Rodley, West Yorkshire

Area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Human settlement in England

Rodley

Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Rodley

Rodley

Show map of Leeds

Rodley

Location within West Yorkshire

Show map of West Yorkshire

Metropolitan borough|

* City of Leeds

Metropolitan county|

* West Yorkshire

Region|

* Yorkshire and the Humber

Country| England
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Post town| LEEDS
Postcode district| LS13
Dialling code| 0113
Police| West Yorkshire
Fire| West Yorkshire
Ambulance| Yorkshire

List of places

England
Yorkshire

53°49′19″N 1°39′29″W﻿ / ﻿53.822°N 1.658°W﻿ / 53.822; -1.658
Airedale Wharf, Rodley.

Rodley is a suburb in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The village is situated within the Calverley and Farsley ward of Leeds Metropolitan Council, just inside the Leeds Outer Ring Road, 5 miles (8.0 km) north-west from Leeds city centre and 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east from Bradford. The hamlet of Bagley borders Rodley.

## History

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Rodley village is not recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book, although several nearby places such as Horsforth, Calverley, Farsley and Bramley are. The earliest use of the name Rodley appears to be "Rodele", who was listed as a tenant in the Domesday Book,[citation needed] and "Redlega" who was recorded in Yorkshire in 1157.[citation needed] In the 19th century Rodley was part of the parish of Calverley.[1]

Part of the north-western end of the suburb is in what was, before the Local Government Act 1972, the Municipal Borough of Pudsey; a sign, next to The Owl public house on Rodley Lane, still notes this heritage in 2020.[2]

### Industrial history

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In 1820 Thomas Smith's Steam Crane Works was established and by 1888 it had gained a reputation internationally for the manufacture of cranes and lifting gear.[3] In 1847, next to the Thomas Smith works, another crane manufacturer was established: Joseph Booth & Bros, founded by Joseph Booth's father Jeremiah, a former partner of Thomas Smith's father.[4] The cranes produced by these two prominent companies and in smaller numbers by other local ironworks [5] are known as being of 'Leeds Type' or 'Rodley Type',[6] and several examples have been preserved.[7]

Rowley Workshop of Ian Rowley, makers of 3-2-1, Wizbit and Dusty the Dawg,[8] was once housed in the former Bethel Chapel[citation needed] which has been converted into flats since.[citation needed]

The Rodley microcar was made in Rodley by the Rodley Automobile Company between 1954 and 1956.

## Community

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The Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes through the suburb, running parallel with Rodley Town Street. Many of the stone-built industrial buildings and mills that once lined the banks of the canal have been demolished and replaced with modern apartments and houses, as Rodley has developed into a commuter suburb, being situated roughly equidistant from Leeds and Bradford. Some of the area is now protected as a conservation area.[9]

Rodley has four public houses and a Working men's club: The Railway close to the nearby Calverley Bridge, The Owl, The Rodley Barge next to the canal, The Crown & Anchor and Rodley Social Club on Town Street.

The Rodley Nature Reserve is a wetland reserve created in 1999 on the site of a former sewage works, just north of Town Street on the north bank of the River Aire.[10] On the opposite bank to the nature reserve is Canal Bank Sports Ground, which is the base for Rodley Cricket Club, who play in the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League.[11]

## Notable people

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* Charles M. Maud (1898–1974), World War I flying ace[12]

## Location grid

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* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Rodley, West Yorkshire

|  | Horsforth |

|
|

|  |
Calverley |

Rodley, West Yorkshire

| Bramley
|  |
| Farsley |

## Gallery

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* Rodley, Rodley Lane.

* Rodley, Canal Road.

* Rodley, Wesley Terrace.

* Rodley, No.1 Rodley Lane.

* Rodley, Town Street.

## See also

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* Listed buildings in Calverley and Farsley
* Listed buildings in Leeds (Bramley and Stanningley Ward)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Colin Hinson (ed.). "Calverley Supplement (1822, transcript)". Genuki.org.uk.
2. ^ Stephen Craven (6 February 2016). "Sign for the former Borough of Pudsey". geograph.org.uk.
3. ^ "Discovering Leeds - Industrial Leeds", Leeds.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2012
4. ^ Smith, Frederick H. (1947); Proud Heritage, A History of Thomas Smith & Sons (Rodley) Ltd
5. ^ McEwen, Alan; Old Glory Magazine, three part article "Yorkshire Steam Crane Manufacturers" November 2011 - January 2012
6. ^ Kris Ward (2016). "A Brief History of the Leeds Crane Makers". Leeds Engine Builders.
7. ^ Rob Dickinson. "Surviving Railway Cranes". Retrieved 18 November 2016. (see listings for the individual continents)
8. ^ "About us". Rowley SFX. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
9. ^ "Rodley Conservation Area (map)" (PDF). Leeds City Council. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
10. ^ "In the beginning". Rodley Nature Reserve. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
11. ^ Rodley Cricket Club
12. ^ "Charles Maud", Theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 15 May 2012

## External links

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Media related to Rodley, West Yorkshire at Wikimedia Commons

* The Ancient Parish of Calverley of which Rodley was part in the 19th century
* Photographs of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Rodley

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