Little London, West Yorkshire

Little London is a village in West Yorkshire, England, that is divided between the Guiseley and Rawdon and the Horsforth wards of the City of Leeds and the Idle and Thackley ward of the City of Bradford. It comprises a conservation area in the westernmost part of Rawdon town which is unique in that the historic area covered by the designation straddles the boundary of districts of Leeds and of neighbouring Bradford. Apperley Lane (A658) forms the municipal boundary.

Little London occupies a spur of high ground in a dramatic position above the Aire valley. Cragg Wood is sloping down to the south, the Esholt estate is located to the west. To the northeast the land rises gradually towards Billing Hill and the moors above Yeadon. The underlying rocks consist mostly of carboniferous sandstone with Millstone Grit sandstone to the north. The sandstone was exploited in at least two quarries within or very near to today's Conservation Area and was used as a building material.

The village is located at the westernmost tip of the contiguous urbanised settlement of Rawdon which coalesces with Guiseley, the centre of which is approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) to the northeast of the conservation area. Greengates, and the edge of the Bradford urban area, is 1.2 miles (2 km) to the south of Little London. The area to the west of the conservation area is rural Green Belt, with Esholt village lying 1.2 miles (2 km) to the west of Little London in the Green Belt.

Little London, located around the main thoroughfares of Apperley Lane and Micklefield Lane, is mostly made up of long rows of former weavers cottages which contrast with large former villas and open spaces south of Micklefield Lane, and its core has retained its own distinctive character and most of its historic street pattern.

The village probably originated as a farmstead, but due to the booming local weaving industry it grew quickly during the late 18th and early 19th century. Maps of the 18th century show a small number of buildings in the area prior to that. The oldest is Lane Head House which dates from about 1710.

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