East Ardsley is a village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Leeds city centre and 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the City of Wakefield. Being in the middle of several towns, East Ardsley has become a dormitory settlement. The village is approximately 140 metres (459 ft) above sea level.
Although it is in the City of Leeds metropolitan district, the village has a WF postcode in the WF3 (Wakefield) postcode area while its telephone numbers are "01924", the Wakefield prefix. East Ardsley was part of Ardsley Urban district 1894-1937, which also included Tingley and West Ardsley, and was then part of Morley Municipal borough 1937-1974. The village is still classed as part of Morley in the census, however, it is technically separate, and is not governed by Morley Town Council.
East Ardsley is in the Leeds City Council ward of Ardsley and Robin Hood, which elects three councillors to Leeds City Council, and it is in the Morley and Outwood parliamentary constituency.
The village was known as "Erdeslau" in the Domesday Book of 1086 and by 1285 the name had changed to "Ardeslawe"
East Ardsley had a very diverse economy at one point, including agriculture, textiles, railways and coal-mining. Its coal mine closed in 1968 - the same year that the nearby Middleton pit closed. On the site of the old pit head now stands Eurocopy, a company that supplies and services photocopiers.
Amblers Mill has now ceased textile production and the building now houses Country Baskets; this is situated at the crossroads of the A650 Bradford Road, Westerton Road and Common Lane. The old railway sidings location is now (August 2007) the start of a housing development. The owners of the Country Baskets wholesaler were both killed in a helicopter accident on Saturday 26 January 2008.
The M62 and M1 motorways cross near here. The main A650 road from Wakefield to Bradford goes through the village also.
The entertainer Ernie Wise was brought up in East Ardsley.
It is more widely known than the neighbouring village of West Ardsley.
Famous quotes containing the word east:
“Sublime tobacco! which from east to west
Cheers the tar’s labour or the Turkman’s rest.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)