Swinnow
Encyclopedia
Swinnow is a housing estate in west Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
. It is sited between Bramley
and Pudsey
on the west side of the outer areas of Leeds.
and Swinnow were part of the Leeds rhubarb
fields--which in turn formed part of the so called 'Rhubarb Triangle
'--which accounted for a large portion of British rhubarb production from the 1800s until the second world war
. Every January at rhubarb picking time a special train would depart Bramley station
at 8:30pm every night bound for market
towns all over the country ready for the next day.
After the second world war the population of Leeds was growing and consequently new cheap council houses were needed and the acres of fields in the Swinnow/Bramley area were perfect. They were sold on compulsory purchase
to the council and development started on housing estates over the old rhubarb fields.
Although Swinnow is now cleanly integrated into the larger Leeds area, there are still people living in the area who remember how it was years before, their stories, memories and knowledge were compiled into a small volume published by Patchwork press in 1994.
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 sited between 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...
and 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....
on the west side of the outer areas of Leeds.
History
BramleyBramley, 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...
and Swinnow were part of the Leeds rhubarb
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a group of plants that belong to the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. They are herbaceous perennial plants growing from short, thick rhizomes. They have large leaves that are somewhat triangular-shaped with long fleshy petioles...
fields--which in turn formed part of the so called 'Rhubarb Triangle
Rhubarb Triangle
The Rhubarb Triangle is a triangle in West Yorkshire, England located between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell famous for producing early forced rhubarb. It includes Kirkhamgate, East Ardsley, Stanley, Lofthouse and Carlton. The Rhubarb Triangle was originally much bigger covering an area between...
'--which accounted for a large portion of British rhubarb production from the 1800s until the second world war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Every January at rhubarb picking time a special train would depart Bramley station
Bramley (West Yorkshire) railway station
Bramley railway station serves the suburb of Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line west from Leeds.The present station off Stanningley Road opened on 12 September 1983 by Metro . It replaced a station on the same site, opened on 1 August 1854 and closed on 2 July...
at 8:30pm every night bound for market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
towns all over the country ready for the next day.
After the second world war the population of Leeds was growing and consequently new cheap council houses were needed and the acres of fields in the Swinnow/Bramley area were perfect. They were sold on compulsory purchase
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to the council and development started on housing estates over the old rhubarb fields.
Although Swinnow is now cleanly integrated into the larger Leeds area, there are still people living in the area who remember how it was years before, their stories, memories and knowledge were compiled into a small volume published by Patchwork press in 1994.