Old Leeds Districts

[TomD]

raveydavey wrote: Bank is actually East Bank. That said, I'm not aware if there is a West Bank in Leeds?It's nothing to do with finance, but it's simply named because it was a big bank (or hill). If you look at the railway you'll notice the enormous cutting that had to be constructed for the line pass through.It was where many of the Irish immigrants to Leeds first settled, which is bourne out by Mount St Marys Church (largest non-cathedral church in the UK) and school and a little further afield, the Irish Centre. there is a Westbank that I know of in Leeds... on water lane in the shadow of bridgewater place... its the name for the Halifax call centre... so this one is to do with finance.

[simon2710]

Little London known so because the now old fashioned high rise flats made this part of the city look like London

[drapesy]

The High rise flats date from the 60s - the name Little London is older than that. Little London is shown on the first O.S.map of Leeds in 1851 - not many tower blocks around then....

[Loinerpete]

Little london is indeed a very old district of Leeds, nothing to do with high rise flats, more to do with people migrating here from london in the late 1700`s looking to work in the early days of the industrial revolution. Also the area close to elland road on the lowfields was originally called islington, another london reference you could say.

[Reginal Perrin]

There was a village called Fleet down Fleet Lane in Woodlesford / Oulton. Absolutely no trace of it today. Apparently not that long ago either.

[Ian R P]

Hello all,I thought Little London was so called because they built the area using building materials brought from London. Though reading this the migrant thing looks more plausible.Potter could be a common thing for Leeds as Burmantofts Pottery is still considered to be famous and of historical importance.

[Scandy Bramley]

Burman/buurman in Germanic means neighbour...never heard the word here in Scandyland. Although the south of Denmark and the north of Holland have very similar dialects (Friese/Frys), so it's possible that south Danish Vikings were in Leeds?A tøft is a piece of land over here, yes...Supposition - perhaps exploring Jutland invaders came north from E.Anglia and got on so well with the Vikings that they became neighbours and set up the first ever allotments? I'll get me coit!

[farbank]

There were three 'Banks' known to loiners. The Bank from Steander up to approx Cavalier Hill on East St. Then it became [ where yours truly was born ], the Far Bank.[Notice now the nickname ]? But the Black Bank was across the bottom of York Rd. reaching into Burmantofts/Stony Rock. And was certainly because of the coal mine situated there. The quarry for the clay,[ behind the Regent picture house ], and the coal from the pit were all gobbled up by the Burmantofts pottery.

[wiggy]

Scandy Bramley wrote: Burman/buurman in Germanic means neighbour...never heard the word here in Scandyland. Although the south of Denmark and the north of Holland have very similar dialects (Friese/Frys), so it's possible that south Danish Vikings were in Leeds?A tøft is a piece of land over here, yes...Supposition - perhaps exploring Jutland invaders came north from E.Anglia and got on so well with the Vikings that they became neighbours and set up the first ever allotments? I'll get me coit! just checked my 'illustrated history of leeds' and it says the name is 'burgher-mens tofts'

[wiggy]

why coldcotes,does anyone know? i know it was once called caldacottes,but why?