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Early beginnings
The first record of human activity in Roundhay comes from documentary sources in the Middle Ages. However some indication of earlier activity can be gathered from a scatter of archaeological material which has been found in the area. These include a Neolithic (New Stone Age) polished axe, a number of bronze axes dating to around 1000 BC and a Roman altar unearthed during the construction of Elmete Hall.

Medieval Roundhay
Roundhay is first mentioned by name in a document of around 1153. The name seems to be a combination of the Old French word rond meaning 'round' and Old English word (ge)hæg meaning an enclosure. In medieval times Roundhay was a deer park belonging to the De Lacy family, who would have had the sole right to hunt there. The hunting park would have been surrounded by a ditch and embankment topped by a fence. This arrangement was designed to keep the deer in and poachers out.

The park was not dedicated solely to sport. Trees were felled for timber and coal and ironstone were mined there.

The development of the park
The park passed through various owners until 1803 when it was sold to Thomas Nicholson and Samuel Elam. Even then there was little development in the area until Elam's death in 1810 after which his holdings to the south of Wetherby Road were gradually sold off. The turnpike road came to Roundhay in 1810 and the township developed as an area in which the upper class could establish houses away from the industrialized centre of Leeds. The Nicholson's developed their holdings to provide a landscaped garden with the lakes with which we are familiar today. They also built the church of St John's on Wetherby Road and the adjacent almshouses. In 1871 the Nicholson estate was purchased by Leeds City Council for use as a public park.

Later developments
Even in 1877 Roundhay was still largely occupied by wealthy merchants and it was not until the first tram service from Leeds that the working class began to enjoy the park in large numbers. The early years of the 20th century saw the development of smaller villas and semi-detached housing. After the war came large scale estates and the conversion of larger houses into flats.

Roundhay has now been fully absorbed into Leeds but its importance for West Yorkshire's heritage can be seen in the large number of listed building in the township and by the fact the public park has been included on English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens. The former medieval hunting park still forms a link between past and present in Leeds today.


* The West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service maintains the West Yorkshire Historic Environment Record, a catalogue of archaeological sites, find spots, and historic landscapes and buildings throughout the region. These records are available for consultation by members of the public at our offices in Wakefield. To make an appointment to do so, email: wyher@wyjs.org.uk or telephone (01924) 306797.

* There's also lots of information about the archaeology and history of West Yorkshire on the WYAAS website at: www.archaeology.wyjs.org.uk

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