Stourton, Leeds facts for kids

Stourton is mostly an industrial area in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It's part of the City and Hunslet ward within the Leeds Metropolitan Council.

Where is Stourton?

This area is about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of Leeds city centre. It sits between Hunslet, the M1 motorway, and Cross Green. Stourton is located in the LS10 postcode area.

Stourton's Past: From Village to Industry

Before the local boundaries changed in the 1970s, Stourton was a village. It was part of the Rothwell Urban District and connected to the southern edge of Leeds. The West Riding County Council managed it.

Stourton grew during the Industrial Revolution. It was once a community of about 2,500 people with its own churches and pubs. However, from the 1970s, many homes were taken down. This made space for new motorways and industrial buildings. By 1990, not much was left of the old village except its war memorial.

This memorial remembers "the men of Stourton and Thwaitegate." It lists 75 names from the First World War and 25 from the Second World War. The memorial was moved around 1973. Its original home, St Andrew's Church, was demolished. One of the brave soldiers named on the memorial is Denis Gill. He served in the York and Lancaster Regiment and was killed in action in Italy in 1944.

Busy Industries and Transport Hubs

Stourton used to have the Skelton Grange power station. This station provided electricity for Leeds and nearby areas until it was taken down in 1995. However, the substation that helped distribute the power is still used today.

The area was home to some big companies. These included John Waddingtons, Yorkshire Copperworks, and Camerons Iron Works. There was also a large railway shunting yard.

Today, the site of the old power station is next to the Gateway 45 development. In 2019, this spot was chosen to be a maintenance depot for the High Speed 2 (HS2) railway. This means it will be a place where high-speed trains can be looked after and repaired.

The Freightliner Terminal

Stourton has a large rail freight terminal called the Stourton Freightliner Terminal. It's run by Freightliner (UK). This terminal is an "intermodal" hub. This means it handles containers that can be moved easily between different types of transport, like trains and trucks.

Most days, eight trains arrive and eight trains leave the terminal. They travel to and from major ports like Southampton, Felixstowe, and London Gateway. There's also a service three times a week to Tees Dock. This service carries containers from the Southampton trains. Trains coming to and from Stourton often bring locomotives (train engines) to the Freightliner Group's depot at nearby Midland Road in Hunslet. This is where the engines get maintenance and repairs.

Images for kids

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  Stourton war memorial