Gledhow is a suburb of north-east

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, England, east of

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and west of

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. It sits in the

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and

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Etymology

The name ''Gledhow'' is first attested the period 1334–37 as ''Gledhou''. Its etymology is uncertain. The ''gled-'' element could plausibly come from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

words ''gleoda'' ('kite, bird of prey') or ''glēd'' ('embers, burning coals'). The second element could be from Old English ''hōh'' ('ridge, escarpment') or

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

''haugr'' ('hill'). It has been suggested (in relation to similar names like ''Gledhill'') that a ''gled-'' element may alternatively be based on the Old Norse ‘å glede’ (to please, or be glad about a subject) giving a translation of "Pleasant Hill".

Description and history

Well into the 19th century, Gledhow was known as a picturesque area of

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

near Leeds. It had become a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

of Leeds by the late 19th century. Gledhow Valley is a strip of mixed deciduous woodland on either side of a beck and lake. Gipton Spa, a bathhouse dating from 1671, is in the woods. Passing through the valley is Gledhow Valley Road, built in 1926. Gledhow Lane crosses Gledhow Valley Road and on the eastern side is a steep road up from the valley. A residential area near the top has been referred to as "Little Switzerland", although a Leeds City Council website refers to this as a "former" name.

Notable people

* Arthur Louis Aaron, Leeds' only Second World War recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, was born in Gledhow. * Sir Edmund Beckett, 4th Baronet (1787–1874), railway promoter and politician, was born at Gledhow Hall. * Albert Johanneson, professional footballer (Leeds United) lived in Gledhow Towers. * James Kitson, 1st Baron Airedale, industrialist and MP. * Albert Kitson, 2nd Baron Airedale, ''inter alia'' a director of

Midland Bank Midland Bank plc was one of the Big Four (banks)#United Kingdom, Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birming ...

and British peer.

Parks and green spaces

The Green is a small park located on the junction Gledhow Lane, Lidgett Lane and Gledhow Wood Road. It is identified in the Gledhow Valley Conservation Area Appraisal as an important green space that has been harmed by visually unsympathetic highway works.

Gallery

File:Lidget Towes.jpg, Lidgett Towers File:Highwood.jpg, The Highwood public house

References

External links

{{commons category, Gledhow
Friends of Gledhow Valley Woods
Places in Leeds