A trip around Morley, which is 4 miles from Leeds, will take you to a place that was affluent long before Leeds was on the map. Outside the sadly dilapidated and unused church of St Mary’s in the Wood is a helpful sign that starts the history trail from Domesday to Doomsday for some of the local Churches. The Wapentake of Morley was formed in the time of King Alfred comprising four parishes Birstall, Bradford, Calverly and Halifax.
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The town is built on seven hills Scatcherd Hill, Dawson Hill, Daisy Hill, Chapel Hill, Hunger Hill, Troy Hill and Banks Hill and got it’s name from ‘The Moor in the Wood’. The town has been a settlement for over a thousand years and was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Morley became a borough in 1886 after intense development following the Industrial Revolution and finally became a district of Leeds in 1974 (not a great year for Yorkshire reorganisations).
Victorian Morley
The Industrial revolution worked well for Morley and the town’s Municipal Coat of Arms features the symbolic principal industries of Coal mining, Cloth manufacture and Quarrying. Sir Titus Salt the mill owner and industrialist was born in Morley. The affluence of the 19th Century can be deduced from the now re-purposed churches below
‘The Zoar Particular Baptists’ Commercial Street also called Zora Chapel is now the Labour Rooms.
The Methodist Free Church is now renovated to become flats and apartments for sale or rent.
The Baptist Tabernacle is already occupied as offices and apartments. There is a data base of over 40 other places of worship past and present in Morley – not bad for a small town with a population of circa 28,000 or 48,000 if you also count Drighlington, Gildersome, Churwell, Tingley and East/West Ardsley the nearby parishes.
Modern Day Morley
The Town Hall is often used for film sets for Emmerdale Farm and Heartbeat as it has cobbled streets and an unused magistrates court. BNP leader Nick Griffin made a controversial speech at Morley Town Hall in 2004, was tried on suspicion of incitement to racial hatered. All charges were subsequently dropped.
Beryl Burton the famous female cyclist was born in Morley read more
St Peters Church Wakefield Diocese
The National Spiritual Church on Zoar Street with St Mary’s in the Wood behind.
Hello great piece you’ve written. You may interested to know that st marys in the wood is now currently under much local discussion. An application for planning permission has been made to turn this magnificent site into a hotel. It has certainly got people talking.
Comment by Louise bentley — February 25, 2010 @ 9:04 pm
hi there .what a great site .you have some lovely photos on here and good info .it is a shame that the wonderful; st marys in the wood has been sold and there is a planning application to turn it into a resauraunt ,hotel and car park .itt has certainly got the townsfolk talking .
Comment by elizabeth medley — February 27, 2010 @ 11:19 am
As York proves old churches can be re-purposed if done with sensitivity but a hotel seems over the top.
Comment by brian — February 28, 2010 @ 3:54 am