Historic Far Headingley

Before Victoria, a lane led north from Headingley village, across Headingley Moor common land, with the New Grange estate to the west; on the far edge of the Moor, where the lane forked to Moor Grange and to Adel, stood a hamlet, sometimes called Headingley Moor Side.  An Enclosure Art of 1829 enabled the Moor to be carved up for private development, and the hamlet expanded: Cottage Road and Moor Road were laid and the Three Horseshoes and the New Inn opened.  By 1868, the village warranted a church, and St Chad’s was built; the new parish of Far Headingley gave its name to the village, which continued to develop eastwards across the Moor, towards Meanwood Beck.  Just before the Great War, the Grange itself became part of a training college, while its park became Beckett Park; between the wars, new estates were built, especially west of Otley Road, in the former grounds of the Grange.

For an outline description of the area, go to Far Headingley Village; and also, Listed Buildings. See also Claremonts, Highburys and Moor Parks, and also Beckett’s Park and Church Woods & Drummonds, and the Listed Buildings of each.  Explore the area by taking A Walk around Far Headingley. Read more about the history of Far Headingley in David Hall, Far Headingley, Weetwood and West Park, Far Headingley Village Society (2000).

Acknowledgements: David Hall for all his advice and support; Ian Ballantine; Far Headingley Village Society; Leeds Library and Information Service; Leeds University Library, Special Collections, Godfrey Bingley Collection; The Thoresby Society; Francis Frith and Company; Leeds Transport Historical Society; Helen Pickering.

Some of these photos are copyright and should not be reproduced without the owner's permission. Every effort has been made to contact all copyright owners. We would be pleased to rectify at the earliest opportunity any omissions and errors brought to our notice.




See also Beckett Park in the Past.
For photos of the area now, go to the Far Headingley gallery.
For other neighbourhoods in the past, see Historic Headingley.