In Morley, recently many building developers have been converting old, disused mill and chapel buildings such as the Adelaide Mills and the Ebenezer Chapel into dwellings. This is in comparison with times past when planners have just torn down the old to make way for the new.

Of course, this was often justified as in the case of the demolition of large amounts of housing in the 1960s, which was rightly deemed as unsuitable for the living standards to which people were then aspiring. Even in this case, however, many folks have nostalgic memories of the homes where they lived as children and there are a large number of photos on Leodis in both the David Atkinson collection and the section on Morley, in addition to a big collection of prints in Morley Public Library, which can satisfy this need.

Nevertheless, many fine buildings – dwellings, industrial sites and churches – have been partially or totally demolished in the area, leaving no trace of the importance they had to the community when they were in active use.

These are some such sites and more details will gradually be added, together with photographic and textual evidence to illustrate their prominence.

A magnificent Tudor mansion built ca 1590 but deliberately destroyed by its owners in 1730.

Morley House

A Georgian style town house built by the Scatcherd family ca 1700 and demolished in 1935.

19th century Manufacturer’s Stone Mansion on Rooms Lane, demolished in 1963.

Replaced by St Mary-in-the-Wood Church in 1887, this Church dated from 1650 and probably contained many artefacts from this era.

Scarthingwell

Stone mansion at the corner of King George’s Avenue, built in the late 19th century by Charles Scarth, the textile magnate and demolished in the 1930s when the family’s mills closed down.

Home in Gildersome of a man who courted controversy in the post-Civil War years in Morley.

19th Century Manufacturer’s mansion which later became a private school before becoming the home of Mr. Ingle, who entertained H.H. Asquith there when he visited the town in 1913 as Prime Minister.

Too large for the requirements of the late 20th century - on a prime piece of land - so Tesco's moved in. And, surprisingly, not for long.

Reputedly the oldest house in Morley in the early 20th century, situated in Morley Hole, Bruntcliffe Lane, it was demolished when this area was landscaped in the 1930s.

A stone-built mansion, birthplace of Titus Salt, built at the corner of Albion Street and Queen Street, destroyed in the 1930s to make way for Coop extensions.