Morley in 1962: When a landmark rose like a phoenix from the flames

By Andrew Hutchinson

Published 6th May 2023, 04:45 BST

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It was the year a fire ravaged Morley landmark rose like a phoenix from the flames.

1962 was a 12 months construction work was well underway to rebuild Morley Town Hall which had been devastated by fire in the summer of the previous year. This 12 photos celebrate that year in the life of the town and bring Morley Bottoms into focus as well as Scatcherd Park and slum clearance. The images are published courtesy of the David Atkinson Archive whose collection is housed on photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. READ MORE: Fabulous colour photos celebrate life in Morley during the 1960s LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook

Reconstruction work on the dome of Morley Town Hall is almost complete in this photograph from October 1962 showing the tower surrounded by scaffolding. The dome had been damaged following a fire on August 18, 1961.

1. Morley in 1962

Reconstruction work on the dome of Morley Town Hall is almost complete in this photograph from October 1962 showing the tower surrounded by scaffolding. The dome had been damaged following a fire on August 18, 1961. Photo: David Atkinson Archive

A view overlooking Morley Bottoms taken from Troy Road in April 1962. The image shows how the valley slopes have been built on from Bank Street to Chapel Hill and to Station Road. Demolition has taken place, during the inter-war years, of shops on Chapel Hill (now replaced by rusty advertising hoardings), of housing around the steps from Chapel Hill to Station Road, and in Red Lion Yard in the foreground. Some of the buildings by the paper shop on Station Road disappeared shortly after this picture was taken, as did the Carrier's Arms and houses in Webster's Yard. The Prospect Mills (left) and St. Peter's Parish Church (right) break the horizon.

2. Morley in 1962

A view overlooking Morley Bottoms taken from Troy Road in April 1962. The image shows how the valley slopes have been built on from Bank Street to Chapel Hill and to Station Road. Demolition has taken place, during the inter-war years, of shops on Chapel Hill (now replaced by rusty advertising hoardings), of housing around the steps from Chapel Hill to Station Road, and in Red Lion Yard in the foreground. Some of the buildings by the paper shop on Station Road disappeared shortly after this picture was taken, as did the Carrier's Arms and houses in Webster's Yard. The Prospect Mills (left) and St. Peter's Parish Church (right) break the horizon. Photo: David Atkinson Archive

Looking towards Morley Low Station and Daisy Hill from the station steps along the path passing by the Miners' Arms in April 1962. The houses from the brow of the hill sloping down to the railway line are still occupied, but there is no new building as yet on this part of the hill. Much of the land is being used for market gardening. Some of the shaping of the sandstone blocks on the right hand side looks to date back to the era of Morley Main Colliery whose spoil heap covered much of the land behind the right hand wall.

3. Morley in 1962

Looking towards Morley Low Station and Daisy Hill from the station steps along the path passing by the Miners' Arms in April 1962. The houses from the brow of the hill sloping down to the railway line are still occupied, but there is no new building as yet on this part of the hill. Much of the land is being used for market gardening. Some of the shaping of the sandstone blocks on the right hand side looks to date back to the era of Morley Main Colliery whose spoil heap covered much of the land behind the right hand wall. Photo: David Atkinson Archive

A view from Scarth Gardens along both parts of Scatcherd Park in April 1962 - notice the dome of the Town Hall still missing after the fire of August 1961. The original Scatcherd Park stretched as far as the end of the park benches from the border on Queen's Promenade in the foreground. The section beyond the park benches is an addition to the original park of 1911 and was laid out between 1936 and 1939 in the area that had originally been the grounds of Morley House. This building and its grounds were bequeathed to Morley Town Council in the will of its last owner Mr. Richard Borrough Hopkins, Morley's first town clerk. Strictly speaking this extension to Scatcherd Park is correctly known as the Hopkins Gardens.

4. Morley in 1962

A view from Scarth Gardens along both parts of Scatcherd Park in April 1962 - notice the dome of the Town Hall still missing after the fire of August 1961. The original Scatcherd Park stretched as far as the end of the park benches from the border on Queen's Promenade in the foreground. The section beyond the park benches is an addition to the original park of 1911 and was laid out between 1936 and 1939 in the area that had originally been the grounds of Morley House. This building and its grounds were bequeathed to Morley Town Council in the will of its last owner Mr. Richard Borrough Hopkins, Morley's first town clerk. Strictly speaking this extension to Scatcherd Park is correctly known as the Hopkins Gardens. Photo: David Atkinson Archive

This photograph shows the final stages of the demolition of the Queen's and Albert Mills, long situated behind Morley Town Hall. The timbers at the front of the image appear somewhat charred as these are from the Albert Mill, which, in August 1961, was the source of the fire which ultimately destroyed the dome of the Town Hall tower. Work on the restoration of the dome did not begin until May 1962 and took the rest of the year. The Town Hall did not lose its black, grimy appearance until late 1972 and early 1973 when several of Morley's public buildings were sandblasted before the local government merger with Leeds.

5. Morley in 1962

This photograph shows the final stages of the demolition of the Queen's and Albert Mills, long situated behind Morley Town Hall. The timbers at the front of the image appear somewhat charred as these are from the Albert Mill, which, in August 1961, was the source of the fire which ultimately destroyed the dome of the Town Hall tower. Work on the restoration of the dome did not begin until May 1962 and took the rest of the year. The Town Hall did not lose its black, grimy appearance until late 1972 and early 1973 when several of Morley's public buildings were sandblasted before the local government merger with Leeds. Photo: David Atkinson Archive

Looking across Morley Bottoms from the escarpment along the edge of Troy Road. The escarpment looks to have been cut into and stone quarried from it. Some of the buildings in Morley Bottoms have then been built close to the escarpment. The buildings in the Bottoms date from about 1895-1900 or considerably earlier, especially the group between Chapel Hill and Station Road. Most of the mills shown are part of one mill - J. S. Rhodes' Prospect Mills whose front is on Victoria Road, not seen here, and whose back is off Bank Street at a level above the the roofs of Cheapside. The tall building on the right, the water tower, the mill chimney on the right and the brick building in the centre (formerly Providence Mill) all belong to Prospect Mills. The chimney on the left belongs to Victoria Mill (Benn and Webster's).

6. Morley in 1962

Looking across Morley Bottoms from the escarpment along the edge of Troy Road. The escarpment looks to have been cut into and stone quarried from it. Some of the buildings in Morley Bottoms have then been built close to the escarpment. The buildings in the Bottoms date from about 1895-1900 or considerably earlier, especially the group between Chapel Hill and Station Road. Most of the mills shown are part of one mill - J. S. Rhodes' Prospect Mills whose front is on Victoria Road, not seen here, and whose back is off Bank Street at a level above the the roofs of Cheapside. The tall building on the right, the water tower, the mill chimney on the right and the brick building in the centre (formerly Providence Mill) all belong to Prospect Mills. The chimney on the left belongs to Victoria Mill (Benn and Webster's). Photo: David Atkinson Archive