Some historical Facts.  Did you know?

• In the 18th Century what we now known as Chapel Allerton, was once called Chapel Town Moor, a distant village. It was a favourite holiday resort of the Leeds people.

• In the 19th Century, during the height of the industrial revolution, Buslingthorpe and Sheepscar was the site of many back to back houses built for the workers with an average of 5 people per household. It had a large Irish population.

• The ginnel is known as a ‘publicly claimed path’ or ‘non-definitive path’ and means that the public have right of way along it.

• In the 1800s Chapel Town Moor (Chapel Allerton) was a destination for clean air walks, horse racing, and cricket.

• Potternewton takes its name from relics of a very ancient pottery, thought to be Roman.

• Chapeltown Road  once known as Harrogate Leeds Turnpike road opened in 1751 and became an alternative route to Chapel Town Moor (now Chapel Allerton)

• In 1806 a Leeds Guide wrote ‘Potternewton and Chapel Allerton...we class these two villages together, because in conversation they are frequently spoken of as one, under the name Chapel-Town’

• Buslingthorpe Recreation Ground (Norma Hutchinson Park) and still known as The Rec by many is shown on the 1908 Ordinance survey map with a bandstand and tennis courts. It hides an air raid shelter underneath.

• The clearly defined path (The Ginnel) is shown on the first ordinance survey map of 1851 from Buslingthorpe through open land all the way to Potternewton Lane and across to Henconner Road.

• A new font called ‘Buslingthorp’ was created in 2021 by Nick Shinn, a graphic designer. He recalls as an art student in the 1970 in Leeds, the name contains half the letters of the alphabet with no repeats.

• Reginald Terrace was the site of Psalms of David Synagogue, built in 1938, one of 14 synagogues in Chapeltown during the inter war years and migration, from 1920’s to 1950’s.

• The Rec, was renamed Norma Hutchinson Park in 2009 and commemorated a community activist and  first Jamaican born elected councillor. She arrived in 1968 to take up a nursing career. She championed women’s causes, young people’s needs and health and housing issues.

• Potternewton comes from Newton, originally meaning a farmstead or settlement which was new. Roman pottery fragments found in 13th century caused ‘Potter’ to be added, helping to distinguish Potter-Newton .

• In the 1800s Chapel Town Moor was a destination for clean air walks, horse racing, and cricket.

• The name Button Hill is thought to recognise the large number of tailoring related trades that operated in the area connected to Montague Burton, a large employer in the sewing industry.

• Hayfield House, which became Hayfield Hotel, was the private home of William Turton. The Hayfield as it was known was demolished in the early 2000s to make way for the Reginald Centre.

• In 1900 where Reginald Terrace met with Hall Lane there was once a skating rink with band concerts and a café during the Edwardian craze for roller skating. Previously there had also been a bowling green and tennis court on this site.

• The British Asian community, Polish and other East European countries established in the area from the second half of 20th century has led to a distinctive area defined by strong community and cooperative self-help ventures.

• Newton Park Estate was built in 1879. The boundary wall still exists and can be seen down the side of Back Sholebroke Avenue.  

• Back Reginald Terrace was renamed Button Hill in recognition of a novel titled Button Hill by Gordon Stowell about the life and time of a young man who grew up in the area from 1890 to 1920.

• Prior to 1901 the Newton Hall would have looked out onto open fields until the new phase of building. Sholebroke Avenue was built in 1880’s and is now part of the conservation area in Chapeltown.

• Newton Park Estate sits on the extensive grounds of Newton Hall. The Victorian gate posts to the estate remains and can be seen on Chapeltown Road.

• WilliamTurton built Hayfield House (known as the Hayfields or just Hayfields) in 1869. He was a corn merchant and pioneer of the horse trams and omnibuses in Leeds which vitalised and popularised this area. He lived there with his family for 50 years.

Secondary research carried out by Jayne Thorp (volunteer) put into bite sizes portions by Sandra Whyles (Project coordinator) and Ella Cronk (Volunteer)

Image below taken from Leodis.net. 1986 aerial view of Chapeltown showing the ginnel.