Garforth

Garforth

Entering from the west on the A63 road
Garforth
 Garforth shown within West Yorkshire
Population 15,394 (2001)
OS grid referenceSE403330
   – London 165 mi (266 km)  SSE
Metropolitan boroughCity of Leeds
Metropolitan county West Yorkshire
RegionYorkshire and the Humber
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town LEEDS
Postcode district LS25
Dialling code 0113
Police West Yorkshire
Fire West Yorkshire
Ambulance Yorkshire
EU Parliament Yorkshire and the Humber
UK ParliamentElmet and Rothwell
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire

Coordinates: 53°47′31″N 1°23′17″W / 53.792°N 1.388°W

See also People named Garforth.

Garforth /ˈɡɑrfərθ/ is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. The 2001 Census lists 23,892 residents in the Garforth and Swillington ward: 80.57% of whom are homeowners, 20% more than the average for Leeds. Garforth itself has 15,394 of those people.[1] Garforth was in the parliamentary constituency of Elmet until the 2010 general election, when it was incorporated into the new constituency of Elmet and Rothwell.

History

Garforth owes its size to expansion in the 17th and 18th centuries during which the local land-owning Gascoigne family ran several coalmines in the area. The surrounding settlements of Micklefield, Kippax, Swillington, Methley and Allerton Bywater Great and Little Preston are all villages that prospered and grew as a result of the coal industry. Nowadays manufacturing and motor-vehicle repair account for more than a third of the workforce in the area

More recent expansion can also be traced to a combination of overall economic success in Leeds, and that Garforth is served by transport links. The A1 and M1 are minutes away, and both have recently been linked by an extension of the M1 which passes to the West and North of the town, with two nearby access points at Junctions 46 and 47. The M1 extension led to rapid development of commercial, light industrial and residential sites clustered around Junctions 46 and 47. The town rail link to Kippax and Castleford was closed under the Beeching Axe of the 1960s.

Garforth has been home to 1st Garforth Scout Group since 1908.

Economy

Originally a coal mining area, the collieries of much of East Leeds and surrounding areas closed in the 1960s, although further South mining was still strong in the 1990s and is still prevalent to some degree today. Garforth has increasingly become a commuter town of Leeds There is a light industrial estate to the north of the town which provides some employment, such as Ginetta Cars, while the neighbouring Thorpe Business Park in Colton also provides employment. Garforth's rail connections and access to the M1, A1(M) and M62 have made it a desirable area for commuters to live.

Amenities

Garforth's amenities are similar to other towns in the City of Leeds, such as Otley and Wetherby. Garforth has a Tesco supermarket, The Original Factory Shop department store, several public houses in the town centre, a Co-operative, and other shops such as newsagents, charity shops, travel agents and banks. Garforth civic amenities include a library and a One Stop Centre run by Leeds City Council. A coffee shop on Main Street functions partly as a social enterprise, giving its profits to projects in the town. There are also a number of take away food outlets.

Garforth has eight traditional public houses and a number of social/affiliated clubs. The pubs are Miller & Carter Steakhouse (Formerly The Old George), The Gaping Goose, The Crusader, The Podger, The Bird in Hand, The Newmarket Inn, The Miners Arms and The Lord Gascoigne.

Transport

Garforth is situated on the A63, which links it with the M1 and the A1(M), the M62 also lies close by to the South of the town.

Garforth has two railway stations, Garforth railway station lies to the North of the town centre, whist East Garforth railway station which opened in the 1980s lies to the East of the town, both stations on the mainline route between Leeds, York, and North Eastern England to Scotland, and between Leeds, Selby and Hull and the Yorkshire coastal resorts. There are also rail links to Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Liverpool and Blackpool.

Garforth's bus services are provided by First Leeds and Arriva.

High Speed Two

Under proposals released on 28 January 2013, Garforth would see the High Speed 2 railway line built close to the town, running adjacent to the M1 motorway. The High Speed Line would cross the existing railway line close to Thorpe Park to the West of the town. This line would carry the spur away from Leeds, towards the East Coast Main Line at Church Fenton.[2]

Education

Garforth Academy

Education establishments in Garforth include a secondary school, primary schools and a vocational performing arts college.

Garforth Academy, a secondary school and sixth form for pupils aged 11–18 is located on Lidgett Lane in Garforth. The school has over 2000 students and staff. Garforth Community Arts School (situated in Garforth Academy) runs the Garforth Arts Festival, which is a display of artistic works.

Opposite Garforth Academy is the recently refurbished Strawberry Fields Primary school, formerly known as West Garforth Primary School. Other Garforth schools are Ninelands primary school, Green Lane Primary Academy, East Garforth Primary Academy and St Benedict's Primary School, which is a Catholic school.

SLP College is a further education college in Garforth, providing specialist vocational training in dance and performing arts. Originally founded as a dance school, it later developed a full-time performing arts course and is now a course provider for the Trinity College, London professional performing arts qualifications. The college is accredited to the Council for Dance Education and Training and one of the colleges selected to award the government Dance and Drama Awards.

Sport

Genix Healthcare Stadium

Local football teams are Garforth Town, Garforth A.F.C., Garforth W.M.C. A.F.C and Garforth Rangers A.F.C. Garforth Town play at the Genix Healthcare Stadium (formally known as Wheatley Park) which is located in the corner of the Cedar Ridge estate of Garforth.

There are two rugby clubs in Garforth, one League and one Union: Garforth Tigers ARLFC play rugby league and are based at Glebelands. They have junior and senior teams competing in the Yorkshire league.,[3] There's also a men's rugby union team: Garforth RUFC,who play their matches on Garforth Academy's playing fields[4]

There are also two cricket clubs[5] and the Squash and Leisure Centre.[6][7]

Garforth Golf Club has a course designed by Alister MacKenzie.[8]

Notable people

Notable residents and ex-residents of Garforth include, Chris Silverwood, Dave Seaman and Andrew White, of the Kaiser Chiefs, John Birch (rugby league) for Leeds (Leeds Rhinos), England & Great Britain, + Frank Brearley and Allan Caley. The town was also the birthplace of Second World War airman, Sir Augustus Walker of the Royal Air Force.

References in literature

The book The Modfather was set in Garforth in the late 1970s and early 1980s detailing David Lines adolescence in the town and his obsession with Paul Weller.[9]

Gallery

Location grid

 Barwick-in-Elmet
Austhorpe Micklefield
   Garforth  
Kippax

See also

References

  1. ↑ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Urban Areas : Table KS01 : Usual Resident Population Retrieved 2009-08-26
  2. ↑ Map, High Speed Rail Link, Retrieved 20 October 2014
  3. ↑ [http://www.garforthtigers.com/
  4. ↑ Garforth RUFC
  5. ↑ Garforth Parish Church Cricket Club
  6. ↑ Garforth Badminton Centre
  7. ↑ Garforth Today
  8. ↑ Garforth Golf Club
  9. ↑ ISBN 978-0-09-947659-7

External links