The Meadow Lane Memorial

At the Leeds Bridge end of Meadow Lane, beside the forecourt of a petrol station, stands a stone tablet upon which is affixed a commemorative plaque.  Although it does not refer to Beeston, it provides interest for those who can make the connection.
Over the years Meadow Lane has seen many changes, not least in recent times.  Even the line of the road has been altered towards the Leeds Bridge end and it has been widened beyond recognition since the days when Beeston Bar, the toll gate on the turnpike route through Beeston to Morley and beyond, stood there.
There were houses, of course, some of them buildings of importance, for this was an important road leading to the junction with Hunslet Lane which is now reduced to the rank of a bus bay.  Here all traffic from south of the river was funnelled towards the only bridge over the River Aire.  At the close of the seventeenth century, when Thomas Kitchingman chose to build a house near here, it was also a desirable place to live.  His house was behind the petrol station where Tetley's boundary fence now stands.
So, what of the link with Beeston?  Well, as you may read in 'The Manor of Beeston', Thomas Kitchingman was the man who became Lord of the manor of Beeston upon the purchase of Beeston Hall, Cottingley Hall and Stank Hall in 1712.  There are two plaques on the stone tablet; the inscriptions are reproduced in full here:

MATERIALS OF THIS MEMORIAL ARE FROM THE HALL WHICH STOOD AT THE CORNER OF HUNSLET LANE AND SOUTH BROOKE STREET.  IT WAS BUILT BY ALDERMAN THOMAS KITCHINGMAN, MAYOR OF LEEDS IN 1688 AND 1705.  ALDERMAN JOHN BROOKE WHO WAS MAYOR IN 1736 AND 1754, AND OTHER 'LEEDS WORTHIES' LIVED THERE.

ON 23rd JANUARY 1643 A 'SCONCE' RAISED IN THIS VICINITY BY ROYALIST SOLDIERS UNDER SIR WILLIAM SAVILE WAS STORMED BY THE PARLIAMENTARIANS WITH SIR THOMAS FAIRFAX, WHO  OCCUPIED THE TOWN.

THE RIVER OVERFLOWED IN OCTOBER 1775 AND FEBRUARY 1795 AND ON THE 16th NOVEMBER 1866 WATER WAS ABOUT 2 FEET DEEP ON THIS SITE. IN 1872 THE 14th CENTURY FOUR ARCH STONE BRIDGE WAS REPLACED.

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ERECTED IN 1933 BY THE ANGLO-AMERICAN OIL COMPANY LIMITED AND UNVEILED BY THE LORD MAYOR, ALDERMAN R H BLACKBURN JP.

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THIS PLAQUE WAS UNVEILED BY THE LORD MAYOR OF LEEDS COUNCILLOR ALAN S PEDLEY DFC ON OCTOBER 2nd 1975, AFTER RE-SITING