ABOUT ARMLEY

Armley is a suburb in western Leeds, West Yorkshire. Armley is neighboured by Holbeck, Upper Wortley, Lower Wortley, Farnley, New Farnley and Burley. Approximately 1 mile away from Leeds city centre, Armley enjoys a busy atmosphere.

LIVING IN ARMLEY

Armley has all the local amenities a resident could ask for. Nearby supermarkets include Tesco Express, Lild, Asda Wortley Oldfield Lane Supermarket, Beidranks European Food, BeDrank Polish Foods, ALDI, Best-One Eurofoods and Heron Foods. In Armley there is Armley Primary School, Castleton Primary School, Whingate Primary School, Five Lane Primary School, Christ Church Upper Armley C of E Primary School, Holy Family Catholic Primary School, St Bartholomew's, Baltica School, Ecole Jayden and Dixons Unity Academy offering choice to residents with children.

Armley has excellent proximity to the town centre. Hall Lane offers a quick route, alternatively; bus routes 72, X6 and 16 arrive in Leeds City Centre and only take approximately 15-20 minutes. Armley is also home to HM Leeds Prison.

Armley postcode: LS12

THE HISTORY OF ARMLEY

Armley was home to the world's largest mill when it was built in 1788. Through the mill industry, Armley was one of the biggest economic contributors to Leeds in the 18th and 19th centuries. Most buildings were built in the 1800s and still stand today.

Alongside the damage caused by one of the Leeds Blitz Raids in 1941 and slum clearance schemes made the redevelopment of Armley a reality, this took place between the 1950s and the 1970s.

The J W Roberts asbestos mattress and boiler lining factory was situated in Armley from the 1870s to 1956. This factory exposed the local people to asbestos fibres that cause mesothelioma cancer. June Hancock filed court action against Turner & Newall, a company responsible for the asbestos fibres being present, but the case is still not settled. This incident did however inspire the play 'Dust' by Kenneth F. Yates which was subsequently performed locally and the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2009.

THINGS TO DO IN ARMLEY

Armley Park is a large public park that stretches from Armley downhill to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, afterwards turning into dense woodlands. Armley Park has football pitches, tennis/basketball courts, a children's playground and gardens. There are also several Grade II listed features within the grounds of Armley Park including; the gate at the entrance, the War Memorial, the Fountain and several plaques.

The Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills is a museum of industrial heritage, showcasing collections of textile machinery, railway equipment and heavy machinery. The museum is located within the Grade II listed building that was once the world's largest mill.