Stourton, West Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Stourton is a mainly industrial area of the city of Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
.
The area is 2 miles (3 km) to the south east of Leeds city centre
and lies between Hunslet
, the M1 motorway
and Cross Green
in the LS10 postcode area
.
Until the local boundary changes in the 1970s, Stourton was a village in the Rothwell Urban District attached to the southernmost border of Leeds, and governed by the old West Riding County Council. Stourton dated from the Industrial Revolution
and was a community of some 2,500 people with its own churches and pubs, but from the 1970s the housing was demolished to make way for motorways and industrial developments until by 1990 little remained of the village except its war memorial
. This memorial to "the men of Stourton and Thwaitegate" lists 75 names from World War I
and 25 from World War II
and was moved in about 1973 from St Andrew's church, Pontefract Road, when this was demolished; the new site was donated by Waddingtons, who also defrayed the costs of removal and re-erection.
A power station providing electricity for Leeds and the surrounding areas used to be located at Stourton. However, this was closed and demolished in the early 1990s. The associated substation remains in use however.
It was the home of some significant industry. John Waddingtons, Yorkshire Copperworks, Camerons Iron Works, Concrete Northern (Bison) being among the larger companies, as well as the afore mentioned Power Station and a not insignificant railway shunting yard.
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...
.
The area is 2 miles (3 km) to the south 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...
and lies between 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...
, the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
and Cross Green
Cross Green, Leeds
Cross Green is a mainly industrial area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is around to the south east of Leeds city centre.The area lies in the LS9 Leeds postcode area between Osmondthorpe, Richmond Hill and Hunslet....
in the LS10 postcode area
LS postcode area
The LS postcode area, also known as the Leeds postcode area, is a group of postcode districts around Leeds, Wetherby, Tadcaster, Pudsey, Otley and Ilkley in England...
.
Until the local boundary changes in the 1970s, Stourton was a village in the Rothwell Urban District attached to the southernmost border of Leeds, and governed by the old West Riding County Council. Stourton dated from the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and was a community of some 2,500 people with its own churches and pubs, but from the 1970s the housing was demolished to make way for motorways and industrial developments until by 1990 little remained of the village except its war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
. This memorial to "the men of Stourton and Thwaitegate" lists 75 names from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and 25 from World War II
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...
and was moved in about 1973 from St Andrew's church, Pontefract Road, when this was demolished; the new site was donated by Waddingtons, who also defrayed the costs of removal and re-erection.
A power station providing electricity for Leeds and the surrounding areas used to be located at Stourton. However, this was closed and demolished in the early 1990s. The associated substation remains in use however.
It was the home of some significant industry. John Waddingtons, Yorkshire Copperworks, Camerons Iron Works, Concrete Northern (Bison) being among the larger companies, as well as the afore mentioned Power Station and a not insignificant railway shunting yard.