DID YOU KNOW 2.


Under the west wing of St Anne’s Church Wrenthorpe is a garden of remembrance, to commemorate the men of Wrenthorpe who died in 2 world wars, it also serves to remind us that on Sat March 14th 1941 2 bombs were dropped in a field near Trough Well Lane, no one was hurt.                                           

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In 1867 The Great Northern Railway purchased portions of allotment no. 587 Lingwell Gate Lane and there on erected Outwood Station..                                           

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Melbourne House Wrenthorpe was erected by the prophet the late John Wroe on August 3rd 1842. It was burgled by men with blackened faces, they stole a gold watch and other things. Young Wroe fired a gun at the intruders who ran away. For being courageous he received a gift of £5 from the public purse.                                           

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Trams started running from Wakefield through Outwood, Lofthouse and Robin Hood to Thwaite Gate in August 1904. For a short while passengers had to change at Thwaite Gate on to the trams of the Leeds Corporation to complete the journey into Leeds city centre. In November 1904 an agreement was reached allowing trams from both companies to run between Leeds and Wakefield.                                           

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Wrenthorpe settlement dates from after the compilation of the Doomsday Book in 1086. There are at least two theories from where Wrenthorpe gets its name; Firstly, ‘Thorpe’ comes from the old Norse word for a small village The ‘Wren’ parts origin is less clear. it is stated that it is derived from Wifrun’s, outlying farmstead. .                                           

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In the early 1920s Stanley Barber Fred Limer, who was known to most villagers as Sweeny, provided hair cutting services, shaving for locals. His premises were located in Lake Lock Road. Haircuts were two pence.                                           

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Lofthouse Park Camp during the First World War served as a prisoner of war camp for German Officers from 1918 to 1920, the last building was consumed in flames in 1922.                                         

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Bank Holidays proved very popular at Lofthouse Amusement Park, In August 1910 the park had 15,000 visitors, admission was Sixpence Adults and threepence children.

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During the 1939-45 war at Outwood Council School, Ledger Lane, Turnips were grown from seed in the school garden, turnips were then sold to pupils to be eaten raw.                                           

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Stanley Urban District Council used to meet at the Council Offices, Coach Road Outwood, on the 3rd Monday of the month at 5pm.                                          

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Outwood formerly part of the township of Stanley-Cum-Wrenthorpe, is now under an order of the West Riding County Council in 1895, to be governed by Stanley Urban District Council.                                          

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Outwood Parish Church erected in 1858 at a cost of £2,180 was restored in 1888 when a side chapel was erected, a choir vestry was added in 1910.                                          

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St Paul’s Church, Alverthorpe was one of 214 churches built under the Church Building Act 1818, which allocated a million pounds for rebuilding inadequate churches. The money was pai d by Austria at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. These churches were called Million Pound Churches.                                          

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Alverthorpe St Paul’s Church, the dedication of five bells for the completion of the Victory Carillon, took place on 30th March 1955. The service was conducted by the Lord Bishop of Wakefield the Right Reverend R.P.Wilson D.D. The bells were donated by Mr F. White and Miss Grace White.                                          

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The Empire Cinema on Leeds Road Outwood opened in 1921, the last film being shown in 1964. It then became a Bingo Hall and is now a Fish & Chip drive through and restaurant.                                          

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Bottomboat Methodist Church celebrated it’s 125th Anniversary in March 1999. The land on which it was built was purchased by 4 local men for £69.5s                                                                              
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The late John Longden from Wakefield emigrated to America and became one of America’s greatest jockeys riding a record 6,032 winners.                                                                              
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According to the summer 1932 timetable 16 passenger trains stopped at Stanley Station from Monday to Friday, with additional late trains to the East Coast on a Saturday.                                                                              
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Wood Street, Wakefield was named after the Rev William Wood who was vicar at St John’s Church from1805 to 1825.                                                                               
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How the Bull Ring got its name?. The Bull was tethered to a central stone, for a fee patrons were allowed to slip their dog(Bull Baiting) at the enraged animal.                                                                              
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The idea of a Memorial in Outwood  to the war dead was put forward in 1946 and came to fruition in 1952 when the present Memorial Hall was built.                                                                               
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In 1839 there was no Primative Methodist Church in Outwood, services were held at Crossland’s Farm Ouchthorpe Lane.
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During the 17th century Wrenthorpe was heavily industrialised with pottery Kiln's which gave the area it’s alternative name of Potovens.
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The Lake Lock Railway stretched from the border of East Ardsley to the Aire and Calder Navigation at Lake Lock a distance of about two and a half miles.
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Horse racing in Outwood was first recorded in 1678 and one meeting was attended by The Duke of Norfolk and The Duke of Perth.
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A fence was placed around The Great Outwood of Wakefield, to prevent Deer escaping and Cattle coming in. Several rough roads through the Outwood led to gates, Kirkham Gate, Stanley Gate, Lee Gate, Carr Gate, Lofthouse Gate and Lingwell Gate. The Outwood covered 2,300 acres.

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On Saturday 19th July 1919, a crowd of people paraded from Lofthouse Gate School, Canal Lane to Outwood Park.Where a short service was followed by tea, sports and Items by The Glee Society, The Harmonic Society and Carlton Brass Band.                                          

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Adolescence tended to be a taboo subject in the 1920s. In her teens Minnie Feather  came to realize that the black bag which  the district nurse carried to the home of an expectant mother, did not actually contain the baby.                                           

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