| Clifford | |
Clifford Catholic Church |
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Clifford
Clifford shown within West Yorkshire |
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| Metropolitan borough | City of Leeds |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan county | West Yorkshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WETHERBY |
| Postcode district | LS23 |
| Dialling code | 01937 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | Elmet |
| List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire | |
Clifford is a small village in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The village is 3 miles (5 km) south of Wetherby. Many of the older buildings are built of magnesian limestone.
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The village of Clifford takes its name from Clyf' and ford Old English for ford at the bank or cliff, referring to the crossing of the River Wharfe at Boston Spa which was then within the manor. Clifford is mentioned in the Domesday Book, when Ligulf held the manor of six carucates with four ploughs.[1]
Clifford was originally a farming community, but in the 1831, the corn mills, powered by the Bramham Beck, on Old Mill Lane were transformed into flax mills, making patent yarn and shoe thread.[2] The mills were owned by the Grimston Brothers. At its height the business employed about 300 workers, some of them Irish immigrants, and many of whom lived in the stone terraced cottages in the village.[1][3]
Clifford cum Boston was township in the old parish of Bramham, in the upper division of the wapentake of Barkston Ash, in the West Riding of Yorkshire.[4]
Clifford is a rural village, with a conservation area at its centre. It has a mix of buildings from traditional magnesian limestone cottages to modern family housing. All construction within the conservation area must use local limestone. Green Belt land separates the village from Bramham and Boston Spa.[5] Limestone for building was quarried locally.[2]
The A1(M) and M1 motorway are just over a mile away. Bus services coordinated by West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive go to to Tadcaster, Leeds, Harrogate, Wetherby and Wakefield.[5]
| Wetherby | Boston Spa, Thorp Arch | Wighill, | ||
| Bardsey, A1(M) motorway | Newton Kyme, Tadcaster | |||
| Clifford | ||||
| Thorner | Bramham | Stutton |
There are three churches in Clifford. The Anglican church dedicated to St Luke on high ground at the western end of the village is built in the Gothic style of architecture and was consecrated by the Archbishop of York in 1842. The church cost £1200 raised by subscription and the site was donated by George Lane-Fox.[2] The Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel, and the Roman Catholics built St Edward King and Confessor Catholic Church.[4] to serve the population of Irish workers that came to work in Grimstons flax mill established in the village in 1831. The Grimstons, Cliffords and Vasavour families contributed to the cost of building the church.
Clifford has three public houses (The Bay Horse, The Albion and The Old Star) and a fish and chip shop (Clifford Fisheries). There were no other shops/businesses in 2009 as the post office had been converted into houses.
There are three schools in the Clifford parish,Bramham Primary School, St. John's School for the Deaf and Boston Spa School.
The Village Hall is a small venue for concerts and plays. Clifford's first Beer Festival took place on 19 June 2010. Clifford's second Champion Beer Festival will take place on 2 July 2011.[6]
Clifford a monthly magazine, The Outlook delivered free to every resident by the committee.