SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Just out of interest, does anyone know where the oldest church in Leeds/Yorkshire is?I like a good Castle as well, so would be interested to find out what you all know...

How about Leeds castle Tom? Not the one in Kent either! It is said there's evidence a castle once stood where the Scarborough taps now is. The kings mill streams used to be the actual moat. It's going back to 1089 Back to Dicks day really. I'll try find something out about it on Google. Anybody else heard of it?

There's not that much to be found exept this piece i've lifted here from a site..................City of Leeds History ...Leeds history from the Seventh Century to the present day Leeds Information and Guide Home Airports - Leeds... ...Hotels Leeds Hotels-UK Books Bars and Pubs City Corn Exchange Eating Out Entertainment Gifts History Links... ...1089 Leeds Castle thought to be a fortified manor house known as a burh built in Mill Hill. The lane leading to the burgh from the village was Burh Lane...

Burh Lane could well be the modern Boar Lane, very close to the Scarborough Taps

Yep i think you'd be spot on with that Barwicker. I'll see if i can dig some more stuff out about it later, As far as the oldest church in Leeds goes then i'd put a few quid on it been St Johns near the merrion center. Anymore bets folks?

typed in "oldest church in leeds" on google and it seems St John's is the oldest!"The oldest church in Leeds today is St Johns in Briggate which dates from 1634." from http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.ne ... hire.htmto me thats a bit of a cop-out... i was hoping for at least a good 1000 years...i'm also a little dissapointed that my local church, St Pauls in Shadwell, was only built in 1841... rubbish! i used to live in a house that was built in 1695!i know for a fact buhr lane is now boar lane, i think i read it on the official leeds website once. was the original Leeds Castle (not kent) demolished and the Taps built in its place? would be nice to know of any old foundations lurking around somewhere

Borough Lane did become Boar Lane. The Castle which where the Scarborough now is was the old manor (nothing likely to be findable - it had been demolished by 1341 so there will have been one or two other buildings on the site before the Taps was built!). The Manorial park stood to the North and West of the castle and is the explanation for Park Square, Park Place and Park Row etc. At the time, the Borough consisted of little more than Kirkgate and Briggate which was lined either side with Burgage Plots - these were to enable the people living on Briggate to be relatively self sufficient (though they also had allotments; the Burgage-mens tofts)For this to work, given the narrow frontage onto Briggate, the plots were very long and narrow and straight; hence the shape of the Leeds Arcades and yards is a result of the original charter of Leeds in 1207.There are still one or two fairly old bits of Leeds surviving (ie older than St Johns) - eg a remant of Rockley Hall on The Headrow and the well hidden jettied timber framed house off Briggate that looks like it was pinched from York but most of the older buildings seem to be 18th Century..

Parts of Barwick in Elmet Parish Church (All Saints) date back to at least the twelfth century. There is an article on the Barwick Historical Society Website ( www.hjsmith.clara.net ) which gives more detail. Barwick is in the Leeds Metropolitan Area.

Adel Church is also 12th Century .....and has a nice website

My money's on Adel being the oldest church.Mind you, after what I backed in the Grand National today.......