Pudsey, Town Centre

Pudsey town centre is the middle part of Pudsey, the lower part is called Lowtown, and higher up the hill is sometimes called the "top-end". We concentrate here on the Church Lane area and Pudsey Park a little further up the hill.

Pudsey Market Square
1961

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The Market Place, which market place?. Pudsey has had a number of locations for it's markets over the years, but this is where the name stuck even though the market is no longer there.

In the fifties this location, the second, also became a part-time car park on non-market days.
Later the market was moved to a third site nearby and Market Place became a full time car park and bus station.

Note the 65 bus from Leeds has ventured into the centre of Pudsey.

Waver Green and Church Lane
1880s

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Waver Green, in the centre of Pudsey, was once part of the town's common land. When this photograph was taken it had become Pudsey's first market place.

The huts in the foreground were occupied by Job Wilcocks hot pea saloon (Job Cocks pey 'oil ), 'Tripey Ross' and the grocer James Galloway. There was also Jonathan Brayshaws photographic studio, Billy Dibbs boot repairing hut and the town's first fish and chip shop.

James Galloway later bought the shop at 'Druggist' Corner', on the far right of the picture, but it was many years before the old name gave way to 'Galloway's Corner'.

Waver Green was finally cleared of its dilapidated huts in 1889 and two years later the Midland Bank was built on the corner site.

"Druggist's Corner"
around 1914

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'Druggist's Corner' looking up Church Lane, possibly about 1914. Many people remember the centre of Pudsey as 'Galloway's Corner' as for more than 50 years James Galloway's family kept the grocer's shop at the corner of Commercial Buildings on the right hand side of the picture.

However, before that the shop belonged to a chemist, Joseph Walker, hence the old name 'Druggist's Corner'.

Joseph Walker's services were manifold: he extracted teeth and supplied 'Artificial Mineral Teeth' at 9/- and 15/6, stocked 'Twelve Tree Bug Destroyer' for bedroom pests, and crochet patterns, 'the most original ever in Pudsey'. His 'Infant Preservative' cost 7½d a bottle. He was also a printer and for five years President of the Mechanics Institute.
No wonder the centre of the town was called after him.

The building on the left was built in 1903 as Pudsey's new Post Office. Although no longer a post office, this building is still in active use today.

Galloway's Corner looking up Lidget Hill
circa 1910

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Although there is a tram in the picture, there appears to be little fear of other traffic.

Galloway's is on the left of the picture imediately behind was Sykes Crowther's blacksmith's shop, the wooden hut beyond was Mrs. Ross' tripe shop where the warmth from the coke stove was a great attraction on cold winter nights.
Note the milk float, and the woman with a shawl over her head standing by it, in the left foreground.

All the property on the left has been replaced by two-storey shops and Offices.

Church Lane and Galloway's Corner
1920s

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By the twenties the traffic density had increased at Galloway's Corner, almost two cars can be seen in this photograph.

In the centre of the picture, to the left of the large tree, is the newly opened Picture House, slowly but surely the twentieth century is coming to Pudsey town centre.

The Picture House
mid 1950s

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The Picture House was opened in December 1920, it was the second cinema to open in Pudsey. The first, Mr Green's Palace in Lowtown had opened ten years before

Two unusual shops are part of the structure and patrons could buy their sweets and tobacco from W. Rogers' shop as they entered the cinema, the shop on the other side of the entrance being a ladies' fashion shop owned by a husband-and-wife team, A. and G. Crossley.

The cinema was later converted into a supermarket, and the two shops were pulled down to allow for pavement-widening. Both of Pudsey's cinemas have now been converted to other uses.

Galloway's Corner
1966

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As with many shops, Galloway's spent the last few years of it's life as a "charity" shop. Not long after this picture was taken Commercial Buildings were demolished and replaced by two storey shops and offices in the "modern style".

In the centre of the picture can be seen a "Belisha beacon" this was a flashing light in an amber globe mounted on a black and white striped pole, it marked a zebra crossing and a "safe place" for pedestrians to cross the now busy road. The beacon was named after Leslie Hore-Belisha who as Minister of Transport was responsible for it's introduction in1957.

Pudsey Park and Parish Church
1904

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This picture of Pudsey park, with parish church in the background, was taken about fifteen years after the park was opened in 1889.

The swans were, by this time, a popular feature of the park and the swan-house is on the right. The lake was superseded in 1935 by a Jubilee Garden, which was created to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary.

The Park and Bandstand
early 20th century

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This photograph is taken from the park promenade, looking towards the town centre. The bandstand, given by Pudsey's Liberal MP, Briggs Priestley, and the greenhouses were designed by Charles Sebastian Nelson of Fulneck.

The greenhouses have, in recent years, been replaced by a large modern conservatory.

Originally it was planned to build public baths to the left of the greenhouses. But the prospect of a yet higher rate proved too daunting and Pudsey had to wait nearly half a century for its public baths.

The Bowling Green
around 1910

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Pudsey park had been open nineteen years before the bowling green was made. Until then the only bowling greens were attached to public houses.

The green and pavilion, opened in July 1908, cost £400. They were the gift of the ex-mayor, Alderman William Croft Forrest, woollen manufacturer and spinner of Prospect Mills. The pavilion was designed by Jowett Kendall & Son.