Late Victorian Burley Ten

It was in the 1880's and 1890's that shops began to spring up along Kirkstall Road, to serve the new working and residential populations. And the demand for the trams increased enormously in this period. The 1880's saw the horse-drawn trams partly replaced by steam: there was a steam route from the Cardigan Arms to town using two trailers known as the 'Cardigan Arms Special Car'. And then, in the mid-1890's, electricity began to replace steam. Sir James Kitson, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, opened the Kirkstall to Roundhay line on 29th July 1897; a route from City Square along Burley Road to the bottom of Cardigan Lane was inaugurated in the summer of 1899, costing 2d for the full journey.

Kirkstall Road was not merely the industrial and shopping centre of the area; it was also a focus for leisure-time pursuits. New working men's clubs arose in the Milford Place area, as well as a new pub, the Milford Inn at the corner of Walter Street and Ravensburgh Street (demolished in the 1960's), which was said to be the only pub between the hostelries of Leeds and the Yorkshire Rose in Guiseley on the entire south side of Kirkstall Road. In addition, the Rising Sun and Cardigan Arms were both substantially refurbished in the 1890's: inside the Cardigan today are drawings of the improvements of that time. Perhaps it was in response to these disturbing developments that a Band of Hope was founded in 1899.''

In August 1899 the Temperance Mission Van visited Burley and three open-air meetings were held on Sat, Sun and Mon 26/27/28 August. Mr Langston, who was formerly a navvy, spoke on each occasion with much power and good sense and produced a favourable impression.

from the Burley Parish Magazine

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