Trams first came to Morley in 1911, much later than other areas of Leeds, having reached as far as Churwell in 1904. This postcard shows the official opening of the Morley-Leeds tramway at Churwell Dyeworks. The Lord Mayor of Leeds, former Morley Mayor Alderman William Middlebrook, had driven the tram from Leeds to Churwell and is seen here in the top hat handing over the controls to the then Mayor of Morley, Alderman Samuel Rhodes, seen on the platform of the tram, who drove it the rest of the way to Morley. The Churwell Councillor, George Smith Tetley, is hanging from the steps on the right.placeholder image
Trams first came to Morley in 1911, much later than other areas of Leeds, having reached as far as Churwell in 1904. This postcard shows the official opening of the Morley-Leeds tramway at Churwell Dyeworks. The Lord Mayor of Leeds, former Morley Mayor Alderman William Middlebrook, had driven the tram from Leeds to Churwell and is seen here in the top hat handing over the controls to the then Mayor of Morley, Alderman Samuel Rhodes, seen on the platform of the tram, who drove it the rest of the way to Morley. The Churwell Councillor, George Smith Tetley, is hanging from the steps on the right. | David Atkinson Archive

Memorable photos take you back to Morley in the 1910s

Andrew Hutchinson
By Andrew Hutchinson

Specialist Reporter

Published 29th Mar 2025, 16:30 GMT

It was the decade that trams trundled along for the first time in Morley.

This was the 1910s and people came out in force to watch trams make their way through the town. Morley was one of the last suburbs in the city to benefit from the new model of transport. These wonderful photos chart a decade in the life of Morley and its residents and showcase the town’s homegrown links to political power. The images are published courtesy of the David Atkinson Archive, a collection housed on photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. READ MORE: Memories of lost Leeds pubs in Morley, Gildersome, Churwell and Drighlington LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia

The first tram on the new Morley Tramway route passes through Morley Bottoms on it's way back to Leeds. This was a trail run to test the route before the official opening three days later, but crowds are gathered to watch as the no. 237 Dick Kerr tram goes past. Pictured in 1911.

13. Morley in the 1910s

The first tram on the new Morley Tramway route passes through Morley Bottoms on it's way back to Leeds. This was a trail run to test the route before the official opening three days later, but crowds are gathered to watch as the no. 237 Dick Kerr tram goes past. Pictured in 1911. | David Atkinson Archive Photo: David Atkinson Archive

Photo Sales
The first Leeds tram on its way back to Leeds on its trial run to test the efficacy of the track on Sunday, July 2, 1911 prior to the official opening on Wednesday, July 5, 1911. For some distance the Transport Manager Mr. J. B. Hamilton drove this test car. Everything was found to be satisfactory by the Board of Trade inspector. Due to the large number of steep hills between the viaduct at Churwell and Tingley Mills only certain models of trams, mostly Dick Kerrs, were allowed to come to Morley and most of these had numbers between 237 and 260 in the first years of running. This felt tip and biro picture by Eric Farr is based on a photograph of the tram in Morley Bottoms.

14. Morley in the 1910s

The first Leeds tram on its way back to Leeds on its trial run to test the efficacy of the track on Sunday, July 2, 1911 prior to the official opening on Wednesday, July 5, 1911. For some distance the Transport Manager Mr. J. B. Hamilton drove this test car. Everything was found to be satisfactory by the Board of Trade inspector. Due to the large number of steep hills between the viaduct at Churwell and Tingley Mills only certain models of trams, mostly Dick Kerrs, were allowed to come to Morley and most of these had numbers between 237 and 260 in the first years of running. This felt tip and biro picture by Eric Farr is based on a photograph of the tram in Morley Bottoms. | David Atkinson Archive Photo: David Atkinson Archive

Photo Sales
Previous
3 / 3
Next Page
Related topics:Leeds
Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice