Headingley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Headingley
Clockwise from top left: St Chad's Church, Arndale Centre, Headingley Stadium South Stand (rugby), Carnegie Pavilion (cricket), St Michael's Church, war memorial and Skyrack pub
Headingley
OS grid reference	SE278362
Metropolitan borough	City of Leeds
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LEEDS
Postcode district	LS6
Dialling code	0113
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Leeds Central and Headingley
List of places UK England Yorkshire 53°49′17″N 01°34′40″W / 53.82139°N 1.57778°W / 53.82139; -1.57778

Headingley is a lively area in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It's about two miles northwest of the city centre, along the A660 road. Headingley is home to the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and the famous Headingley Stadium.

This area is part of the Headingley and Hyde Park ward within Leeds City Council. It's also part of the Leeds Central and Headingley area for the UK Parliament.

A Look Back in Time: Headingley's History

The busy centre of Headingley.

The Original Oak pub, named after the ancient Skyrack Oak.

The Skyrack pub, a reminder of Headingley's past.

Terrace houses, a common sight in Headingley.

Headingley has a long history! It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. Back then, it was called Hedingelei or Hedingeleia. The name likely comes from Old English words meaning "the clearing of Hedda's people." Hedda might have been a person named Saint Hædde. A stone coffin found in 1995 suggests people might have lived here even earlier, possibly in late Roman times.

The Shire Oak and Viking Times

From the time of the Vikings, Headingley was an important centre. It was the heart of the Skyrack wapentake, which means "Shire oak." This name might refer to a special oak tree. This tree was a meeting place where people solved legal problems and gathered armies. An ancient oak, believed to be the Shire Oak, stood near St Michael's Church until 1941. Today, two pubs, the Original Oak and the Skyrack, are named after this historic tree.

From Village to Suburb

In 1711, maps showed Headingley as a small village with a chapel, cottages, and farms. It had a large area of common land called Headingley Moor. By 1801, only about 300 people lived there.

As Leeds grew during the Industrial Revolution, Headingley changed. It became a popular suburb for wealthy people. They moved here to escape the dirt and pollution of the city.

In 1840, the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens opened in Headingley. Even with a nearby railway station opening in 1849, the zoo didn't make enough money and closed in 1858. You can still see the old bear pit on Cardigan Road today!

The Leeds Tramway made it easier to get to Headingley from Leeds city centre from 1875 to 1959. This helped Headingley grow and attracted more middle-class families. The trams helped turn Headingley from a village into the suburb we know today. By 1911, Headingley's population had grown to over 46,000 people.

Today, Leeds Beckett University has a campus in Beckett Park, Headingley. Many houses around Kirkstall Lane are rented by students.

Sports in Headingley

Headingley Stadium cricket ground during an England game.

The Carnegie Stand at Headingley Stadium rugby ground.

Headingley is very well-known for its sports! The famous Headingley Stadium is here. It's sometimes just called Headingley.

Professional Sports Teams

The stadium is home to several professional sports teams:

• Yorkshire County Cricket Club
• Northern Superchargers (a cricket team)
• Leeds Rhinos (a rugby league team)
• Yorkshire Carnegie (a rugby union team)
• The Northern Diamonds women's cricket team also plays some games here.

The stadium has been greatly improved since 2000. The cricket ground has been almost completely rebuilt to keep its status for Test matches. The rugby ground also got a new Carnegie Stand. This stand was built with help from Leeds Beckett University.

Amateur Sports Clubs

Headingley also has amateur sports teams. Headingley AFC is a local association football (soccer) team. There are also two amateur cricket clubs, Headingley Bramhope CC and St. Chads CC, in Far Headingley.

Places to Visit and Things to Do

Brett's Fish Restaurant, a local favourite.

Headingley railway station before its recent updates.

The Headingley Taps, a pub that used to be a water pumping station.

Headingley has many shops, restaurants, and places to hang out. It's famous for its fish and chip shops, like Brett's on North Lane, which has been open since the 1930s. There are also several pubs and bars. The pub called Headingley Taps used to be a water pumping station!

In Headingley Central (which used to be called the Arndale Centre), you'll find bigger shops and a small car park. Headingley also has a library on North Lane. You can find banks, cafes, and charity shops. There's a large Oxfam bookshop along Otley Road.

Headingley used to have two cinemas. Now, only The Cottage Road Cinema in Far Headingley is still open.

Headingley is also known for the Otley Run. This is a fun event where groups of people dress up in costumes and walk between different pubs, starting in Far Headingley and ending near Leeds City Centre.

Famous People from Headingley

Many famous writers have lived in Headingley:

• Arthur Ransome, who wrote the children's classic Swallows and Amazons, was born here.
• J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, lived in Headingley when he worked at the university.
• Playwright Alan Bennett once lived above a butcher's shop.
• TV writer Kay Mellor lived in Weetwood.

Many writers and poets who live in the area today take part in the annual Headingley LitFest. This festival happens every March and uses local venues like the Heart Centre.

Edward Baines, a newspaper editor in the 1800s, lived in Headingley. The social reformer and writer Isabella Ford was also born here in 1855.

Headingley Development Trust

A street map of Headingley.

The Headingley Development Trust (HDT) is a group started in 2005 by local people and businesses. Their goal is to help Headingley be a great place to live and work for everyone. They work on projects that benefit the community.

Key Projects by HDT

• Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre (HEART): Opened in 2011, HEART is a big community project. It's in an old school building that was completely updated. HEART has spaces for rehearsals, meetings, and training. It also has a café and a business centre for arts and media companies. It's a true community hub!
• The Headingley Greengrocer: HDT took over this beloved greengrocer shop in 2019. It has been a greengrocer for over 100 years! They offer fresh fruits and vegetables, focusing on local produce and reducing plastic waste.
• Headingley Farmers' Market: This market has been held every month for over thirteen years. It's a great place to buy local food from Yorkshire producers. It also has music and games for children, making it a fun community event.
• Headingley Community Orchard: This group finds unused land and plants fruit trees and bushes. They help improve the local environment, protect green spaces, and teach people new skills.

HDT also helped set up the Natural Food Store on North Lane, which is now a successful local business.

Churches in Headingley

Headingley Parish Church.

Headingley has several beautiful churches. Headingley Parish Church is a large church with a tall steeple. It was built between 1884 and 1886. There's also a separate parish in Far Headingley with its own church, St Chad's.

Other churches include South Parade Baptist church and Headingley Methodist Church. St Columba's United Reformed church and St Urban's Roman Catholic parish church are more modern buildings. Hinsley Hall is a centre for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds. There's even a small Lutheran church called St Luke's, which used to be a coach house!

The Anglican Bishop of Leeds and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Leeds both live in the Headingley area.

Interesting Buildings

The Golden Beam, formerly the Elinor Lupton Centre.

Spring House.

Headingley Hall.

Headingley is known for its many interesting buildings, especially its large and small old houses. It has over 100 buildings that are "listed," meaning they are protected because of their special history or architecture.

Some important listed buildings include St Michael's Church, the Hyde Park Picture House (a cinema), and Moorfield House.

Headingley Castle.

Headingley Castle was built in 1846. It was once owned by a cloth merchant and later by an art collector. For a while, it was even used as a school for the blind.

Most of the houses in Headingley were built in the Victorian era (late 1800s) and early 1900s.

Headingley in TV Shows

Headingley has been a filming location for several TV shows!

• The ITV series Fat Friends was set in Headingley.
• Many parts of the 1980s ITV Beiderbecke Trilogy were filmed in and around Headingley and Beckett Park.
• Parts of Headingley were even used to look like Northern Ireland in the show Harrys Game.
• The detective show A Touch of Frost also used locations in the area.

Images for kids

• 

  Headingley War Memorial

• 

  Arndale Centre

• 

  Arndale House, on top of the Arndale Centre

• 

  A view of Headingley from the Arndale Centre

• 

  Hinsley Hall (1867)

• 

  St. Chad's Church at twilight

• 

  The bear pit

• 

  St Chad's Church

• 

  St Columba United Reformed Church

• 

  Headingley Hill Congregational Church

• 

  South Parade (now Cornerstone) Baptist Church

• 

  Headingley Methodist Church

• 

  St Urban's Catholic Church

• 

  Ebenezer Partiucular Baptist Church

• 

  St Luke's Lutheran Church

• 

  St Luke's: interior