Whitkirk

File:Houses on Colton Road, Whitkirk, Leeds, West Yorkshire.jpg

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A church is recorded in the Domesday Survey (1086) as belonging to the manor of Gipton and Colton, and as Whitkirk is the only known medieval church in these area of Leeds, it is reasonable to assume that it is an earlier building replaced by the current Whitkirk church which is being referred to. This would suggest there was a late Anglo-Saxon church at least. The first mention of Whitkirk itself was in 1154–66, in the Early Yorkshire Charters referring to "Witechirche", meaning "white church".{{cite book|last1=Ekwall|first1=Eilert|title=The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names|date=1960|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|isbn=0-19-869103-3|page=514|edition=4}} The name has Old English origins, with the ‘chirche’ element subsequently being replaced by the Old Norse ‘kirkja’. It is possible that the church was the focus of settlement activity at this period extending into the later medieval era.{{cite web|title=Whitkirk Conservation Area Appraisal|url=http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/whitkirk%20conservation%20area%20appraisal%20and%20management%20plan%20final%20version.pdf|website=leeds.gov.uk|accessdate=6 March 2017|page=5|format=PDF|date=13 March 2009}}

Hollyshaw Lane, which links Whitkirk with Cross Gates, was formerly known as "Allershaw", referring to local alder trees (cf. the derivation of the name of Chapel Allerton, another Leeds suburb). The lane originally led northwards from Whitkirk to Seacroft.Gilleghan, J. (1992), Scenes from East Leeds, p. 12, Leeds: Kingsway Press

The renowned civil engineer John Smeaton was born in the local parish of Austhorpe and is buried in Whitkirk churchyard.{{cite web|title=History of Whitkirk – St Mary's Church, Whitkirk|url=https://whitkirkchurch.org.uk/history/|website=whitkirkchurch.org.uk|accessdate=6 March 2017}}

File:Temple-newsam-war-memorial.jpg

Whitkirk is 4 miles east of Leeds city centre, and about 1 mile from Cross Gates Railway Station,{{cite web|title=History of Whitkirk, in Leeds and Yorkshire {{!}} Map and description|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/20494|website=www.visionofbritain.org.uk|accessdate=6 March 2017}} which has services to Leeds City station and York railway station, and is close to the A63 dual carriageway and M1 motorway, meaning it is an ideal location for commuters. The area is well served by regular buses. The area has a cricket club which has a large cricket pitch, five tennis courts, a football pitch and a crown green bowling green, along with a large bar area.{{cite web|title=Welcome to Whitkirk Cricket Club|url=http://www.whitkirkcc.org.uk/|website=www.whitkirkcc.org.uk|accessdate=6 March 2017|language=en-gb}} Housing in Whitkirk ranges from detached houses, semi-detached houses and terraced houses. It is also home to a Premier Inn, directly next to the Brown Cow public house, a gym, a Co-op, a carpet shop, an undertaker and an estate agent. The Temple Newsam War Memorial can be found a few hundred yards along Selby Road towards Halton.

Whitkirk has three schools: Whitkirk Primary School,{{cite web|title=Whitkirk Primary School - Templegate Walk, Leeds, LS15 0EU|url=http://www.whitkirk.org/|website=www.whitkirk.org|accessdate=6 March 2017}} Temple Newsam Halton Primary School,{{cite web|title=Templenewsam Halton Primary School - Home|url=http://www.templenewsam.leeds.dbprimary.com/leeds/primary/templenewsam|website=www.templenewsam.leeds.dbprimary.com|accessdate=6 March 2017}} and Temple Moor High School.{{cite web|title=Temple Moor High School; Together we achieve success|url=http://tmhs.co.uk/|website=tmhs.co.uk|accessdate=6 March 2017}} The former Darcy hospital school was located on Hollyshaw Lane.

File:Whitkirk-Colton-Sunrinse-Leeds.jpg

Whitkirk lies within the LS15 postcode area. Here is a population breakdown of the postcode area in comparison with the UK population.

{{NSEW|Cross Gates|Colton|Austhorpe|Halton|||||}}

• Listed buildings in Leeds (Temple Newsam Ward)

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• [http://www.whitkirk.com Community webpage]
• [http://www.whitkirkcc.org.uk/ Whitkirk Cricket Club]
• [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Whitkirk/index.html Genuki site]

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Category:Places in Leeds