Boston Spa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the town in Yorkshire. See also Boston (disambiguation)

Map sources for Boston Spa at grid reference SE431455

Boston Spa is a village and civil parish in Metropolitan Borough of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, 3 miles south of Wetherby, on the banks of the River Wharfe. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4006.

In 1744, John Shires established Boston as a spa town when he discovered magnesian, limestone and sulphur springs. In those days it was known as Thorp Spa. It declined when Harrogate became very popular as a spa town.

In 1753 it was decided to turnpike the Tadcaster to Otley road which runs through Boston Spa. In the same year, Joseph Taite built a house for the accommodation of visitors in Boston Spa. This would become known as the Royal Hotel - still standing, but now converted into flats and shops. By 1819 Boston Spa had a population of over 600, and several inns and other houses offering accommodation. The spa baths had also been built by this time to allow visitors to take the waters. On the east bank of the river lies the village of Thorp Arch which predates Boston Spa by several centuries.

Thorp Arch hosted a World War II Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Thorp Arch, an ammunition Filling Factory. ROF Thorp Arch finally closed in 1957. Part of the site is the home of the Northern Reading Room, Northern Listening Service and Document Supply Collection of the British Library. The remainder of the site is occupied by Thorp Arch Trading Estate and two prisons, now combined as Wealstun Prison.

Boston Spa School is the local secondary school with a quite diffuse catchment area, typically taking students from areas which also feed comprehensives in Wetherby, Garforth and Pendas Fields. The school is noted for its successes in sports and science teaching, and caters for students undertaking GCSEs, A levels, GNVQs and those with special needs.

Other facilities in the village include: the famous deaf national school: St John's Catholic School for Deaf Children at Boston Spa with a UK-wide catchment; and Martin House Hospice.