We opened our doors to the Farsley Baptist Church Friendship Group following a tour on the history of the area that started at Dawsons Corner and finished at Leigh House for yummy tea and cakes.
Local history tours like this one are a wonderful way for community groups to reconnect with the streets and buildings they've walked past for decades, often without realising the stories behind them. The Friendship Group's outing was no exception, combining a guided walk with plenty of lively conversation along the way.
The group meets monthly, and this month’s theme was based on the local area, identifying the buildings which once stood on Leeds Road and Bradford Road; those remaining and those gone, what the industries were, and how things have evolved through history.
Twelve pensioners were happily reminiscing about the likes of the old Stanningley Train Station, Geary's Antiques, the trams which ran at the bottom, King George's visit, General Electric Company, George Cohens, Pudsey Fire Station and Fryers Farm. Between them, the group could piece together a surprisingly detailed picture of how the area once looked, from the routes the trams used to take to the sound of machinery from the old factories. It's exactly this kind of shared memory that makes community history projects so valuable, capturing details that would otherwise be lost to time and never make it into a textbook.
There were also memories of the area next to Leigh House, which was built around 1863 and has an interesting history as one of the only original buildings in the vicinity. Over the years, the surrounding landscape has changed considerably, with many of the neighbouring mills, farms and shopfronts giving way to new development. Leigh House itself has remained a constant throughout, a quiet reminder of the area's Victorian roots amid the more modern surroundings.
The group was given a tour of the building, which has been converted to serviced offices, many of which retain their original 155-year-old features. Some members of the group had not been aware for all these years that the building even existed! Guests were shown around several of the period rooms, taking in original fireplaces, high ceilings, and architectural details that have been carefully preserved through the building's various renovations. It's always rewarding to see visitors' reactions when they discover a piece of local heritage they never knew was on their doorstep.
The visit was finished off with complimentary tea and cakes in one of our meeting rooms.
It was a pleasure to host the group, and thank you to the ladies who kindly left a donation of money which we have given to the Alzheimer’s Society.
Community visits like this one are a highlight for the whole team at Leigh House, and we always enjoy hearing firsthand accounts of what Pudsey and the surrounding area used to look like. We're already looking forward to welcoming the Friendship Group back for future gatherings.
