Aberford
| Aberford | |
|---|---|
 Almshouses in Aberford |
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 Aberford
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| Aberford shown within West Yorkshire | |
| Population | 1,180 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SE434373 |
| • London | 165 mi (266 km) SSE |
| Civil parish |
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| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEEDS |
| Postcode district | LS25 |
| Dialling code | 0113 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | |
Aberford is a large village and civil parish on the eastern outskirts of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,059 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 1,180 at the 2011 Census. It is situated 12 miles (19 km) east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS25 Leeds postcode area.
Aberford was considered the midway point between London and Edinburgh, being around 200 miles (320 km) distant from each city and lying on the ancient Great North Road, until the construction of the A1 bypass starting at Hook Moor.
Aberford was in the ancient Kingdom of Elmet, the name given to the local parliamentary constituency. The name 'Aberford' is of Anglo-Saxon origin, approximately translating as 'Eadburg's ford', indicating the settlement's once-strategic importance. Aberford is supposed to have once had a reputation for making pins. An Anglo-Saxon gold ring, inscribed with the name of King Alfred the Great's sister Æthelswith, was found in a ploughed field near the village in 1870 and was bequeathed by A.W. Franks to the British Museum in 1897.
Aberford's growth has historically been along the road and the village has developed a linear rather than nucleated profile. Since the early 1990s much new housing has been constructed, as increasing affluence allows people to move away from city centres to rural and suburban areas.
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