Garforth

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.79216
longitude= -1.38836
map_type= West Yorkshire
official_name= Garforth
population = c.15,000
metropolitan_borough= City of Leeds
metropolitan_county = West Yorkshire
region= Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster= Elmet
post_town= LEEDS
postcode_district = LS25
postcode_area= LS
dial_code= 0113
os_grid_reference= SE403330

Garforth is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. The 2001 Census lists 23,892 residents in the Garforth and Swillington ward - 80.57% of which are homeowners, 20% more than the average for Leeds. Garforth itself has around 15,000 of those people, and is the largest centre of population in the parliamentary constituency of Elmet. However, Elmet will cease to exist at the next General Election, and will be incorporated into the new constituency of Elmet and Rothwell.

It owes its size to expansion in the 17th and 18th centuries during which the local land-owning Gascoigne family ran several coalmines in the area. The surrounding settlements of Micklefield, Kippax, Swillington, Methley and Allerton Bywater are all villages that prospered and grew as a result of the coal industry. Nowadays manufacturing and motor-vehicle repair account for more than a third of the workforce in the area.

More recent expansion can also be traced to a combination of overall economic success in Leeds, and the fact that Garforth is well served by transport links. The A1 and M1 are minutes away, and both have recently been linked by an extension of the M1 which passes to the West and North of the town, with two nearby access points at Junctions 46 and 47. The M1 extension has led to rapid development of commercial, light industrial and residential sites clustered around Junctions 46 and 47. There are two railway stations, Garforth and East Garforth, both on the mainline route between Leeds, York, and North Eastern England to Scotland, and between Leeds, Selby and Hull and the Yorkshire coastal resorts. Effectively, people can commute to, or visit, a wide variety of destinations quite easily, and still live in a self-contained township surrounded by open countryside, woodlands and rural villages.

Some famous residents and ex-residents of Garforth include, Rachel Cairns, Chris Silverwood, Dave Seaman and Andrew White, of the Kaiser Chiefs. The town was also the birthplace, of Second World War hero, Sir Augustus Walker of the Royal Air Force.

chools in Garforth

Home to one secondary school and five primary schools.

Garforth Community College, a secondary school and sixth form for pupils aged 11-18 is located on Lidgett Lane in Garforth. The school itself has over 2000 students and staff. It is also one of the pioneering schools behind finger-print placed lunch payment system. Furthermore, Garforth Community College runs the Garforth Art Festival, which is a display of musical talent.

Over the street from Garforth Community College is the newly refurbished Strawberry Fields Primary school, formerly known as West Garforth Primary School. As well as Strawberry Fields, Garforth is home to Ninelands Lane Primary School, Green Lane Primary School, East Garforth Primary School and St Benedict's Primary School, which is a Catholic school.

port

There are multiple sports teams in the local area. Garforth itself has two cricket clubs.

Nearby rugby clubs include the towns own Garforth RUFC, Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers.

Local football clubs include Leeds United, Bradford City, York City and Huddersfield Town. Locally there are Garforth Town, Garforth A.F.C., Garforth W.M.C. A.F.C and Garforth Rangers A.F.C. Brazilian football legend Sócrates was briefly a player-coach for Garforth Town at the end of 2004.

Location Grid

ee also

*Garforth Town A.F.C.

External links

* [http://www.garforth.leeds.sch.uk/ Garforth Community College]
* [http://www.garforth.net/ Garforth's Website]
* [http://www.garforthtoday.co.uk/ YEP Garforth Today Community Website]
* [http://www.garforthtown.com/ Garforth Town]
* [http://www.garforthjetsbadminton.co.uk/ Garforth Jets Badminton Club]
* [http://www.garforthrangers.co.uk/ Garforth Rangers]
* [http://www.garforthartsfestival.co.uk/ Garforth Art Festival]
* [http://www.goinlocal.co.uk/ LS25 Community Web site]
* [http://www.1stgarforth.org.uk/ 1st Garforth Scout Group]

*cite web |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Garforth/index.html |title=The Ancient Parish of Garforth |publisher=GENUKI Historical and genealogical resource