The church and the maypole in the village centre in the middle of the nineteenth century. |
The SocietyChairman : Mr Geoff Thornton2. Its objectives are to :-
3. Currently there is a membership of over 60 and in addition there is a list of both UK and overseas subscribers to the Society's regular publication The Barwicker. The Editor of The Barwicker is Pauline Robson. The society can be contacted in a variety of ways Check the research section to see if one of the topics in which you are interested is specifically covered by an individual in, or known by, the society. Recently, we have developed a group of individuals who have a specific family history interest in some of the families who have lived in the parish. |
The village of Barwick-in-Elmet lies some 8 miles to the east of
Leeds in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Location Map
The parish of Barwick-in-Elmet originally covered the area from just to the east of the village westwards to Scholes and Roundhay (which is now a suburb of Leeds). It also covered a number of outlying hamlets from Terry Lug (part of the Bramham House Estate), Potterton, Kiddal and Woodhouse in the north to Barnbow and Manston in the south-west.
The church and the maypole in the village centre as it is today. |
It has a long history which starts with a recently discovered Bronze Age settlement about a mile to the south of the village. In the parish and just over the parish boundary there are a number of very large earthworks (still visible today) most of which have recently been the subject of archaeological examination during the course of the construction of the northward extension of the M1 motorway which has recently opened and passes through the south of the parish.
Early indications of the examination of the earthworks are that they are from about 100 A.D. and act as a defence from attack from the south. If this is so the current published accounts of the early history of the parish will have to be revised. Currently, the earthworks in the centre of the village of Barwick-in-Elmet are dated as being from about 600 B.C.
The most remarkable feature of the village is its maypole which has stood "since time immemorial" in the centre of Barwick-in-Elmet (see the illustration on this page). The pole, which is about 90ft. high, is taken down by a proven age-old method using ropes, ladders and pitch forks and about a hundred men every third Easter. After painting and maintenance it is re-erected by the same method in reverse on the Tuesday of the Spring Bank Holiday. The next ceremony is in 2008.
Articles in the Barwicker about the maypole
| 8th September | A Trip down Memory Lane | Keith Barber |
| 22nd September | General Topics | - |
| 6th October | The Gascoignes – Part 2 | Pauline Robson Martin Tarpey |
| 20th October | General Topics | - |
| 3rd November | A reprise of the 1986 Talk on Barwick's Bohemian 'Colony' | Dave Teal |
| 17th November | General Topics | - |
| 1st December | The Archaeology of Lazencroft | Kath Allday Jean Millard |
| 15th December | Christmas Social | - |
| 5th January 2011 | A Barwick ‘Pub Crawl’ | Dave Teal Title not to be taken literally! |
| 19th January | General Topics | - |
| 2nd February | A History of the Burmantofts Pottery | Jason Wigglesworth |
| 16th February | General Topics | - |
| 2nd March | The University at Manor Farm | Geoff Thornton |
| 16th March | General Topics | - |
| 7th April | ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING | - |
| Leeds Discovery Centre | Meet at the Centre (Carlisle Road, Leeds LS10 1LB) at 6.30 pm | |
| Scholes Walk with Alan Senior | Meet at 7.00 pm Meet at the Buffers where cars can be parked | |
| Ledsham Church and Village | Meet at Ledsham Church at 7 pm. Visit to
Church followed by a short walk round the village and, if time, a viewing of the DVD of the opening of Sir John Lewis' vault
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| Walk around Shadwell. | Meet in the Red Lion car park at 7 pm
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| 100 years ago. A historical walk round the northern part of Barwick village (The Boyle/Potterton Lane) using the 1909 Valuation Office Records. | Meet at Maypole at 7 pm. (This is a continuation of last year's walk with David Teal. There are 2 stiles and a bit of earth footpath so strong shoes recommended but there is nothing too onerous) | |