ohio* Colton, Oregon* Colton, South Dakota* Colton, Utah, a ghost town...
. The other problem is that the independent shops within Kippax have irregular opening hours, and with Kippax being a commuter village many shops miss out on the dominating evening trade as some businesses open early but close before most commuters return to the village for the evening. Despite this the community remains strong, local hero Bryan Higgins walked 100,000 steps around the village and a significant amount of money was raised by the community in aid of the Roy Castle Trust.