Ledston | |
---|---|
Main Street, Ledston | |
Location within
West Yorkshire | |
Population | 394 ( 2011 census) [1] |
Metropolitan borough | |
Metropolitan county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Castleford |
Postcode district | WF10 |
Dialling code | 01977 |
Police | West Yorkshire |
Fire | West Yorkshire |
Ambulance | Yorkshire |
Ledston (historically also spelt Ledstone) [2] is a village in the Leeds metropolitan borough, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. [3] It is 3 miles (5 km) north of Castleford and 10 miles (16 km) east of Leeds. The parish had a population of 400 in 2001, [4] which decreased slightly to 394 at the 2011 Census. [1]
Ledston is first mentioned in 1086, and on through the Middle Ages, in forms like Ledestun(e), Ledestona. [5] The name seems to refer to Leeds (or the Old English precursor of this name, Loidis, which denoted a region rather than a town), meaning the tūn ('settlement, estate') belonging to Leeds. [6]
Mary Pannal of Ledston was executed in 1603 as an accused witch.
Ledston was historically a township in the ancient parish of Ledsham in the wapentake of Barkston Ash in the West Riding of Yorkshire. [7] The township became a separate civil parish in 1866. [8] In 1974 Ledston was transferred to the City of Leeds in the new county of West Yorkshire. On 1 April 2023 the civil parish was abolished. [9]
Ledston or Ledstone Hall [10] was the home of Lady Elizabeth Hastings, daughter of the 7th Earl of Huntingdon, known as "Lady Betty". The hall was originally a grange and chapel built by the monks of Pontefract Priory. It is a grade I listed building, and several associated buildings and garden features are also listed. [11]
Ledston Hall featured in the television show Most Haunted:Live on 27 October 2007, but was called "Wheler Priory" for security reasons at the time (Wheler being the surname of the last family owning the hall). [12]
Ledston is also home to the Ledston Equine Centre located in the stables of Ledston Hall. [13]
Ledston lies to the east of the A656 road, [3] and there was a railway station named after the village on the Castleford to Garforth line, though this station was actually adjacent to Allerton Bywater Colliery. The village also had a colliery named after it, Ledston Luck, which was connected to the railway via a narrow gauge railway line up to Peckfield Colliery in Micklefield. [14] The colliery, like the railway station, was some distance away from the village from which it took its name, being actually only 0.6 miles (1 km) east of Kippax. [3] Ledston Luck Colliery closed in 1986 [15] and the site is now a local nature reserve. [16]
The White Horse Inn is a 15th-century public house. [17] It was 2019 regional winner of North East Pubs in Bloom,[ citation needed] and supports various local activities such as the Ledston in Bloom[ clarification needed], a village scarecrow competition.[ citation needed] and the Ledston christmas light switch on.
Ledston | |
---|---|
Main Street, Ledston | |
Location within
West Yorkshire | |
Population | 394 ( 2011 census) [1] |
Metropolitan borough | |
Metropolitan county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Castleford |
Postcode district | WF10 |
Dialling code | 01977 |
Police | West Yorkshire |
Fire | West Yorkshire |
Ambulance | Yorkshire |
Ledston (historically also spelt Ledstone) [2] is a village in the Leeds metropolitan borough, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. [3] It is 3 miles (5 km) north of Castleford and 10 miles (16 km) east of Leeds. The parish had a population of 400 in 2001, [4] which decreased slightly to 394 at the 2011 Census. [1]
Ledston is first mentioned in 1086, and on through the Middle Ages, in forms like Ledestun(e), Ledestona. [5] The name seems to refer to Leeds (or the Old English precursor of this name, Loidis, which denoted a region rather than a town), meaning the tūn ('settlement, estate') belonging to Leeds. [6]
Mary Pannal of Ledston was executed in 1603 as an accused witch.
Ledston was historically a township in the ancient parish of Ledsham in the wapentake of Barkston Ash in the West Riding of Yorkshire. [7] The township became a separate civil parish in 1866. [8] In 1974 Ledston was transferred to the City of Leeds in the new county of West Yorkshire. On 1 April 2023 the civil parish was abolished. [9]
Ledston or Ledstone Hall [10] was the home of Lady Elizabeth Hastings, daughter of the 7th Earl of Huntingdon, known as "Lady Betty". The hall was originally a grange and chapel built by the monks of Pontefract Priory. It is a grade I listed building, and several associated buildings and garden features are also listed. [11]
Ledston Hall featured in the television show Most Haunted:Live on 27 October 2007, but was called "Wheler Priory" for security reasons at the time (Wheler being the surname of the last family owning the hall). [12]
Ledston is also home to the Ledston Equine Centre located in the stables of Ledston Hall. [13]
Ledston lies to the east of the A656 road, [3] and there was a railway station named after the village on the Castleford to Garforth line, though this station was actually adjacent to Allerton Bywater Colliery. The village also had a colliery named after it, Ledston Luck, which was connected to the railway via a narrow gauge railway line up to Peckfield Colliery in Micklefield. [14] The colliery, like the railway station, was some distance away from the village from which it took its name, being actually only 0.6 miles (1 km) east of Kippax. [3] Ledston Luck Colliery closed in 1986 [15] and the site is now a local nature reserve. [16]
The White Horse Inn is a 15th-century public house. [17] It was 2019 regional winner of North East Pubs in Bloom,[ citation needed] and supports various local activities such as the Ledston in Bloom[ clarification needed], a village scarecrow competition.[ citation needed] and the Ledston christmas light switch on.