Looking west along The Headrow, towards Westgate, which begins after the junction with Oxford Place, located in front of Oxford Place Chapel which dominates the right-hand side of the image. This is now known as the Oxford Place Methodist Centre. To the left of it, between the junctions of Oxford Row and Park Street is Leeds Combined Court Centre. The red brick building with large glass windows at the junction with Park Street and Park Lane is the Magistrates Court. Behind it the 1966 high rise residential block, Marlborough Towers is visible.Looking west along The Headrow, towards Westgate, which begins after the junction with Oxford Place, located in front of Oxford Place Chapel which dominates the right-hand side of the image. This is now known as the Oxford Place Methodist Centre. To the left of it, between the junctions of Oxford Row and Park Street is Leeds Combined Court Centre. The red brick building with large glass windows at the junction with Park Street and Park Lane is the Magistrates Court. Behind it the 1966 high rise residential block, Marlborough Towers is visible.
Looking west along The Headrow, towards Westgate, which begins after the junction with Oxford Place, located in front of Oxford Place Chapel which dominates the right-hand side of the image. This is now known as the Oxford Place Methodist Centre. To the left of it, between the junctions of Oxford Row and Park Street is Leeds Combined Court Centre. The red brick building with large glass windows at the junction with Park Street and Park Lane is the Magistrates Court. Behind it the 1966 high rise residential block, Marlborough Towers is visible.

21 rarely-seen photos take you back to Leeds in the 1980s

Andrew Hutchinson
By Andrew Hutchinson

Specialist Reporter

Published 3rd Jan 2024, 04:45 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

This collection of photos takes you back to Leeds 1980s – although the specific year of each image is unknown.

They take you around the city during the decade but can you add a specific date to any of the wonderful photos which provide a fascinating glimpse into life around Leeds at a time of enormous social and economic change. Suburbs in focus include Armley and Bramley in west Leeds, Middleton and Beeston in south Leeds and Crossgates in east Leeds. The images are published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. They also run heritage blog The Secret Library Leeds, which provides a behind the scenes look at the Central Library and highlights from its special collections, including rare books hidden away in the stacks. READ MORE: 25 Leeds pubs you may remember from the 1980s LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook

A view looking along Ley Lane towards Mistress Lane and Stocks Hill in Armley.

7. Leeds circa 1980s

A view looking along Ley Lane towards Mistress Lane and Stocks Hill in Armley. Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net

Photo Sales
Yeadon's Kirk Lane, foreground, at the junction with The Green, right, and Old Haworth Lane; left. Town Street or 'The Steep' climbs up between the buildings in the centre to the High Street. At number 34 Town Street is Home Electrics with a large advertising campaign for Guinness on the gable end. The white building in the centre is a newsagents at the bottom of the steep. In the background, above the parked cars, buildings in Ivegate are visible. The two storey white building, right, is the Odd Fellows Public house or t'rag as it was known locally. It has been renamed The Rag and Louse in recent years.

8. Leeds circa 1980s

Yeadon's Kirk Lane, foreground, at the junction with The Green, right, and Old Haworth Lane; left. Town Street or 'The Steep' climbs up between the buildings in the centre to the High Street. At number 34 Town Street is Home Electrics with a large advertising campaign for Guinness on the gable end. The white building in the centre is a newsagents at the bottom of the steep. In the background, above the parked cars, buildings in Ivegate are visible. The two storey white building, right, is the Odd Fellows Public house or t'rag as it was known locally. It has been renamed The Rag and Louse in recent years. Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net

Photo Sales
A cleared area beside Armley's St. Bartholomew's Church, which is visible in the background. Possibly looking from Fitzarthur Street, from where a digger is seen in the foreground. Streets in this area were demolished in the early 1980s.

9. Leeds circa 1980s

A cleared area beside Armley's St. Bartholomew's Church, which is visible in the background. Possibly looking from Fitzarthur Street, from where a digger is seen in the foreground. Streets in this area were demolished in the early 1980s. Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net

Photo Sales
A view from the direction of Armley Mills towards Kirkstall Power Station, seen right. The Power Station was built between 1928 and 1930 by the City of Leeds and further extended between 1943 and 1944. It closed in October 1978 and the cooling towers were demolished in 1979. The remaining buildings were cleared by 1986. In the centre the weir is visible on the River Aire. To the left there are a series of ramshackle buildings between the canal and the river (the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is behind the buildings, left). A couple of vardos or Romany caravans can be seen. The trees on the left are part of Cunliff Wood.

10. Leeds circa 1980s

A view from the direction of Armley Mills towards Kirkstall Power Station, seen right. The Power Station was built between 1928 and 1930 by the City of Leeds and further extended between 1943 and 1944. It closed in October 1978 and the cooling towers were demolished in 1979. The remaining buildings were cleared by 1986. In the centre the weir is visible on the River Aire. To the left there are a series of ramshackle buildings between the canal and the river (the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is behind the buildings, left). A couple of vardos or Romany caravans can be seen. The trees on the left are part of Cunliff Wood. Photo: David L. Thompson

Photo Sales
Bradford Road in East Ardsley, from the junction with Chapel Street, seen on the left, and looking south-east. On the left can be seen a small white building, in use as a cafe, and now a Chinese take-away restaurant. Beyond the parked cars are numbers 58 to 48 Bradford Road, and beyond them, the building of the former East Ardsley Boy's School, in use as a youth club from around the late 1960s, and demolished in the early 1990s. To the right can be seen trucks passing a builder's yard, and in the distance is a Texaco filling station, now a BP garage.

11. Leeds circa 1980s

Bradford Road in East Ardsley, from the junction with Chapel Street, seen on the left, and looking south-east. On the left can be seen a small white building, in use as a cafe, and now a Chinese take-away restaurant. Beyond the parked cars are numbers 58 to 48 Bradford Road, and beyond them, the building of the former East Ardsley Boy's School, in use as a youth club from around the late 1960s, and demolished in the early 1990s. To the right can be seen trucks passing a builder's yard, and in the distance is a Texaco filling station, now a BP garage. Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net

Photo Sales
Harrogate Road showing Chapel Allerton Branch Library in the centre, with the Police Station and Midland Bank to the left and The Leeds Building Society partly visible on the right. A bus shelter is seen in front of the library.

12. Leeds circa 1980s

Harrogate Road showing Chapel Allerton Branch Library in the centre, with the Police Station and Midland Bank to the left and The Leeds Building Society partly visible on the right. A bus shelter is seen in front of the library. Photo: Leeds Libraries, www.leodis.net

Photo Sales
Previous
2 / 4
Next Page
Related topics:LeedsThe Secret Library LeedsBeestonMiddletonBramleyArmley