| Title | First Trams to Guiseley |
| Date | 30th June 1909 |
| Location | Guiseley |
| Photo ID | B025 |
| Comment | See below … |
A throng of people on Otley Road greet the first tram to reach Guiseley, this would be between Oxford Road and Springfield Road.
The car is decorated and invited guests are on board. Photographer John Kirby Smith, Guiseley.
Editor’s Note: You may think that I have placed two of the same photographs here and the image below, but look closely and you will see that there are subtle diferences created by the second image being taken a few seconds after the first – magic, thank you John Kirby Smith.
T938 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
Crowds watch as the first tram arrives in Guiseley, note the pram in the bottom right corner.
Photographer John Kirby Smith, Guiseley.
Donated by Carol Hall.
B193 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
The location is Otley Road (A65) the Primitive Methodist Chapel can be seen on the right.
The tram has a full complement of VIP passengers dressed in their finery.
An advertisement for “Whitaker Busfield, Pure Table Waters, Fountain Works Guiseley” is on the front of the vehicle.
A watchful policeman keeps order on the left.
I318 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
This was the crowd to greet the first tram to Guiseley.
A second car is coming up behind the lead tram which is decorated and has invited passengers on board.
The location is the junction of Otley Road and Greenbottom, Gideon Rawnsley’s drapers shop is on the corner.
I433 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
Crowds celebrating the arrival of the first tram. To the left is the junction with Oxford Road.
A350 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
The first tram to reach Guiseley is seen here at Greenbottom, swathed in flags and bunting, another tram car is immediately behind.
Crowds of people are out to witness this momentous event dressed in their best. The gas lamp has direction signs on it, in the background is Gideon Rawnsley’s drapers shop with blinds down over some of the windows.
A364 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
The official opening of the tram service to Guiseley, this is Otley Road (A65) just before the junction with Oxford Road.
This was referred to as Oxford Circus.
A huge crowd is assembled to see the first tram arrive, it has a prominent advertisement for the Whitaker Busfield company manufacturers of “Pure Table Waters” at Fountain Works- an appropriate site for the makers of “pop”! On the left a shop sign for J Lee & Sons can be seen above the crowd, on the right edge the Primitive Methodist Chapel is just visible.
B024 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
A crowd of people welcome the first trams to run through Guiseley, terminating at White Cross.
There are 2 cars, the first one has an advertisement for James Thompson and Son, Coal and Lime Merchants.
Originally built to be a hotel for Guiseley Station, the gradient behind the Regent Hotel was too steep for building and the station was built further up the line, what was the Fountain Inn then took the name Station Hotel.
The Regent has a sign depicting the Prince Regent, later George 1V, in 1870 the landlady was Hannah Harper.
In 1904 the landlord was J Waite who advertised stabling and rooms for cyclists.
T939 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
The driver and conductor of the tram pose for the camera on this momentous occasion.
Donated by Carol Hall.
I450 – First Trams to Guiseley, 1909.
First Trams to Guiseley – 1909
A group of splendidly dressed ladies at the official opening of the Guiseley section of the tramway running from out from Leeds. The first trams to arrive were greeted by enthusiastic crowds, it was an occasion in which the whole town participated with excitement.
H400 – Guiseley Tram Terminus, c1911.
Guiseley Tram Terminus – c1911
White Cross hotel, seen from across what is now a roundabout, Otley Road is to the left, Bradford Road to the right.
This was the tramway terminus between 1911 – 1934 when the tram service ceased to run.
A348 – Guiseley Tram Terminus, c1920.
First Trams to Guiseley – c1920
A white cross, so called because it was probably made from limestone, stood here as a boundary marker.
This was the terminus for trams, two of them can be seen.
The White Cross Hotel bears the “huntsman” sign for Tetley’s ales.
This image has no date but it is thought to be before 1934.
From Martin Bairstow: The two trams are at their White Cross terminus. They are balcony trams, not fully enclosed. There is no motor traffic. It looks to be a special occasion with a police presence. In the foreground is a trolley bus wire. I think that on arrival from Burley or Otley, the trolley bus ran a few yards towards Bradford, then reversed a tiny distance towards Leeds so as to achieve a three point turn. I think the wires permitting this are just visible but are almost bleached out. The date must be between 1915 and 1928 but I`d put it early on in that range.
Donated by Anne North.
FBA041 – Trackless Tram, 1915.
Trackless Tram – 1915
9th September 1915 – The photo is titled ” Beginning of the Trackless Trams From Guiseley to Otley”, the vehicle is surrounded by a crowd of children, a uniformed policeman is on the left.
The service ran until 1930 when it was replaced by buses.
A304 – Trackless Tram, 1915.
Trackless Tram – 1915
Single deck trackless tram seen at White Cross from where it ran to Otley, in October 1915 the service also included Burley-in-Wharfedale to join the tram service from White Cross to Leeds. The vehicle is car number 507, passengers can just be seen inside with a driver, 4 other staff pose in front of the tram including 2 boys who would be too young for military service in the 1914 – 1918 war. This tram service was discontinued c1930 and replaced by buses.
P541 – Trackless Tram, 1915.
Trackless Tram – 1915
September 1915 Trackless Tram, Otley, – A news cutting about Otley’s 1st trackless tram arriving from Guiseley.
“The above is a snapshot of the first track less tram to come into Otley. The car, containing a number of officials, made a trial trip over the route this week, and the photograph was taken in Boroughgate. The proper service will not commence just yet, as delay is being caused owing to the fact that it is impossible to get deliveries of the cars as the builders are busily engaged on war work.
Kept by R L Jackson.
F029 – LCT Tram, 1915.
LCT Tram – 1915
The location is White Cross, the destination board on the tram shows it is going to Roundhay in Leeds.
It was car number 329, the driver was Mr B French of Rawdon.
A conductress is working with him, it was during the First World War that women were first able to have employment in what had previously been male dominated occupations. This was because so many men had joined the Forces women were needed to maintain services and industry
T343 – Guiseley Tram Terminus, 2015.
Guiseley Tram Terminus – 2015
March 7th 2015: On the left the first 3 windows and the doorway were previously used as the Terminus sweet shop. This refers to the time when White Cross was the terminus for trams from Leeds.
Photographer Charles North.
The original Terminus building is approximately 80 metres prior to the White Cross public house. To view more images and text of the trams and tram terminus see Otley Road (1) to (5) or please, – Click Here.
Previous Comments:
Re A438
teleg
As twenty somethings we used to go in the White Cross for a drink before going dancing at the “Blue Kitten ” which was just behind the White cross car park.
07 June 2013.
Re A348 & H400
Chris Youhill
To a transport enthusiast these two pictures are especially interesting, as White Cross was the point where the trams terminated and the trolleybuses (trackless trams) started for Burley and Otley (two separate routes). On a post on the left can be seen the stop flag lettered “Tramway Fare Stage” and the huge building in the distance if the depot for the cars – the building survives today and on the gable end nearest Guiseley we can still see, in the stonework, “Leeds City Tramways.” One thing does puzzle me and I’m gladly open to correction – the trolleybus wires do not appear to follow Bradford Road but rather to go through the chimneys of the pub. I have a feeling that they may be a power/earth connection to the depot and I would have expected the trolleybus turn to be achieved by a circular loop – the vehicles were small enough to permit this in the roadway as they did at Burley Station Road and at Otley Maypole. It is a fact, however, that the trolleybuses did indeed occupy the Bradford Road side of the depot – any comments on the wiring and turning arrangements would be most welcome. The next time I drive in the area I must park and see if there’s any evidence of a former vehicular entrance to the depot on that side.
09 December 2017.
Mike Fall
I, too, well recall dancing (on Sunday evenings) at the ‘Dance Hall above the garage at White cross’ to Jackie Thorpe’s band. It wasn’t called ‘The Blue Kitten’ by then, but I remember that it had large empty paint cans hanging from the ceiling – strategically placed – in order to catch the drips from the roof, which leaked when it was raining. I worked at Crompton Parkinson’s at the time, & remember that Jackie’s wife, Trudy, started work there, not long after I did. I seem to recall, also, that Les Corbett played a saxophone in the band & that he was related (brother, I think) to Harry Corbett, the TV ‘Sooty’ puppeteer. I think Jackie Thorpe’s mum, who served refreshments at the Sunday evening dances, might have been called Edie Botterill & lived in the same street (Wellington Rd in Ilkley) as my then wife-to-be. My own granddad was called Botterill, so I suppose I might have been indirectly related to Sooty (or Sweep).
09 May 2019.
Consolidated by Jack Brayshaw. 01 April 2022.
Last updated: 02 February 2024 – Photo ID: P541. 29 April 2022 – Photo ID: A304.
