Swinnow (derived from Anglo-Saxon ''Swin'' (swine) and ''how'' (hill), possibly also a contraction of "Swine Moor" in the

Yorkshire dialect The Yorkshire dialect (also known as Broad Yorkshire, Tyke, Yorkie or Yorkshire English) is a dialect of English, or continuum of dialects, spoken in the Yorkshire region of Northern England. The dialect has roots in Old English and is influen ...

) is a housing estate in west

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is situated between Bramley and

Pudsey Pudsey is a market town in the City of Leeds Borough in West Yorkshire, England. It is located midway between Bradford city centre and Leeds city centre. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it has a population of 22,408. History T ...

on the west side of the outskirts of Leeds and is currently part of the

Leeds City Council Leeds City Council is the local authority of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in West Yorkshire and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, and provides the majority of l ...

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

History

Swinnow was part of the civil parish of Bramley. Bramley and Swinnow were part of the Leeds rhubarb fields, a part of the so-called '

Rhubarb Triangle The Rhubarb Triangle is a area of West Yorkshire, England between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell famous for producing early forced rhubarb. It includes Kirkhamgate, East Ardsley, Stanley, Lofthouse and Carlton. The Rhubarb Triangle was ...

', which accounted for a large portion of British rhubarb production from the 1800s until the

second world war World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. Every January at rhubarb picking time a special train would depart Bramley station at 8:30 pm every night bound for

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...

towns all over the country ready for the next day. After the second world war the population of Leeds was growing and consequently new cheap

council houses A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 a ...

were needed. The area of the fields in the Swinnow/Bramley area were considered a perfect location. They were sold on

compulsory purchase Compulsion may refer to: * Compulsive behavior, a psychological condition in which a person does a behavior compulsively, having an overwhelming feeling that they must do so. * Obsessive–compulsive disorder, a mental disorder characterized by ...

to the council, and development started on

housing estates A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States ...

over the old rhubarb fields. An industrial estate was established south of the settlement, where soft drinks manufacturer

Britvic Britvic plc is a British producer of soft drinks based in Hemel Hempstead, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. It produces soft drinks under its own name, and several other brands. Hist ...

is a major employer. Swinnow is now clearly integrated into the larger Leeds area. Nevertheless, the history of the area is preserved, in that the stories, memories and knowledge of the residents were compiled into a small volume published by

Patchwork press Patchwork or "pieced work" is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeating patterns built up with different fabric shapes (which can be different colors) ...

in 1994.

Amenities

There are two churches in Swinnow, Christ the Saviour Anglican Church and St. Mark's Methodist Church.St Mark’s Methodist Church
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References

External links

* Historical and genealogical resource for area including Swinnow
Leodis: A photographic archive of Leeds
Write "Swinnow" in search box. Places in Leeds {{WestYorkshire-geo-stub

History

Amenities

See also

References

Further reading

External links