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.

The AGM of the Horsforth Historical Society was fully attended, all on the agenda was agreed with no drama. Afterwards the talk and picture show by Tony Burkett on Medieval English Cathedrals was well received and very interesting.

Society meetings are held in the Stables block behind the Museum on the third Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm except August and December refreshments are provided entry cost is £2. Friends of Horsforth Museum receive a list of events and quarterly Newsletter for details contact the Museum at horsforthmuseum@hotmail.co.uk or call in.

Volunteers have been busy cleaning for our opening on 30th March Easter weekend, come along for homemade baking and soup 10am untill 12noon. In the afternoon at 2pm we have a meeting of the Family History Group all welcome for help and guidance. Both these events are always on the last Saturday of each month at the same time.

Our Owl needed no dusting as he is in a case however the pin cushion made from a calves foot had lost a little sawdust but is still on show along with lots of other interesting objects.

The Old Ball public house has been refurbished. Here is the New "Old Ball" when built in front of the original "Old Ball" before it was demolished.

Spring is here at the Museum and volunteers are needed.

The garden at the Museum is full of spring colour now all credit to one of our volunteers and her husband who are Horsforth in Bloom members. Our rota for voluteers to keep the Museum open to the public on weekends is in the entrance hall. We will be open from Saturday March 30th but it would be nice if all recruted volunteers from previous years could call on Saturday 9th if possible when the Bric a Brac sale is on and pen their names in their chosen dates. Anyone who wishes to be considered as a  voluteer could drop their contact detail through the letter box on a little note we would be pleased to hear from you. The shifts are not long 10am untill 1pm or 1pm untill 4pm on Saturdays. Sunday shifts are 2pm untill 5pm untill November when the Museum closes at 4pm on Sunday. There are two people in attendance at all times so a nice way to meet new freinds.

Horsforth Museum Information

Horsforth Museum Information Leaflet.