Oakwood, Leeds

Oakwood is a suburb of north east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, that lies between Gipton and Roundhay Park.

Oakwood

The Oakwood Clock tower following restoration. 2015.
Oakwood
Oakwood
Location within West Yorkshire
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLEEDS
Postcode districtLS8
Dialling code0113
PoliceWest Yorkshire
FireWest Yorkshire
AmbulanceYorkshire
UK Parliament

It is within the LS8 postcode and sits within both the Roundhay ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds North East parliamentary constituency.

Notable features
The Oakwood Fish Bar

It is home to Oakwood Clock, a large clock that was built in 1904 by Potts of Leeds to the design of Leeming and Leeming and is sited at the bottom end of Roundhay Park; it was first designed as the centrepiece of Kirkgate Market, Leeds. After the design of Kirkgate Market was revised it was considered that this clock would no longer be suitable for the building, and the idea to place it in Oakwood came about. Eight years after it was first built this clock was erected in Oakwood.[1] In early 2015, the tower was replaced, with the original clock being kept.[2]

Oakwood Hall

Opposite the Clock on Roundhay Road is the Fish Bar, a Grade II Listed Building with an Art Deco frontage of black glass panels, which has been selling fish and chips since 1934.[3]

It was in the garden of Oakwood Grange that Louis Le Prince filmed the Roundhay Garden Scene in 1888, credited as the first motion picture.[4] Oakwood Grange was demolished in 1972 to make way for Oakwood Grange housing estate[5] but the adjacent stately home, Oakwood Hall, still remains as a nursing home.[6]

Plaque for the Oakwood Clock

Amenities

On Roundhay Road is the Post Office, a supermarket, currently Home Bargains (formerly Netto, Co-op, Somerfield and Safeway) and several shops and banks. Further down from the Oakwood Boundary is Tesco. The Post Office and Tesco refer to their location as 'Roundhay', although they do sit in the council's Roundhay ward. Oakwood Library is at 1 Oakwood Lane,[7] on the corner of the junction diagonally opposite the Oakwood clock.

Oakwood Farmers' Market

Held on the third Saturday of the month since 15 March 2008 around the Oakwood Clock, Oakwood Farmers' Market has become a regular feature. Organised by local residents in conjunction with Roundhay Environmental Action Project[8] the Oakwood Farmers' Market's goal is to provide quality local produce, some of which is organic, with local being defined at produce travelling no more than 20 mi to the market.[9] Receiving FARMA accreditation, being the second farmers' market in Leeds to have done so, has meant that the Oakwood Farmers' Market can display the FARMA logo to prove its status as a true farmers' market.[10] Regular stalls and 'feature' stalls provide a range of local products including: jams, meats, eggs, chocolates, bread and wide range of locally grown fruits and vegetables.[9] Seasonal holidays are celebrated with local musicians, artists and performers.

Associated areas

Because the LS8 postcode boundary includes Fearnville, Lady Wood, Gipton Wood and Hollin Wood, they are sometimes considered part of Oakwood. This means that the A58 Easterly Road, built in 1930s, cuts across the area. For example, Oakwood Primary School is south of this road.

Gipton Wood
Gipton Wood from Roundhay Road

Gipton Wood refers to either an area of woodland or an area of housing adjacent to the wood in Leeds. The woodland is now triangular, bounded by the Oakwood Boundary Road on the northeast, Roundhay Road on the west and Copgrove Road on the southeast. It is 8.2 ha and part of the Forest of Leeds.[11] It is an ancient woodland, previously housing a stone aged, bronze aged, and Roman settlement.[12] Trees are predominantly oak, sycamore, beech and hornbeam. It was given to the city in 1923 and is now maintained by the City of Leeds and a voluntary group, the Friends of Gipton Wood.[13][14] The public house on the opposite side of the road was formerly called "The Gipton" but has now changed to "The Roundhay".[15]

The residential area known as Gipton Wood is south of the wood down to Easterly Road.

  • Oakwood Boundary Road on the North-East side of Gipton Wood
  • Shops on Roundhay Road
  • The A58 Easterly Road, dividing Oakwood and Gipton
  • Co-op Roundhay Road
  • Oakwood Clock at night with Christmas Tree

Location grid

References
  1. www.leodis.net Oakwood Clock
  2. Yorkshire Evening Post 5 May 2015 North Leeds: Oakwood rocks around the clock
  3. www.leodis.net Roundhay Road no. 492, Fish Bar
  4. Internet Movie Database Roundhay Garden Scene
  5. "Roundhay Garden Scene 1888". Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  6. www.commlinks.co.uk Archived 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Oakwood Hall
  7. www.leeds.gov.uk Oakwood Library
  8. www.reap-leeds.org.uk Roundhay Environmental Action Project
  9. www.oakwoodfarmersmarket.com Oakwood Farmers' Market Official website
  10. www.farmersmarkets.net Archived 29 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine farmersmarkets.net
  11. Forest of Leeds The Woodlands
  13. Community Groups in Yorkshire
  14. www.oakwoodchurch.info Gipton Wood
  15. www.oakwoodchurch.info The Roundhay (Pub)
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