Horsforth’s Hidden History Tour: A Guide to 400 Years of Transformation

What do Kirkstall Abbey, New Zealand missionaries, and the Suffragettes all have in common? The answer, if you haven’t already guessed, is Horsforth, the civil parish within Leeds. On this walking tour around the town, we’ll go beyond the glossy surface of Horsforth’s history to reveal its lesser-known past. You’ll hear stories of life, loss and radical action spanning almost 500 years, from the 1500s through to the 1900s.

On this circular stroll from the Horsforth Village Museum to Station Road and back, you’ll hear a bit about the exploits of the powerful Stanhope family, and the actions of wealthy industrialists. You’ll get an in-depth look at the dark underbelly of the industries that transformed the town during the 1800s. Along the way, you’ll see how even a small town like this was deeply connected to the English Empire, and how its inhabitants wrestled with the forces which governed their lives. You’llll also find out how the world came to shape Horsforth and how Horsforth people, for better or worse, shaped the world.

This 60-minute tour is based on research done by the Schools History Project at Leeds Trinity University. By the end of your walk around the town, we hope you’ll have the tools to view Horsforth, and its past inhabitants, in a whole new way.