Chapeltown, West Yorkshire

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For other uses, see Chapeltown.

Chapeltown is a suburb of north-east Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, and is the centre of the city's British Afro-Caribbean community.

Chapeltown suffers serious social problems, including a high rise in gun crime in recent years, and has long been considered one of the city's worst districts. In July 1981 it was one of the areas of English cities home to the widespread race riots of that year, and there has been further sporadic social unrest since including further rioting in 2001.

Chapeltown is approximately one mile north of Leeds City Centre. Neighbouring areas of Leeds include Chapel Allerton, Scott Hall, Gledhow, Moortown and Potternewton. Harehills is adjacent, but not a direct neighbour.[1] However, Chapeltown does not have any official boundaries. It is not recognised by the Land Registry or the Post Office, but is widely recognised by residents of Leeds.

It is home to a wide range of community and creative organisations including the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, the chapletown house choir, the Host Media centre, and Leeds West Indian Centre (now famous for its club nights, particularly the monthly SubDub).

The area was originally constructed as a wealthy suburb in the nineteenth-century, and many large terraces and villas from the period remain, though a large proportion have fallen into disuse or are divided up into smaller, low-rent flats. However the area remains leafy and architecturally notable.

The main thoroughfare of Chapeltown is Chapeltown Road which runs through the centre of the area north-south for approx. 2 miles, linking Sheepscar Interchange (at the edge of Leeds city centre) and Harehills Lane/Chapel Allerton. Spencer Place in the east is another major through route, where the areas red light district is centred.

Potternewton Park is a spacious and attractive park in the north-east of the area, but can be dangerous at night.

Every August bank holiday weekend the area hosts the Leeds Carnival, second only in size to London's Notting Hill Carnival, and Europe's longest-standing Caribbean carnival. Chapel Allerton Hospital is found in the area, and is one of Leeds' main hospitals, though it does not have an Accident and Emergency department.


Contents

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] Location Grid


North: Chapel Allerton
West: Scott Hall Chapeltown, West Yorkshire East: Harehills, Potternewton
South: Little London, Sheepscar

[edit] References

  1. ^ G, Genna (2006-05-26). Round my way. BBC Leeds. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.

[edit] External links

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