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Headingley
The centre of Headingley
OS grid reference	SE278362
Metropolitan borough	City of Leeds
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LEEDS
Postcode district	LS6
Dialling code	0113
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
UK Parliament	Leeds North West
List of places UK England Yorkshire

Headingley is an inner suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is notable for being the location of the Beckett Park campus for Leeds Metropolitan University and Headingley Stadium.

History

Headingley was an Anglo-Saxon settlement, first mentioned in the Domesday Book as Hedingelei or Hedingeleia in 1086, but possibly dating back to the 7th century. The name is widely thought to mean "clearing of Hedda's people", Hedda sometimes being identified with Saint Hædde. However, a stone coffin found near Beckett Park in 1995 suggests there may have been an earlier settlement in late Roman or post-Roman times.

In Viking times, Headingley was the centre of the wapentake of Skyrack, or "Shire Oak". The name refers to an oak tree that was used as a meeting place for settling legal disputes and raising armies. An ancient oak, said to be the Shire Oak, stood to the north of St Michael's Church until 1941, and gives its name to two pubs, The Original Oak and The Skyrack.

During the 13th century William de Poiteven gave land in Headingley to Kirkstall Abbey, and in 1341 the remainder of the township of Headingley-cum-Burley was given to the monastery by the then owner, John de Calverley.

A map of 1711 shows Headingley as having a chapel, cottages, and farmsteads scattered around a triangle of land formed by the merging of routes from north, west and south. Enclosed fields were situated around the settlement with a large tract of common land, Headingley Moor, to the north. In an 1801 census, Headingley's population is given as 300.

An 1829 Act of Parliament enclosed Headingley Moor and the land was placed for sale. Around 30 workers' cottages had by then encroached upon the fringes of the moor prior to 1829. Land in this vicinity was generally cheaper than that at Headingley Hill as it failed to attract the building of affluent villas. This brought about the building of smaller terraced housing around Moor Road and Cottage Road. In the mid 19th century, Far Headingley had begun to develop over what was largely unclaimed common land.

Headingley continued to be a village until the expansion of Leeds during the industrial revolution and became a popular suburb where the rich moved to escape the filth and pollution of the city.

In 1840, it became the site of Leeds' Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Despite the opening of Headingley railway station, serving the gardens, in 1849, the zoo was a loss-making venture and closed in 1858. The bear pit still survives and can be seen on Cardigan Road.

The Meanwood Beck, to the east of the village, was a source of water for the early inhabitants and later provided a source of power for the Victorians of Leeds.

The Leeds Tramway terminated at a depot at Far Headingley from 1875 to 1959, improving the accessibility of Headingley from central Leeds. Improved transport facilitated further growth and attracted many more affluent middle class inhabitants. The tramway perhaps ended Headingley's village status and made it into a suburb of Leeds.

With exception of Beckett Park and the surrounding area, most of Headingley has been developed by the beginning of the twentieth century. In a 1911 census th population of Headingley was in excess of 46,000.

The area has a history of student inhabitation, with Leeds Metropolitan University having a campus at Beckett Park in Headingley. Much of the housing around Kirkstall Lane is rented to students. The conversion of Leeds Polytechnic into a University and its subsequent growth has brought about an increased student population in Headingley in the last ten years.

Throughout Headingley's modern era, the Rugby and Cricket stadiums have been significant in the fabric of the area. A major England test match or a Rugby League derby brings many spectators to the area. The cricket ground has been enlarged in recent years to maintain its eligability for test matches while in 2006 the Eastern terraces on the Rugby ground was replaced with the current Carnegie stand. The winter shed cricket pavilion is currently (as of May 2009) being replaced with a new stand and media centre.

University district

As Headingley is close to both the University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University campuses, it has become a very popular student area. This has had both positive and negative consequences on the local population and environment. The biggest complaints against students (and increasingly, young professionals) relate to the use of multiple-occupancy houses which are prone to burglary, often neglected by landlords and occupants alike and are typically left unoccupied during university holidays. However, the student population has brought money into the area, improved public transport and, generally, made it a more desirable place to live for a portion of the population.

Family areas still exist such as in Far Headingley or the Triangle near the Co-op on Cardigan Rd.

Sports

Professional

Headingley is also known in sporting circles — its stadium (known as Headingley) is home to the Yorkshire County Cricket Club as well as the Leeds Rhinos rugby league and Leeds Carnegie rugby union clubs. Headingley is also the home of the FA Chartership Team of the Year 2006, Old Headingley. The team currently plays in the West Yorkshire League Division 1. Old Headingley recently won the Barkston Ash FA Cup on 9 April 2007, winning the final 2–0 against Sherburn White Rose.

For many decades the Headingley Stadium remained largely unchanged, however since 2000 the cricket ground has been nearly entirely rebuilt in order to retain test ground status. The winter shed was demolished in 2008 and is currently being rebuilt as a new stand and media centre. The rugby ground also saw development with the building of the Carnegie Stand which replaced the former Eastern Terraces. This was built with co-operation from Leeds Metropolitan University who retain lecture rooms in the building. The South Stand has a reduced capacity for 2009 as repairs are needed to the front of the terraces, this has brought about the consideration of replacing either the South Stand or Western Terraces. The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that the 'safety concerns were likely to lead to the stand being demolished and rebuilt'. The North Stand of the rugby ground was the preferential stand to be redeveloped, however as it backs onto the cricket ground it required mutual co-operation. Yorkshire County Cricket Club preferred to redevelop the dilapidated Winter Shed instead.

Amateur

Headingley also boasts an amateur Association Football team, Old Headingley AFC which is made up of engineering students from Leeds Metropolitan University. The club nearly folded after losing its home ground, however in 2008, the club was offered a new ground by the University of Bradford. There is also an amateur cricket club in Far Headingley.

Politics

Politically, Headingley is in the Leeds (North West) constituency. The current Member of Parliament (MP) is Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat), who became the first Liberal Democrat MP in West Yorkshire in the 2005 General Election. At a local government level, the ward of Headingley has Liberal Democrat councillors: Martin Hamilton (2006–2010), Jamie Matthews (2008–2012) and James Monaghan (2007–2011). A small part of Headingley is in the Leeds (West) constituency, specifically the area around Queenswood Drive, the current MP being John Battle of Labour.

Amenities

As well as having many pubs, Headingley boasts many shops. The Headingley Arndale Centre boasts a Somerfield (formerly Safeway), a Wilkinson and many other chain shops as well as a small multi-storey car park. There are many banks, building societies, restaurants, cafes and charity shops. Along Otley Road there is a Boots the Chemist and a Starbucks. Until 2005 Headingley had two cinemas, 'The Lounge' and 'The Cottage Road' (usually referred to as 'The Cottage'). The Lounge Cinema in the centre of Headingley has since closed, leaving only The Cottage in Far Headingley. The area's Woolworths closed in the 1990s. Until the 1980s, the Arndale Centre boasted a bowling alley. The Arndale Centre began undergoing an external facelift in 2009. The nearest large supermarket is a Morrisons in Kirkstall, approxamately a mile away from the centre of Headingley.

People

Many famous writers, past and present, are connected with Headingley: Arthur Ransome, best known perhaps for the children's classic Swallows and Amazons, was born there, J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, lived there when he worked at the university, playwright Alan Bennett once lived over a butcher's shop (now a dry cleaner's) opposite the Three Horseshoes and TV writer Kay Mellor lives in Weetwood today.

In the time of Queen Victoria, Prince Alemayehu of Abyssinia, brought to England after the defeat of his father King Tewedros, died of pneumonia at an address in Hollin Lane, Far Headingley.

Edward Baines, editor of the Leeds Mercury in the nineteenth century, had a grand house (since demolished) in Headingley.

Actor David Prosho is a resident of Headingley.

Celebrate Headingley

Celebrate Headingley is an annual series of events organised by Headingley Network, taking place for the ninth time in September 2009. It has been growing and developing since the first one in September 2001. The main intentions are to bring together members of a community which is often seen as beleaguered, to celebrate the diversity and strengths of the local population and to provide opportunities for residents to enjoy each other’s company in a variety of social situations. Events include musical, literary, social and children's events, and local restaurants offer special deals.

Headingley Development Trust

Headingley Development Trust (HDT) is proposing to develop the currently empty primary school building on Bennett Road into a Headingley Enterprise and ARTs centre - HEART. It will be Headingley's biggest ever community project.

The school (if all goes well) will be refurbished to accommodate performance, exhibition and meeting spaces on the ground floor, two large training rooms, a café with outdoor and conservatory seating areas and a 'catalyst’ business centre on the first floor particularly targeted at the arts and media industry. Besides the advantages of keeping the school in community use and introducing much needed facilities to central Headingley, HDT believes that HEART will create a new cultural buzz in Headingley, provide a space that all residents of Headingley can enjoy, secure the local business base and help to encourage graduates to stay on to make Headingley their permanent home. HDT has now raised £100,000 in shares sold to local residents.

Churches

Headingley Parish Church is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels, and is a large, grade II* listed, steepled church on the corner of Otley Road and St Michael's Road, opposite the Skyrack public house. The Church was built between 1884-86 as the third church on this site. There is a separate parish of Far Headingley, with its parish church of St Chad's (also a large steepled church and grade II* listed).

South Parade Baptist church (1908 and 1925) and Headingley Methodist church (1840-45 and later extensions) are both grade II listed. St Columba's United Reformed church is a modern building, as is the Roman Catholic parish church of St Urban's, to the east of the area. The small Lutheran church of St Luke's in Alma Road was converted from the coach house and stable of a Victorian villa.

Buildings of architectural interest

Parts of Headingley are included in Conservation areas established by Leeds City Council. Individual listed buildings include St Michael's Church and associated buildings, the Hyde Park Picture House, and Moorfield House in Alma Road. Headingley also has a typical example of a 1960s Arndale Centre. Housing in Headingley is generally Victorian and early twentieth century and mostly of little architectural note.

Gallery

Images of Headingley

• View down Otley Road from Arndale multi story car park
• Arndale House, on top of the Arndale Centre, taken from the centre's roof
• A view of Headingley from the Arndale Centre
• The bear pit

See also

• Headingley Stadium
• Headingley railway station
• Otley Run

References

1. Britannia.com. "St. Haedda". Retrieved 2008-01-05.
2. Weldrake, Dave. "History: The development of Headingley". Retrieved 2008-01-05.
3. Thumbnail of the bear pit
4. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leeds-rhinos-news/LEEDS-RHINOS-Patchup-planned-for.4634574.jp
5. http://www.headingleytoday.co.uk/oldheadingley/Old-Headingley-AFC-Club-goes.4419431.jp
6. "Celebrate Headingley". Headingley.org. Retrieved 2008-09-09.

Further reading

• Bradford, Eveleigh (2008). Headingley, 'This Pleasant Rural Village': Clues to the Past. Jeremy Mills Publishing. ISBN 978-1906600372.

External links

• YEP Headingley Today Community Website
• Headingley.org community web site maintained by residents.
• Headingley Development Trust The HEART project
• Headingley LitFest Blog for the Headingley LitFest, planned for March 2009
• Headingley Community Website maintained by the Council.
• Template:Genukiwry

• Headingley
• Places in Leeds
• Student ghettos