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Home » Guiseley » Guiseley Events » Freak Weather, (Guiseley) – (1)

Freak Weather, (Guiseley) – (1)

Town Street 1933

Title Town Street
Date 1933
Location Guiseley
Photo ID G135A
Comment A cottage on Town Street with snow almost up to the lower windows. Between the 23rd and 26th February 1933 great blizzards swept the country, it is thought that this was the first time the Meteorological Office had to issue warnings to motorists of traffic disruptions due to snow. It is noted as one of the severest winters on record.
Town Head 1933

G134A – Town Head, 1933.

Town Head – 1933

Town Head at the top of Town Street, Moor Lane continues to the left, Carlton Lane is to the right. 

The depth of the snow which had fallen during the terrible winter can be seen, the men who have been clearing the road are enjoying a hot drink.

Guiseley Moor 1933

P164 – Guiseley Moor, 1933.

Guiseley Moor – 1933

17th February 1933 – Men are leading horses pulling a sled laden with milk churns which they were bringing down from Guiseley Moor, this was during one of the worst winters on record.

Donated by Melvyn Wray.

Town Head 1933

G135 – Carlton Lane, 1933.

Town Head – 1933

Carlton Lane as it merges into Town Street, a group of men are clearing snow from the road.
It would have been an arduous task judging from the depth of snow.

Otley Road 1954 Flood

A444 – Otley Road, 1954.

Otley Road – 1954

A car appears to be marooned in the flood water on Otley Road (A65)
The houses are on Ghyll Royd.
These Edwardian villas were built by the Peate family for senior staff at the adjacent Nunroyd Mill.

Otley Road 1954 Flood

A445 – Otley Road, 1954.

Otley Road – 1954

A lorry is forcing it’s way through the flood on Otley Road (A65) going in the direction of Leeds.
The houses behind the lorry are on Ghyll Royd.
To the left with the chimney is Nunroyd Mill.

Otley Road 1954 Flood

A446 – Otley Road, 1954.

Otley Road – 1954

Looking across a flooded Otley Road (A65), in the foreground are several MAP homes (Ministry of Aircraft Production), these pre-fabricated dwellings were erected in various sites around Aireborough.
They were to house workers who were brought in to work at the Yeadon Avro factory. Behind the MAP homes are houses on Nunroyd Avenue.
A West Yorkshire bus on route 55 to Bradford is driving through the flood water.

Otley Road 1954 Flood

A447 – Otley Road, 1954.

Otley Road – 1954

Flood waters cover Otley Road (A65), a Land Rover is driving in the direction of Leeds.
The single storey houses were pre-fabricated and erected by the Ministry of Aircraft Production, known as MAP houses.
The Avro factory in Yeadon was drawing in labour to manufacture aircraft during the Second World War, these temporary homes were for the workforce.
Many remained until they were replaced by council houses.
Behind the bungalows are houses on Nunroyd Avenue.

Otley Road 1954 Flood

A449 – Otley Road, 1954.

Otley Road – 1954

This view is looking towards Nunroyd Avenue and MAP houses from fields behind St. Oswald’s Church.

Otley Road 1954 Flood

A450 – Otley Road, 1954.

Otley Road – 1954

Leeds City Transport bus en-route to Guiseley through flood waters on Otley Road (A65)
The bus has an advertisement on the side for Hammonds Ales.
This was in the vicinity of Ghyll Royd.

Bradford Road 1958 Flood

D420 – Bradford Road, 1958.

Bradford Road – 1958

15th July 1958 – Vehicles making their way along a flooded Bradford Road, including a West Yorkshire bus en- route to Bradford via Otley and Shipley. The view looks in the direction of White Cross, the Tranmere Park estate is on the left, this is in the vicinity of Fairway.

Greenbottom 1968 Flood

E339 – Greenbottom, 1968.

Greenbottom – 1968

This image is labelled as Greenbottom, the road is flooded due to a thunderstorm one Monday.
Water reached a depth of 2ft in places, Rawdon Fire Brigade were called out to deal with the emergency and the road was closed for a time.

Photographer Bryan Wait, donated by his family.

Otley Road 1968 Flood

G249 – Otley Road, 1968.

Otley Road – 1968

Otley Road under water, on the right is Nunroyd Mill, a vehicle is turning into the road from Ghyllroyd.
On the left a large van belonging to Eagle Carriers of Wombwell.

Photographer Bryan Wait, donated by his family.



Queensway 1968 Flood

G250 – Queensway, 1968.

Queensway – 1968

Scene in Guiseley at the bottom of Queensway. Vehicles struggle to drive through flood water.

Photographer Bryan Wait, donated by his family.

Previous Comments:

Re E339
KenLee
The top photo was taken outside the entrance to the ‘Shires’ factory, wasn’t it?
26 March 2015.

Re E339
jhwellsmount
Yes Ken, that’s right. It was the old end of Park Road before Morrison’s was built and now on the right is the retail park with Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pet World, etc. The middle one is Leeds road with Peates Mill on the right.
28 March 2015.

teleg
This certainly was the worst winter in my memory and my dad who was out of work at the time went out shovelling snow for the Council he was paid a shilling a day bring your own shovel and I can remember him coming in for his dinner and my mother trying to dry his clothes by the fire so he could go out again and him sitting close by trying to get warm, when we opened the door in the morning we could only see a drift of snow which fell in on us it was so deep my dad had to dig his way out and dig a path down the street to get to work for the council , there were no cars those days mainly horses an carts so channels had to be dug everywhere you wanted to go . I feel cold just thinking about it.
12 April 2018.

Re G134A
Grandma1
The man on the left with the shovel is Robert Stanley Wood, for many years he served with Rawdon Fire Service. He had volunteered to help clear the road so a sick relative could be easily be visited by doctors. Information from his daughter Judith Wood.
21 January 2020.

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Consolidated by Jack Brayshaw. 30 March 2022.
Last updated: 30 March 2022.

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