Farsley is a village in the Leeds district, in West Yorkshire, England, west of Leeds city centre and 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.
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 pound revitalisation project bringing a new appreciation of Farsley's mill heritage.
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
Farsley was formerly a
chapelry in the parish of
Calverley,
in 1894 Farsley became an urban district. On 31 December 1894
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.
On 1 April 1937 the parish was also abolished and merged with Pudsey.
In 1931 the parish had a population of 6158.
Etymology
The name
Farsley is first attested in the 1086
Domesday Book as
Fersellei and
Ferselleia.
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.
[Harry Parkin, Your City's Place-Names: Leeds, English Place-Name Society City-Names Series, 3 (Nottingham: English Place-Names Society, 2017).]
Education
In Farsley there are three primary schools: Farsley Farfield Primary School for 3 to 11-year-old children,
Westroyd Primary School and Nursery
for 3 to 11 year olds, and Farsley Springbank Primary School
for 4 to 11 year old pupils. The local secondary school is Co-op Academy Priesthorpe
with about 1,100 pupils.
Sport
Farsley is home to the non-League football team Farsley Celtic F.C. who play at
Throstle Nest (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
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
apartment, the tallest block being twelve stories high. Towards the outskirts of Farsley there are many large
detached houses.
Notable people
-
The Rev. Samuel Marsden (born in Farsley)
[Other sources also state Horsforth as his birthplace: ] 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.
-
Sculptor John Wormald Appleyard (1831–1894) grew up in Farsley.
-
Rugby league footballer Fred Farrar, whose nickname was The Farsley Flyer, was a member of Hunslet's 1907–08 All Four Cups winning team.
Community engagement
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
and went on to receive registered charity status.
The burial ground is situated in proximity to the Springfield Worsted Mill and the Bank Bottom Woollen Mill
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.
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.
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 Food 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
-
Listed buildings in Calverley and Farsley
External links
