Moortown, Leeds
Encyclopedia
Moortown is a suburb of Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
in the LS17 postcode area. It is a civil parish and electoral ward
in the north of the city. It is situated between Roundhay
and Brackenwood on the east and Weetwood
on the west, with Chapel Allerton
to the south, and Alwoodley
to the north. It is essentially synonymous with Moor Allerton, and institutions in the area use either name.
The suburb is around the junction of the (North-South) Harrogate Road A61 road
and the Leeds Outer Ring Road
(A6120) (West-East), at that point called the Moortown Ring Road, and overlooked by a Water Tower. Scott Hall Road (A61) and Harrogate Road lead southwards to Leeds
city centre. However, the council ward boundary is the Ring Road, with properties to the North now being in the Alwoodley
ward. The Church of England
parish includes areas north of the Ring Road. A set of woods north and south of the Ring Road and by the water tower are called the Moortown Plantation
.
It includes substantial estates of council housing around the junction of King Lane and the Moortown Ring Road.
To the north of the ring road and west of King Lane is the Black Moor estate, named after the moor on which Moortown was situated. This has varied housing from the 1950s to recent, and contains some shops, the Moortown Social Club and Moortown Methodist Church plus St Stephen's Church (C of E).
To the north of the ring road and east of King Lane is the Lingfield estate, mainly low-rise flats, though Lingfield Towers is south of the ring road.
To the south of the ring road and east of King Lane is the Queenshill estate, mainly low-rise flats built in the 1950s and 60s. This area contains a small row of shops, a fire station, Moortown Baptist Church, and the offices of the Leeds Jewish Housing Association, who have plans to redevelop the area for the benefit of its clients.
.
Moortown Corner is the junction between Street Lane and Harrogate Road, a local shopping area and geographical reference. The building known as the Corner House was built as a cinema (1938–1940), ballroom and restaurant but now contains shops. From 1968 to 2008 it contained a casino
. Nearby is a large Marks and Spencer Simply Food supermarket which serves the surrounding area. Branches of Leeds Building Society
, Yorkshire Bank
and Halifax can also be found at Moortown Corner.
Moortown Corner is served by First Leeds
service 2, which is represented red on the 10-minute frequency Overground network. Less regularly, services 35, 38, 45 and 48 run through Moortown Corner. Harrogate & District
service 36 also serves Moortown Corner between central Leeds
and Harrogate
every 20 minutes.
Moor Allerton District Centre is adjacent to the Black Moor estate, north of the Ring Road and west of the junction with King Lane, which opened in 1982. It includes a public library which is the busiest in Leeds, apart from the Central Library. However it is mainly a shopping centre, with a large Sainsbury's,a Homebase
a Comet, a newsagent, cobbler's and several other small shops. It includes a public house, the Penny Fun, whose name relates to the history of the area as follows. The word 'pen' comes from the Celtic
for 'hill'. What is now Tunnel How Hill is visible from the Centre to the south-west. It was previously Pen-how-fyn, and a hamlet around what is now the Centre was Paenfynaen (where fynaen means settlement). Tunnel How Hill was referred to as Penny Fun in the 19th century and several houses in the vicinity used the name. There is a Penny Field nearby in Meanwood
Park.
are the centre of the Leeds Jewish Community.
Moortown is home to St Gemma's Hospice. This is situated to the south of Moortown Corner on Harrogate Road. St Gemmas Hospice have many charity shops around Leeds, assisting funding for the hospice, with branches in Wetherby
, Otley
, Moor Grange
, Guiseley
, Horsforth
, Alwoodley
, Roundhay
, Oakwood
, Cross Gates, Halton
, Beeston
, Pudsey
and Morley
. Outside of the City of Leeds
there is also a branch in Ilkley
.
football club. Moortown Golf Club
hosted the 1929 Ryder Cup
, but is well North of the Ring Road and is now in the Alwoodley
ward. Moor Allerton Sports and Social Centre http://massc.org/ has bowls, tennis and indoor activities.
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...
in the LS17 postcode area. It is a civil parish and electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
in the north of the city. It is situated between 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 Brackenwood on the east and Weetwood
Weetwood
Weetwood is an area between Headingley and Meanwood in north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is bounded on the north by the A6120 , on the west by the A660 , on the east by Meanwood Beck and to the south by Hollin Lane...
on the west, with Chapel Allerton
Chapel Allerton
Chapel Allerton is an inner suburb of north-east Leeds, from the city centre, West Yorkshire, England. The Chapel Allerton electoral ward includes areas otherwise referred to as Chapeltown and Potternewton - the suburb is generally considered to be only the northern part of this...
to the south, and Alwoodley
Alwoodley
Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds. The name Alwoodley is said to be a corruption of 'Aethelwaldley', as it was originally known in the Middle Ages, meaning the woodland clearing , at Aethelwald's farm...
to the north. It is essentially synonymous with Moor Allerton, and institutions in the area use either name.
General Description
A61 road
The A61 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. From Derby, it heads north via Alfreton, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon...
and the Leeds Outer Ring Road
Leeds Outer Ring Road
The Leeds Outer Ring Road is a main road that runs around most of the perimeter of the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The ring road is approximately long and consists of single and dual carriageways....
(A6120) (West-East), at that point called the Moortown Ring Road, and overlooked by a Water Tower. Scott Hall Road (A61) and Harrogate Road lead southwards 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...
city centre. However, the council ward boundary is the Ring Road, with properties to the North now being in the Alwoodley
Alwoodley
Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds. The name Alwoodley is said to be a corruption of 'Aethelwaldley', as it was originally known in the Middle Ages, meaning the woodland clearing , at Aethelwald's farm...
ward. The 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...
parish includes areas north of the Ring Road. A set of woods north and south of the Ring Road and by the water tower are called the Moortown Plantation
Forest of Leeds
The Forest of Leeds was originally the Forest of Loidis in which what is now Leeds arose. It now refers to patches of woodland throughout the metropolitan district, managed by Leeds City Council amounting to 1200 hectares...
.
It includes substantial estates of council housing around the junction of King Lane and the Moortown Ring Road.
Black Moor
Lingfield
Queenshill
Leafield
A smaller development of public housing is the south of the ring road and west of King Lane, essentially in the grounds of a former mansion, now Leafield Clinic.Darkwood
A small 1990 development low-rise flats off Shadwell Lane, in woods known as Blackwoods, part of the Forest of LeedsForest of Leeds
The Forest of Leeds was originally the Forest of Loidis in which what is now Leeds arose. It now refers to patches of woodland throughout the metropolitan district, managed by Leeds City Council amounting to 1200 hectares...
.
Moortown Corner
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
. Nearby is a large Marks and Spencer Simply Food supermarket which serves the surrounding area. Branches of Leeds Building Society
Leeds Building Society
Leeds Building Society was established as the Leeds and Holbeck Building Society in 1875 and is now the 5th largest in the UK and serves approximately 650,000 customers. The society was renamed to Leeds Building Society in September 2005. It has 70 branches across the UK, with 29 located in...
, Yorkshire Bank
Yorkshire Bank
Yorkshire Bank is a commercial bank in England and Wales, a division of Clydesdale Bank, which in turn is a subsidiary of National Australia Bank. It mostly operates in the North of England, especially in Yorkshire. In 2006 underlying profit rose 16.7 per cent to £454 million compared with a...
and Halifax can also be found at Moortown Corner.
Moortown Corner is served 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...
service 2, which is represented red on the 10-minute frequency Overground network. Less regularly, services 35, 38, 45 and 48 run through Moortown Corner. Harrogate & District
Harrogate & District
Transdev Harrogate & District is a local bus operator based in Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Blazefield Group which is itself owned by the international transport company Transdev....
service 36 also serves Moortown Corner between central Leeds
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 Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
every 20 minutes.
Moor Allerton District Centre
Moor Allerton District Centre is adjacent to the Black Moor estate, north of the Ring Road and west of the junction with King Lane, which opened in 1982. It includes a public library which is the busiest in Leeds, apart from the Central Library. However it is mainly a shopping centre, with a large Sainsbury's,a Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
a Comet, a newsagent, cobbler's and several other small shops. It includes a public house, the Penny Fun, whose name relates to the history of the area as follows. The word 'pen' comes from the Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
for 'hill'. What is now Tunnel How Hill is visible from the Centre to the south-west. It was previously Pen-how-fyn, and a hamlet around what is now the Centre was Paenfynaen (where fynaen means settlement). Tunnel How Hill was referred to as Penny Fun in the 19th century and several houses in the vicinity used the name. There is a Penny Field nearby in Meanwood
Meanwood
Meanwood is a suburb and former village of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Origins and History:The name Meanwood goes back to the 12th century, and is of Anglo-Saxon derivation: the Meene wude was the boundary wood of the Manor of Alreton, the woods to the east of Meanwood Beck...
Park.
Religions
Moortown has longstanding Jewish and Roman Catholic communities, with schools and places of worship for both these groups, and also a Sikh community. There are secular schools as well. Moortown and neighbouring AlwoodleyAlwoodley
Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds. The name Alwoodley is said to be a corruption of 'Aethelwaldley', as it was originally known in the Middle Ages, meaning the woodland clearing , at Aethelwald's farm...
are the centre of the Leeds Jewish Community.
St Gemma's Hospice
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...
, Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
, Moor Grange
Moor Grange
Moor Grange Estate is a housing estate in the West Park area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was built in the 1950s on reclaimed farmland. Work on the Moor Grange Estate began in 1955. It was originally owned by the local council, and was leased by the council to tenants as a council...
, Guiseley
Guiseley
Guiseley is a small town in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Situated south of Otley and Menston, it is a suburb of north west Leeds. At the 2001 census, Guiseley together with Rawdon had a population of over 21,000. The A65, which passes through the town, is the...
, 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....
, Alwoodley
Alwoodley
Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds. The name Alwoodley is said to be a corruption of 'Aethelwaldley', as it was originally known in the Middle Ages, meaning the woodland clearing , at Aethelwald's farm...
, 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...
, 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...
, Cross Gates, Halton
Halton
- Places in the United Kingdom :* Halton , Cheshire**Halton **Halton, Cheshire village* Halton, Buckinghamshire village** RAF Halton* Halton, district of Leeds, West Yorkshire* Halton, Northumberland village...
, Beeston
Beeston, Leeds
Beeston is a suburb Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located about 2 miles south of the city centre. The area is separated from surrounding areas to the north, east and west by the M621 motorway....
, Pudsey
Pudsey
Pudsey is a market town in West Yorkshire, England. Once an independent town, it was incorporated into the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in 1974, and is located midway between Bradford and Leeds city centres. It has a population of 32,391....
and Morley
Morley, West Yorkshire
Morley is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately south-west of Leeds city centre. Together with Drighlington, Gildersome, Churwell, Tingley and East/West Ardsley, the town had a population of 47,579 in...
. Outside 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,...
there is also a branch in Ilkley
Ilkley
Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford. Approximately north of Bradford, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe...
.
Sport
There is a Rugby UnionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
football club. Moortown Golf Club
Moortown Golf Club
Moortown Golf Club is a golf club located in Alwoodley, near Leeds, England. It was founded in 1909, and the championship golf course was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie.Moortown hosted the Ryder Cup in 1929....
hosted the 1929 Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
, but is well North of the Ring Road and is now in the Alwoodley
Alwoodley
Alwoodley is a civil parish and suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is north of central Leeds. The name Alwoodley is said to be a corruption of 'Aethelwaldley', as it was originally known in the Middle Ages, meaning the woodland clearing , at Aethelwald's farm...
ward. Moor Allerton Sports and Social Centre http://massc.org/ has bowls, tennis and indoor activities.
Location grid
External links
- YEP Moortown Today Community Website
- Moortown Corner House 2003, Leodis Photographic Archive
- Moortown Corner 1950, with tram tracks along Street Lane, Leodis Photographic Archive
- Moortown Plantation, Forest of Leeds Historical and genealogical resource for area including Moortown
Schools
- Allerton Grange High School
- Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School
- Carr Manor High School
- Carr Manor Primary School
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Primary School
- Moortown Primary School