Hawksworth, Leeds
| Hawksworth | |
|---|---|
 The Broadway, Hawksworth |
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 Hawksworth
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| Hawksworth shown within West Yorkshire | |
| OS grid reference | SE254369 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LEEDS |
| Postcode district | LS5 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | |
Hawksworth is a small, early twentieth-century council estate in the Kirkstall ward in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
It is situated on a hill between West Park and Horsforth and is circled by Butcher Hill, the A65 and Vesper Road. Hawksworth lies within the LS5 Kirkstall postcode area and is commonly known as The Hawk, The Hawky or The Hawky Estate.
After the First World War, councils were encouraged to build 'Homes fit for Heroes', and by 1930 7,000 new council houses had been built in Leeds, on estates which included the Hawksworth Wood.
The name Hawksworth Wood, probably originates from the wood that stood to the west of Kirkstall Abbey. It provided shelter, fuel, pannage and building resources such as thatch for the abbey; timber was generally brought from elsewhere since Alexander, the founding abbot of Kirkstall who completed the initial building work, was concerned to preserve the woodland at Hawksworth.
The woodland around the Hawksworth estate lies within the framework of the Upper Aire Valley. Parts of these sites were formerly quarried or gleaned for millstone grit but have now reverted to woodland and scrub.
The woodlands are predominantly mixed broadleaves mainly containing oak and sycamore, with the understories consisting of rowan, hazel, holly and guelder rose. Small pockets of heather can also be found. These woodlands provide considerable colour and diversity to this suburban and formerly industrial area and are currently managed to ensure a continuity of multi-aged tree cover. Great Hawksworth has received active management in recent years through the removal of invasive tree species and the promotion of understorey and ground flora.
Another interesting fact concerning the area is that the 1933 Penny of George V, a classic rarity had been placed under the foundation stone of St. Mary’s Church in the area. Most accounts indicate that a mere seven pieces were struck for special presentation purposes, and only three currently reside in private collections. In 1933 there was no requirement for the Royal Mint to produce any pennies because there were already enough in circulation. Requests were, however, received for sets of coins dated 1933 to be placed under the foundation stones of buildings erected in that year, and the Mint obliged by striking a small number of coins. The result was to create a rarity that many people thought could turn up in their change.
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Wikipedia