Collingham, West Yorkshire

Collingham, West Yorkshire

Coordinates: 53°54′15″N 1°24′50″W / 53.904029°N 1.413945°W / 53.904029; -1.413945

Collingham is a village and civil parish 2 miles (3 km) south east of Wetherby in West Yorkshire, England. It is in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough. The clergyman, the Reverend William Mompesson was born there in 1639.

The River Wharfe runs through the village towards Wetherby, as does the main A58 trans-Pennine road. The A659 passes through the village. The River Wharfe is particularly dangerous at Collingham due to undercurrents, which are especially prevalent around the Linton Road Bridge and the former viaduct. Collingham Beck burst its banks in 2007, causing extensive flooding.

The village has one pub the Half Moon Inn, where Oliver Cromwell is said to have spent the night after the Battle of Marston Moor. There is a Post Office, a variety of shops and service businesses, a sports centre and a primary school. The village church is St Oswald.

The village school, Lady Elizabeth Hastings Church of England Primary School, is located off the Harewood Road opposite the cricket pitch.

The Wetherby golf course extends all the way to the river at Collingham.

The village adjoins the neighbouring village of Linton and the neighbouring town of Wetherby. Between the three places, the only break in buildings is the crossing over the River Wharfe. Between Collingham and Leeds, the A58 is mainly built up by the villages of Bardsey and Scarcroft and the village of Bardsey cum Rigton.

Collingham is home to Collingham and Linton Cricket Club which plays in the Airedale-Wharfedale Senior Cricket League. This is located at the Collingham and Linton Sports Association (CALSA), which boasts three indoor squash courts, a football pitch and a cricket pitch. CALSA also has affiliated tennis and hockey sections.

Collingham once had a railway station on the Cross Gates to Wetherby line. The station was named 'Collingham Bridge' to avoid confusion with Collingham railway station in Collingham, Nottinghamshire and was the station before Wetherby railway station. The railway bridge over the River Wharfe, which once ran adjacent to the Linton road bridge (pictured left) was demolished in 1965 when the railway was dismantled. Collingham is now served by the 98, X98 and 99 bus services which run between Leeds City Square and Wetherby Deighton Bar (each running a slightly different route, the 99 terminating instead at Wetherby bus station). These services are run by First West Yorkshire.

Collingham was also home to Percy Shaw, a professional boxer between 1932 and 1935. He had 11 professional contests during this time and had a son called Philip Shaw.