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Coordinates: 53°54′14″N 1°20′44″W / 53.9039°N 1.3455°W
| Boston Spa | |
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  Boston Spa
Boston Spa shown within West Yorkshire |
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| Population | 4,006 (2001) |
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| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Boston Spa |
| Metropolitan borough | City of Leeds |
| Metropolitan county | West Yorkshire |
| Region | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WETHERBY |
| Postcode district | LS23 |
| Dialling code | 01937 |
| Police | West Yorkshire |
| Fire | West Yorkshire |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| EU Parliament | Yorkshire and the Humber |
| UK Parliament | Elmet |
| List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire | |
Boston Spa is a village and civil parish in City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Wetherby, on the banks of the River Wharfe. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 4,006 and it is in LS23 (Wetherby) postcode district.
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History
In 1744, John Shires established Boston as a spa town when he discovered magnesian, limestone and sulphur springs. In those days it was known as Thorp Spa. It declined when Harrogate became very popular as a spa town.
In 1753 it was decided to turnpike the Tadcaster to Otley road which runs through Boston Spa. In the same year, Joseph Taite built a house for the accommodation of visitors in Boston Spa. This would become known as the Royal Hotel - still standing, but now converted into flats and shops. By 1819 Boston Spa had a population of over 600, and several inns and other houses offering accommodation. The spa baths had also been built by this time to allow visitors to take the waters. On the east bank of the river lies the village of Thorp Arch which predates Boston Spa by several centuries.
Thorp Arch hosted a World War II Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Thorp Arch, an ammunition Filling Factory. ROF Thorp Arch finally closed in 1957. Part of the site is the home of the Northern Reading Room, Northern Listening Service and Document Supply Collection of the British Library. The remainder of the site is occupied by Thorp Arch Trading Estate and two prisons, now combined as Wealstun Prison.
Amenities
Boston Spa has a relatively large village centre. There is a Post Office, a small library, a filling station and branches of HSBC, Natwest and the Leeds Building Society. There are three pubs (The Crown Hotel, The Admiral Hawk and The Fox and Hounds), a small Costcutter supermarket situated in the former Royal Hotel (the former Costcutter being now a bar), and several independent retailers within the village centre (a butcher, hardware shop and several takeaways), with a small off-licence on Wickham Avenue serving the surrounding council estate.
Education
Close by but actually in the Parish of Clifford is Boston Spa School, the local secondary school with a quite diffuse catchment area, typically taking students from areas which also feed comprehensives in Wetherby, Garforth and Pendas Fields. The school is noted for its successes in sports and science teaching, and caters for students undertaking GCSEs, A levels, GNVQs and those with special needs.
Other establishments with postal addresses of Boston Spa although sited in the nearby parish of Clifford include children's hospice Martin House and St John's Catholic School for the Deaf which has a UK-wide catchment.
There are no colleges in Boston Spa, however Park Lane College (now part of Leeds City College) has a centre in Wetherby[1]. There are several further and higher education institutions in Leeds.
Housing
Boston Spa comprises a mix of private houses and council houses. Most of the area's council housing is situated around Clifford Moor Road and Wickham Avenue. The East side of Boston Spa comprises mainly larger houses. There are many Georgian villas and town houses on the High Street.
Gallery
 Georgian houses on the High Street |
 Leys Lane |
Location grid
| North: Wetherby | ||
| West: Collingham | Boston Spa | East: Tadcaster (North Yorkshire) |
| South: Clifford,Garforth |
References
- ^ "Wetherby Centre". Park Lane College Leeds. http://www.parklane.ac.uk/home.php?_id=837. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
External links
- British Library
- Boston Spa School
- Performing Arts School based in Boston Spa
- Martin House Hospice
- St John's Catholic School for the Deaf
- Photos of Boston Spa
- The ancient parish of Bramham: historical and genealogical information at GENUKI (Boston Spa was in this parish)
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