The Calls/Calls.

[Leodian]

raveydavey wrote: After a quick review of the city centre map, the only other "The" I can see in the city centre is "The Chandlers", which are those 80's riverside apartments behind the Parish Church off (spookily enough) The Calls....Funnily enough if you look at Google maps, there appears to be an interesting point about The Calls - the section from Maude Street to High Court is labeled separately as "Calls " and "The Calls". How odd! Interestingly also, as I mention in the very first post on this thread, the road name signs only state 'Calls' on The Calls/Calls road.

[chemimike]

I agree that all the OS maps seem to call it The Calls. however the 1798 Leeds directory (available at http://www.archive.org/details/leedsdir ... 00leeduoft ) lists it just as Calls. Similarly White's History & Directory of the West Riding states : The WHITE CLOTH HALL, built on the same plan in 1775, is nearly as large as the other. It has an entrance from the " Calls,"and later, referring to the lands of thr Free Grammar School :The land and buildings in Halton and Marsh-lane, were partly left by Lawrence Rawson, in the 39th and 44th of Elizabeth; and a close of 3 acres called the Cawles (Calls) was given by Chpr. Hopton, Esq., in the 27th of Elizabeth. in the directory section it also just lists Calls. Tthe 1853 Whites directory lists the street as just Calls, though the 1850 OS Town Plan names it The Calls. Porters 1872 history & directory states :The Calls was an open space, having orchards.I t was only on the building of the present Corn Exchange, that old Doctor Chorley's private house and gardens were displaced.If originally The Calls was a general open area, not just a street, then that would explain the original use of "The", but since then the exact name appears to vary

[Leodian]

Thanks for that information chemimike.

[Leodian]

The topic has made me think about 'Call Lane', which is thus not called 'The Call Lane' nor 'The Calls Lane' nor 'Calls Lane'. The 1850 map in the Old Maps UK website names both 'Call Lane' and 'The Calls' so I cannot tell from that which was first named. As The Calls/Calls does look like it comes off Call Lane I would guess that Call Lane came first but I wonder if it was the first of the two streets?As to the use of 'The' in street names when I was in the centre of Leeds today I noticed that three signs I saw all stated 'The Headrow' which is something I don't recall seeing before, though I've probably never really took any notice. If asked I would have said they would state just 'Headrow'.

[liits]

Naming the [The?] Headrow is a bit of a moveable feast too.Some maps and Trade Directories describe it variously asUpper Head Row, Upperhead Row and Upper Headrow and the same for the lower part of the street.

[Leodian]

liits wrote: Naming the [The?] Headrow is a bit of a moveable feast too.Some maps and Trade Directories describe it variously asUpper Head Row, Upperhead Row and Upper Headrow and the same for the lower part of the street. Thanks for that liits. The use of various names can be confusing at best and baffling at times.Incidentally I've thought of one more name where I would use 'the' in talking of it, namely the Ring Road (Outer and Inner) such as "I drove on the Ring Road" not "I drove on Ring Road". I wonder if driving on The Headrow it is correct to say "I drove on the The Headrow".

[raveydavey]

Leodian wrote: liits wrote: Naming the [The?] Headrow is a bit of a moveable feast too.Some maps and Trade Directories describe it variously asUpper Head Row, Upperhead Row and Upper Headrow and the same for the lower part of the street. Thanks for that liits. The use of various names can be confusing at best and baffling at times.Incidentally I've thought of one more name where I would use 'the' in talking of it, namely the Ring Road (Outer and Inner) such as "I drove on the Ring Road" not "I drove on Ring Road". I wonder if driving on The Headrow it is correct to say "I drove on the The Headrow". Of course you shouldn't be driving on The Headrow, unless you're a bus or taxi driver! Perhaps it's just a linguistic anomaly - simply because it just doesn't sound right - which has become commonplace over the mists of time?

[Magpie]

Hi folks... I'm new here, but this is a fascinating topic, so I just wanted to add my two penn'orth.The Calls is probably still known as such due to tradition, so long held that we forget why we call it that (no pun intended!) and, without having any proof, I'm going to suggest Call Lane, so named because it's simply the lane that leads to The Calls, may have mutated over the years to drop the "The". I'm inclined to go with the "callis" origin theory until a better explanation comes along.The Headrow question is fascinating because of the ways it's changed over the centuries. Originally "Head" referred to the northernmost boundary (street, or "gate" in the original meaning) of a settlement, which is probably where Headrow comes from (makes sense, with Briggate stemming northwards from The Calls, although I've yet to hear of a corresponding "Foot" designation in the south...). Please feel free to contradict me if you know I've just made that up...But, the fact it's changed its designation so many times, with Park Lane, Guildford Street, Westgate and Eastgate all vying for recognition, as well as the variations in its own rendition (Upperhead Row, Lowerhead Row, etc) you can see where the confusion comes in, especially as the word "The" doesn't always appear. I think we can blame various corporations/councils for this, rather than the ancients, though!