Janine GriffithsResidents stepped back in time during a community heritage walk. The event celebrated the people, places, and stories that shaped East Leeds.
The walk was organised by Let’s Grow East Leeds on Saturday, July 11. It took participants on a journey through the local heritage trail. The route combined storytelling, walking, and shared history across just over a mile.
The tour featured eleven key landmarks. It began near the World War 1 Memorial and the Jack Roslington Memorial Bench.
Participants passed the Arndale Centre, the UK’s first indoor shopping mall. The route then moved to Manston Park. This space features a Barnbow Lasses memorial and the Manston Park Bowling Club.
The trail highlighted Gertrude Bray, an early female property developer. She gifted the Garden Village Welfare Association Community Centre to local residents.
Walkers also explored the old Leeds-Wetherby railway line, now known as the Elmet Greenway. This path includes the former Pendas Way Halt station.
The route highlighted the new Pendas Community Orchard. It also featured the original Barnbow Munitions Factory entrance blue plaque on Austhorpe Road.
The journey concluded at the historic Crossgates Railway Station, built in 1902.
Natalie Quatermass from Let’s Grow East Leeds, organised the walk. She said local people led the walk by sharing their own knowledge.
She added: “Everyone is getting on board with the idea of connecting with nature and the environment, and that doesn’t feel separate from the history we’re learning about.
“I really like the idea of celebrating local history while connecting it with everything people are doing today.”
A group of residents created the Crossgates Heritage Map last year. This followed extensive research while volunteering in the community.
This project was funded by the Yorkshire Policy Partnership Fund (YPIP). YPIP is a regional partnership working on new and better ways of sharing knowledge and making decisions to improve local lives and places in Yorkshire.
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