Rothwell is a town in the south-east of the
City of Leeds
Leeds, also known as the City of Leeds, is a metropolitan borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in West Yorkshire, England. The metropolitan borough includes the administrative centre of Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Gar ...
metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough (or metropolitan district) is a type of districts of England, local government district in England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan distr ...
in
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
, England, situated between
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
and
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
. It is located in the eponymous
Rothwell ward of
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Leeds has had a council since 1626, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 it has been a metropolitan borough council. It provides the ...
and Wakefield and Rothwell
parliamentary constituency
An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...
, and is part of the
West Yorkshire Urban Area.
At the 2011 census the ward had a population of 20,354. As of the 2021 census, Rothwell has a population of 20,600. The town is close to the
A1/
M1 link road and the Stourton park and ride. The nearest railway station is
Woodlesford.
History
Early history
Rothwell was mentioned in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
, an 11th-century landholding survey commissioned by King
William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...
, as ''"Rodewelle"''.
One of the royal lodge’s documented owners was
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399), was an English royal prince, military leader and statesman. He was the fourth son (third surviving) of King Edward III of England, and the father of King Henry IV. Because ...
, who is supposed to have killed the last
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
in England while hunting nearby; hence, a boar’s head formed part of the arms of the former Rothwell Urban District Council.
The
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
(Church Street) is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and is on the site of an Anglo-Saxon predecessor. The current church, which has a ring of eight bells, is of medieval origins but was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century: the tower retains medieval fabric believed to be from the 15th century.
John Blenkinsop
John Blenkinsop (1783 – 22 January 1831) was an English mining engineer and an inventor of steam locomotives, who designed the first practical railway locomotive.
He was born in Felling, County Durham, the son of a stonemason and was ap ...
(1783–1831), a pioneer in the use of steam locomotives on the nearby
Middleton Railway
The Middleton Railway is the world's oldest continuously working railway, situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1758 and is now a heritage railway, run by volunteers from The Middleton Railway Trust Ltd. since 1960.
The ...
, is buried at the church.

The town was granted the rights of a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
in the 15th century and a twicew-yearly
fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...
. The tradition of a fair is maintained by the annual carnival which is organised by the Rothwell Entertainments Committee.
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere's March equinox, spring equinox and midsummer June solstice, solstice. Festivities ma ...
is celebrated beside the stone cross and on the Pastures on the first Monday Bank Holiday in May, while Rothwell Carnival is held in
Springhead Park on the second Saturday of July every year.
Rothwell Town Hall was completed in 1895.
A notable landmark of the town is an arch made of whale jawbones, which has marked the northern boundary by the junction with Wood Lane and the
A61 road for over 100 years.
Rothwell is part of the historic
Rhubarb Triangle, with the town and surrounding areas famed for having once produced 90% of the world’s winter forced
rhubarb
Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks ( petioles) of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of ''Rheum'' in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The plant is a herbaceous perennial that grows from short, thick rhizomes. ...
from the forcing sheds that were common across the fields there.
20th century

St George's Hospital was situated off Wood Lane where now exists Castle Lodge Avenue and associated houses. It was built in 1903 to a design by
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
architect
Edward J. Dodgshun by the Rothwell, Methley and Hunslet Joint Isolation Hospital Committee which was formed under the Isolation Hospitals Act 1893 by an order of the West Riding County Council 10 January 1900. When first constructed it was known as the New Union
Workhouse
In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...
and Infirmary for the Hunslet Union. On being taken over by the Leeds
Public Assistance Committee in 1934, it was renamed St George’s Hospital. In 1934 it was transferred to the Leeds Health Committee. In 1948 the hospital was managed by the Leeds Group B
Hospital Management Committee. After local government reorganisation in 1974, it was transferred to the Leeds Eastern District and soon after to the Leeds Western District, and was closed in December 1991. From 1934 the hospital provided accommodation for the elderly ill, patients with chronic and acute
mental illness
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
, persons with
learning disabilities
Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficulty ...
, a
maternity ward and a separate
isolation ward
In hospitals and other medical facilities, an isolation ward is a separate ward used to isolate patients with infectious diseases. Several wards for individual patients are usually placed together in an isolation unit.
Design
In an isolation u ...
. The site was developed for housing at the start of the 21st century, but the original tall clock tower remains.
Rothwell Temperance Band is a
Championship section brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting primarily of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands (particularl ...
founded in Rothwell in 1984. Although they do not rehearse in Rothwell itself, instead rehearsing in
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
, they have strong connections with the town and hold many concerts for the local community. The closest Champion Section Brass Band is the
Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel Band, formerly of the Yorkshire Imperial Copperworks based in Stourton, from which the band is named. In 2000, the Wallace Arnold (Rothwell) Band merged with the Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel Band, which became for some time the Yorkshire Imperial DUT (Rothwell) Band.

Rothwell has a long history of
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
. It was a site of early mining, using a system known as
bell pits. Coal mining has been carried out in the area for over 600 years. There were many local pits including the Fanny, the Rose and Rothwell Water Haigh. As the reserves as Rothwell Haigh Colliery were exhausted, production ended on 9 December 1983, with the majority of the 650 men employed transferring to the new
Selby Coalfield.
Whereas some mineworkers moved house closer to Selby, many commuted daily from Rothwell to Selby for years. After closure, the old coking plant site at Haigh Colliery remained within the Coal Products Division of the NCB until privatisation in 1994, at which point former employees banded together to buy the site and later sold the site to a housing developer.
[ In 1995, Leeds City Council and Leeds Groundwork formed a partnership which, together with local residents and community groups, transformed the former colliery site into a 124-acre country park with a sculpture trail, a pond trail, and a habitat for various forms of flora and fauna.][
]
21st century
The introduction of Leeds Valley Park in the early 21st century and its subsequent expansions have caused concerns for residents due to the parking problems caused on neighbouring Wood Lane. This is despite numerous efforts by local councillors, and the community, to include further parking restrictions.
Administrative history
Rothwell was an ancient parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
, comprising five townships: Lofthouse with Carlton, Middleton, Oulton with Woodlesford, Thorpe and a Rothwell township covering the old village itself and adjoining areas (the latter township also being known as "Rothwell with Rothwell Haigh and Royds Green"). All such townships also became civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
es in 1866.
The Rothwell township was made a local government district
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
in 1872, governed by a local board. The district was enlarged in 1892 to also include the townships of Lofthouse with Carlton and Thorpe. Such districts were converted into urban districts in 1894. Shortly afterwards, Rothwell Urban District Council built itself new council offices on Marsh Street in 1895/6.
The Rothwell Urban District was enlarged in 1937, absorbing Oulton with Woodlesford from the abolished Hunslet Rural District, and Methley
Methley is a dispersed village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, south east of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located near Rothwell, West Yorkshire, Rothwell, Oulton, West Yorkshire, Oulton, Woodlesford, Mickletown and Aller ...
, which had been a separate urban district. Rothwell Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, with the area becoming part of the metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough (or metropolitan district) is a type of districts of England, local government district in England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan distr ...
of the City of Leeds
Leeds, also known as the City of Leeds, is a metropolitan borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in West Yorkshire, England. The metropolitan borough includes the administrative centre of Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Gar ...
. As the 1972 Act went through parliament there was a local campaign to have Rothwell included in the Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
district instead of Leeds. This was accepted as an amendment to the bill in the House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
but was overturned in the House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
.
Town centre
The town centre contains a variety of high street chains, independent shops, restaurants and bars, and pubs.
In 2007, the town centre experienced major redevelopments to respect the local area's conservation status, pedestrianising and restoring the original route of Commercial Street.
A new bus interchange funded by the West Yorkshire combined authority, was due to be constructed in 2022 within Marsh street car park with provision of driver restrooms and infrastructure for future electric buses. However, as of 2024, this was paused until funding becomes available.
Education
There are several primary schools in Rothwell including:
*Holy Trinity Rothwell Primary School (Formerly Rothwell Church of England Primary School)
*Rothwell Primary School
*Rothwell Haigh Road Infant School
*Rothwell Victoria Junior School
*Rothwell St. Mary's Catholic primary School
There are two high schools in the Rothwell area:
* Oulton Academy (Formerly Royds School and Royds Academy).
* The Rodillian Academy – the former Rothwell Grammar School (actually in Lofthouse). Under the old 11 plus, it was the local grammar school for Rothwell and for villages south as far as Outwood.
Both Royds and Rodillian have sixth form colleges integrated in the school environment. Other further education colleges in Rothwell are:
* Leeds City College – formerly Joseph Priestley College
*WEC International
WEC International is an interdenominational Christian mission, mission agency of evangelical tradition which focuses on evangelism, discipleship and church planting, through music and the arts, serving addicts and vulnerable children, through Chri ...
was based at Springhead Park House offering Christian training in radio, and other media however has since moved.
Notable and former residents
* Thomas Beckwith – F.A.S (1731–1786) English painter, genealogist
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their Lineage (anthropology), lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family ...
and antiquary
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic sit ...
.
* Mark Bell – musician of LFO fame, worked with Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
.
*John Blenkinsop
John Blenkinsop (1783 – 22 January 1831) was an English mining engineer and an inventor of steam locomotives, who designed the first practical railway locomotive.
He was born in Felling, County Durham, the son of a stonemason and was ap ...
(1783–1831) – inventor of the rack railway system (buried in the grounds of Holy Trinity Church).
* Martin Kelner – journalist, author, and radio presenter.
* Michelle Hardwick – actress who portrayed Lizzie Hopkirk in The Royal
''The Royal'' is a British period medical drama, produced by Yorkshire Television (later part of ITV Studios), and broadcast on ITV from 2003 until its cancellation in 2011. The series is set in the 1960s and focuses on the lives of the st ...
and Vanessa Woodfield in Emmerdale
''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...
* Lord Newby of Rothwell – Liberal Democrat & member of the House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
.
* Paul Loughran – actor who portrayed Emmerdale
''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...
character Butch Dingle
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1994, by order of first appearance.
Dolores Sharp
Dolores Sharp was introduced as a school friend of List of Emmerdale characters (1993)#Luke M ...
.
*Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...
– scientist.
* The Pigeon Detectives – Indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band.
* Jane Tomlinson – charity fundraiser, who raised over £1.5 million whilst suffering from terminal cancer.
In sports
* David Batty – footballer, played for Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
and Blackburn Rovers, when they were English football champions
* Jason Golden – Harlequins RL footballer.
* Ryan Hall – Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home games at Headingley Rugby Stadium, AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium and compete in the Super League, the top tier of British rugby lea ...
Rugby League footballer.
* Carl Ablett – Leeds Rhinos Rugby league footballer.
* Jack Hunt – professional footballer, currently playing for Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
* Garry Schofield – Rugby League footballer & OBE.
* Alan Smith – Ex Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
and England Football player
* Jamie Thackray – Hull F.C. Rugby League footballer.
Sports
Football
Rothwell is home to three football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
clubs:
*Rothwell Town J.F.C – who are based at John O'Gaunts Recreation Ground near Rothwell Labour Club
*Rothwell Juniors – Currently based at a purpose-built £1.5 million development at Fleet Lane, Woodlesford. Open age teams known as simply 'Rothwell FC'.
*Rothwell Albion – A newly formed club in the area.
There are numerous teams in the wider Rothwell ward, these include the Carlton Athletic and Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
Athletic, among others.
Golf
Oulton Hall golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
course, which is currently owned by hotel group Q Hotels is located adjacent to Oulton Lane. It is the only 5-star golf resort in the North of England.
Bowls / Bowling
Bowls or bowling is also a popular sport, and there is a public bowling green in Springhead Park.
Tennis
There are four tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
courts located at Springhead Park. In 2024 these were refurbished as part of a £654,000 investment to improve tennis facilities across Leeds.
Squash & Racketball
Rothwell Squash & Racketball Club offers facilities for players of all standards from juniors and beginners up to first team Yorkshire League players.
Cricket
Rothwell Cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
Club field two teams in the Pontefract & District Cricket League, with the 1st XI competing in the top division in 2020.
Parkrun
Every Saturday morning at a Parkrun
Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of 5K run, events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents.
Parkrun was founded by Paul Sinto ...
is held around Springhead Park.
Notable places of interest
* Oulton Hall & Golf Course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
* Holy Trinity Church, Rothwell
*Rothwell Methodist Church (founded 1764)
*The Nookin
Location grid
See also
* Listed buildings in Rothwell, West Yorkshire
References
External links
*
LS26.org.uk – area website
*
{{authority control
Towns in West Yorkshire
City of Leeds
Market towns in West Yorkshire
Unparished areas in West Yorkshire
Former civil parishes in West Yorkshire