Monday 25 March 2013


The Bell Chapel from the front 1879


The Bell Chapel from the rear 1879

The Tithe Map 1838
The 1890 Ordnance Survey map
Anyone interested in the Leeds and surrounding area will enjoy the website Tracks in Time which is the Tithe Map of 1838. Using the project you can compare the original Tithe Map to later maps 1890 to present day Google images. Here we have the Tithe map showing the area know as The Green at the bottom of Horsforth Town St. In the center of the map the large pink building is the Bell Chapel. A village church stood on this land for hundreds of years it would have been a thatched building with rough walls in the beginning, updated and altered as needed the last update in 1840 was the addition of a gallery to accommodate the increasing population. This was a chapel of ease giving the villagers the ease of walking to the Guiseley Church twice on Sundays.  It was known as the Bell Chapel because of its bell tower at the front of the building and also on the front of the Chapel was a clock an invaluable asset to the villagers to get to there employment on time. On the map you can clearly see the rounded part of the building which nudged its way into Back Lane and the junction of Drury Lane, Town St and Back Lane were known as Church End. The Chapel was demolished in 1886 and is now a garden of rest but some of the stone was used to construct the terrace of houses known as Mount Royal. The clock face can be found in the garden of rest in the back right hand corner by the gateway. The headstones have been placed as walkways and the stones which would not fit in the area when the road was improved were moved to a small garden on Church Lane.

On the 1890 map the Chapel has been demolished and reads Green Yard.

4 comments:

  1. I always wondered what the Bell Chapel looked like and when it was on the site of the Green opposite the Horsforth Museum at the bottom of Town Street. Now I know thanks. It looks a really interesting building.

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  2. We have now a Quiz/trail based on the Bell Chapel which tours you through the Museum and working on a one for outdoors exploring the same area. Thanks for your comment.

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  3. Can anyone tell me why the Bell Chapel was demolished? It was so lovely.

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  4. The Bell Chapel was demolished in 1885/86

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