Rawdon, West Yorkshire

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.849339
longitude= -1.676651
map_type= West Yorkshire
official_name= Rawdon
metropolitan_borough= Leeds
metropolitan_county= West Yorkshire
region= Yorkshire and the Humber
constituency_westminster1= Pudsey
constituency_westminster= Leeds North West
post_town= LEEDS
postcode_district = LS19
postcode_area= LS
dial_code= 0113 250
os_grid_reference= SE421439
static_

static_image_caption=St Peter's Church, Rawdon
london_distance=

Rawdon is a village within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England.

Claims to fame

* Rawdon is famous as being the home town of cricketers Brian Close and Hedley Verity.
* Benton Park School in Rawdon is used as a fictional location in the soap opera "Emmerdale".
* Rawdon is situated next to Yeadon, where Leeds Bradford International Airport is located.
*William Thompson, a Quaker from Rawdon, is claimed to have been the first wool merchant in the country to import Australian wool (in 1808). [Rigg, Martin. "Round and About Aireborough Vol. 3", 1990.] He lived in a house called "The Mount" situated between Town Street and Layton Avenue, which was formerly known as Back Lane. There is still an active Quaker meeting in Rawdon in the original building, built in 1697.
* Frazer Hines ex "Doctor Who" actor, and ex-"Emmerdale" star, used to live in the Little London area of Rawdon. Originally from nearby Horsforth

Areas of interest

Rawdon Billing is a well known local landmark that can be seen from a considerable distance.

Rawdon has a conservation area called Little London which lies to the westernmost area of Rawdon. Little London conservation area is unique in that the historic area covered by the designation straddles the boundary of the district and one of its neighbours, Bradford. This area was, until the local government reorganisation in 1974, part of a district called Aireborough which was arbitrarily divided between Leeds and Bradford during reorganisation.The portion of the conservation area lying in Leeds was designated in 1975 and was extended in 1988. The portion of the conservation area lying in Bradford was designated in 1977. The Bradford designation centres on Lane Head House, built for the steward of Esholt Hall Estate c1710-1720, with its associated cottages, and outbuildings and other mainly late eighteenth century development completing the designation.Little London is at the westernmost tip of the contiguous urbanised settlement of Rawdon which coalesces with Guiseley, the centre of which is approximately 1.5km to the northeast of the conservation area. Greengates, and the edge of the Bradford urban area, is 2km to the south of Little London. The area to the west of the conservation area is rural Green Belt, with Esholt village lying 2km to the west of Little London in the Green Belt.

There are many other places throughout the UK known as Little London.

References

External links

* [http://www.leedsquakers.org.uk The Leeds Quakers Website] . The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Leeds, Otley, Gildersome, Rawdon & Ilkley
* Rawdon was in this parish