Sparrow Park

Si · Post by Si » Thu 23 Feb, 2012 9:18 am

When I bought my previous house in Otley, there was a covenant in the deeds which specified that I had to take up arms in support of Colonel Dawson of Weston Hall if he so ordered me.Luckily, this never happened...

Post by **mhoulden** » Thu 23 Feb, 2012 1:36 pm

There's this story on the YEP from 2008 when they were trying to work out who owned it: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... 1553Leodis also has this undated postcard at http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 729_162929 which has Sparrow Park as looking a bit like an abandoned flower bedLooking at old-maps.co.uk, I'd guess it went adrift when Chapel Lane was built. Cardigan Rd was the main turnpike road but there's a very sharp junction with Spring Rd so it was probably lopped off from an earlier house. The villas that are currently on that corner were not standing on the 1851-4 map but it's such poor quality that it's hard to tell what was there. Around there was mostly fields so it might be an old farmhouse or something that was demolished before compulsory property registration was introduced. I'd assume Leeds council has better maps of the area, and the old church that was also on the corner would probably have parish records to say who lived there.

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Thu 23 Feb, 2012 2:02 pm

mhoulden wrote: There's this story on the YEP from 2008 when they were trying to work out who owned it: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... 1553Leodis also has this undated postcard at http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 729_162929 which has Sparrow Park as looking a bit like an abandoned flower bedLooking at old-maps.co.uk, I'd guess it went adrift when Chapel Lane was built. Cardigan Rd was the main turnpike road but there's a very sharp junction with Spring Rd so it was probably lopped off from an earlier house. The villas that are currently on that corner were not standing on the 1851-4 map but it's such poor quality that it's hard to tell what was there. Around there was mostly fields so it might be an old farmhouse or something that was demolished before compulsory property registration was introduced. I'd assume Leeds council has better maps of the area, and the old church that was also on the corner would probably have parish records to say who lived there. That pic is a different Sparra Park. That's the one, as it says on the pic, in Burley Village.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Thu 23 Feb, 2012 3:04 pm

mhoulden wrote: There's this story on the YEP from 2008 when they were trying to work out who owned it: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... 1553Leodis also has this undated postcard at http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 729_162929 which has Sparrow Park as looking a bit like an abandoned flower bedLooking at old-maps.co.uk, I'd guess it went adrift when Chapel Lane was built. Cardigan Rd was the main turnpike road but there's a very sharp junction with Spring Rd so it was probably lopped off from an earlier house. The villas that are currently on that corner were not standing on the 1851-4 map but it's such poor quality that it's hard to tell what was there. Around there was mostly fields so it might be an old farmhouse or something that was demolished before compulsory property registration was introduced. I'd assume Leeds council has better maps of the area, and the old church that was also on the corner would probably have parish records to say who lived there. Thanks, but as mentioned, different place, but I wonder if the names are related and refer to a patch of land cut off by roads. Sparra Park was created where the 'modern' grid plan meets the much older Burley Road.Any yorkshire dialect clues? We've always wondered why 'Sparrow' Park.Incidently, cardigan road is the 'new' road and chapel lane the old route.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Thu 23 Feb, 2012 3:12 pm

Here's another known as Sparra Park in horbury:http://www.geolocation.ws/v/W/File:Horb ... 8.jpg/-/en

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Sun 08 Jul, 2012 3:12 pm

Update......Sparable = triangular shaped nail used on shoe making, shaped like a sparrow's beak. There's load of similar Sparra/Sparrow parks across the north.I'm off to submit a deputation to the Council on Wednesday to ask them to compulsory purchase Sparrow Park so that residents can then get access to grants to repair and maintain it. As no one knows who owns it, no funding bodies will give us a grant. I've got 5 minutes to state my piece to the full council and have to read from a script. I'm also not allowed to question, insult or defame the councillors!

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sun 08 Jul, 2012 3:35 pm

Cardiarms wrote: Update...I'm also not allowed to question, insult or defame the councillors! Do you think they've been reading the Leeds Trolley bus thread?

Caron · Post by **Caron** » Sun 08 Jul, 2012 5:13 pm

I know the area well but never would've thought the tiny flower bed opposite the carpet shop a "park"? Surely nothing can be allowed to build there?I remember the launderette as a grocery store in the early 60's. I feel old

Post by **mhoulden** » Mon 09 Jul, 2012 3:06 am

The one just off Cardigan Road or the one on Burley Road? Because both are essentially feral gardens you could argue that they require maintenance because overgrowing vegetation can block sight lines and be a danger to traffic. Might also be worth having a look at the Community Asset Transfer scheme website at http://www.number10.gov.uk/take-part/yo ... -transfer/ to get some ideas of what language is in vogue for this kind of thing.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 09 Jul, 2012 8:16 am

Thanks, very helpful, this is the one: http://www.atu.org.uk/Resources/Notes/communityspacesOn Cardigan Road, restoring the Victorian railings is likely to be very expensive, hence the need to get grant funding.