Farsley

Village in West Yorkshire, England

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Human settlement in England

Farsley

Town Street

Farsley

Show map of Leeds

Farsley

Location within West Yorkshire

Show map of West Yorkshire

Population| 22,594 (Ward. Calverley and Farsley. 2011 census)[1]
Metropolitan borough|

* City of Leeds

Metropolitan county|

* West Yorkshire

Region|

* Yorkshire and the Humber

Country| England
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Post town| PUDSEY
Postcode district| LS28
Dialling code| 0113
Police| West Yorkshire
Fire| West Yorkshire
Ambulance| Yorkshire
UK Parliament|

* Leeds West and Pudsey

List of places

England
Yorkshire

53°48′42″N 1°40′18″W﻿ / ﻿53.8116°N 1.6718°W﻿ / 53.8116; -1.6718

Farsley is a village in the Leeds district, in West Yorkshire, England, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Leeds city centre and 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Bradford. near Pudsey. Before 1974, Farsley was part of the Borough of Pudsey. Before 1937 it had its own urban district council. The ward of Calverley and Farsley also includes the estate of Swinnow and some northern parts of Pudsey.[2]

During the industrial revolution, Farsley was a centre for wool processing as there were a number of mills in the area. Sunny Bank Mills, still owned by the Gaunt family, is currently part of a huge multi-million revitalisation project bringing a new appreciation of Farsley's mill heritage.[3] Since 2022 the mills have served as the new filming location for series 8 onwards of The Great British Sewing Bee.[4][5]

Farsley is just off the main road between Leeds and Bradford and just off the A6110 Leeds outer ring road. New Pudsey railway station is between Farsley and Pudsey providing train services towards Leeds, Bradford, Manchester Victoria and Blackpool.

## History

[edit]

Farsley was formerly a chapelry in the parish of Calverley,[6] in 1894 Farsley became an urban district. On 31 December 1894[7] Farsley became a civil parish, being formed from the parish of Calverley with Farsley in Farsley Urban District. On 1 April 1937 the district was abolished and merged with the Municipal Borough of Pudsey.[8] On 1 April 1937 the parish was also abolished and merged with Pudsey.[9] In 1931 the parish had a population of 6158.[10]

### Etymology

[edit]

The name Farsley is first attested in the 1086 Domesday Book as Fersellei and Ferselleia.[11] The second element of the name comes from the Old English word lēah ('open land in a wood'). The etymology of the first element is less certain, but thought either to be Old English fyrs ('gorse') or the putative *fers ('heifer'). Thus the name originally meant either a clearing characterised by gorse bushes or by grazing cattle.[12]: 46

## Education

[edit]

In Farsley there are three primary schools: Farsley Farfield Primary School for 3 to 11-year-old children,[13] Westroyd Primary School and Nursery[14] for 3 to 11 year olds, and Farsley Springbank Primary School[15] for 4 to 11 year old pupils. The local secondary school is Co-op Academy Priesthorpe[16] with about 1,100 pupils.

## Sport

[edit]

Throstle Nest football ground

Farsley is home to the non-League football team Farsley Celtic F.C. who play at The Citadel (formally known as Throstle Nest). They were formed in 2010 to replace Farsley Celtic A.F.C. after they were wound up but are seen as a continuation of the previous club.

Farsley Cricket Club, whose ground is situated in Red Lane, play in the Bradford League Division 1. Raymond Illingworth, former England cricket captain, is their most notable former player.

## Housing

[edit]

Marsden Court flats, with low rise to left

Farsley has a variety of housing. Around Town Street are some older terrace houses and smaller cottages. To the west of Town Street is a small council estate, consisting mainly of flats, the tallest block being twelve stories high. Towards the outskirts of Farsley there are many large detached houses.

## Notable people

[edit]

* The Rev. Samuel Marsden (born in Farsley)[17][18] was associated with the reformist William Wilberforce in England, was ordained in 1794, married Elisabeth Fristan, and then sailed to New South Wales, Australia. He arrived in Sydney on 10 March 1794, shortly after the birth of their first child, Anne. By 1795 he was settled in Parramatta, where he became Chaplain, wealthy landowner, farmer and magistrate. He was known as the "Flogging Parson", because even by the standards of his day, he inflicted severe punishments while acting as a magistrate.[17] This has been attributed to a dislike of Roman Catholics and Irish. Joseph Holt, an Irish priest and activist, left on account of a flogging ordered by Marsden.[citation needed] Sheephead Park is a memorial garden dedicated to Marsden and is situated on Farsley Town Street. The logo of Westroyd Primary School and Nursery, designed by a pupil, features a ram that was inspired by Sheephead Park.[19]
* Sculptor John Wormald Appleyard (1831–1894) grew up in Farsley.[20] There is a stained glass window dedicated to him in St John's Church.[21]
* Rugby league footballer Fred Farrar, whose nickname was The Farsley Flyer, was a member of Hunslet's 1907–08 All Four Cups winning team.[citation needed]

## Community engagement

[edit]

The Friends of Farsley Rehoboth Burial Ground charity was set up to purchase, reclaim and maintain a historic burial ground in Farsley, just off Coal Hill Lane. The group of volunteers won an Aviva Community Fund £1,000 grant[22] and went on to receive registered charity status.[23] The burial ground is situated in proximity to the Springfield Worsted Mill and the Bank Bottom Woollen Mill[24] and had been closed to the public for over 11 years before the charity gained ownership in June 2019.

A 2019 Armistice Day Service in Farsley Rehoboth was broadcast on BBC Look North.[25]

In November 2020 The Friends of Farsley Rehoboth reported they had been awarded a substantial grant of £14,200 from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage Programme.[26]

The site's renovation has been achieved through collaboration with many local organisations including: Farsley Celtic FC, Farsley Parents and Toddlers Group, The Village Wine Bar, students from Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, the Gaunt family, Croft Street Fisheries, Co-op Community Fund, West Yorkshire Police cadets, local Councillor Andrew Carter CBE, Leeds City Council, and volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

## See also

[edit]

* Listed buildings in Calverley and Farsley

## References

[edit]

1. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Calverley and Farsley Ward (as of 2011) (E05001418)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
2. ^ "Calverley and Farsley Ward" (PDF). Leeds City Council. 2015.
3. ^ "The remarkable family story behind this landmark Yorkshire mill that is still weaving a yarn". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
4. ^ Nisbet, Megan (11 May 2022). "BBC's Sewing Bee series has changed locations for season 8". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
5. ^ Graham, Debbie. "Where is The Great British Sewing Bee filmed?". www.countryfile.com. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
6. ^ "History of Farsley, in Leeds and West Riding". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
7. ^ "Relationships and changes Farsley CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
8. ^ "Relationships and changes Farsley UD through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
9. ^ "North Bierley Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
10. ^ "Population statistics Farnley CP/Ch through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
11. ^ Farsley in the Domesday Book. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
12. ^ Harry Parkin, Your City's Place-Names: Leeds, English Place-Name Society City-Names Series, 3 (Nottingham: English Place-Names Society, 2017).
13. ^ "Farsley Farfield Primary School". Retrieved 1 November 2016.
14. ^ "Westroyd Infant School and Nursery". Retrieved 1 November 2016.
15. ^ "Farsley Springbank Junior School". Retrieved 1 November 2016.
16. ^ "Priesthorpe School". Retrieved 1 November 2016.
17. ^ a b "Marsden, Samuel (1765–1838)". Australian Dictionary of Biography: Marsden, Samuel. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
18. ^ Other sources also state Horsforth as his birthplace: "Samuel Marsden, Apostle of New Zealand". Retrieved 31 October 2017.
19. ^ "Welcome | Westroyd Primary School & Nursery". www.westroydprimaryschoolandnursery.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
20. ^ Bradford, Eveleigh (June 2016). "They lived in Leeds". North Leeds Life. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
21. ^ "A stained glass window". Leeds Mercury. 3 July 1894. p. 8 col5. Retrieved 19 February 2019 - via British Newspaper Archive.
22. ^ "£1,000 grant for Farsley graveyard project". West Leeds Dispatch. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
23. ^ "THE FRIENDS OF FARSLEY REHOBOTH BURIAL GROUND – Charity 1182468". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
24. ^ "EPW028892 ENGLAND (1929). Springfield Worsted Mill, Bank Bottom Woollen Mill and the Farsley Baptist Burial Ground, Farsley Beck Bottom, 1929 | Britain From Above". britainfromabove.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
25. ^ "Events | Heritage Open Days". www.heritageopendays.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
26. ^ "445 heritage organisations saved by £103 million investment from Government". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 November 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* YEP Farsley Today Community Website
* Street index
* Community Web site

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See also: List of civil parishes in West Yorkshire

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