History

Chevin Park lies in a semi rural location, close to the village of Menston in West Yorkshire. Menston was first recorded when it become a separate Manor held within the feudal estate of the Archbishops of York. The settlement was also mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086.

The most notable landmark of early Menston was Fairfax Hall, built during the mid 1600’s and home to the influential Fairfax family for much of the C17th and C18th. It is thought that during the English Civil War Cromwell met with his officers at Fairfax Hall prior to the Battle of Marston Moor.

During the C18th domestic scale textile production began to expand within Menston helping to transform the village from a disparate collection of farmsteads and cottages into a more cohesive settlement. By the mid C19th textile manufacture within the village had become more organised and had become a major industry. New mills were constructed around the periphery of the village which led to a growth in its population.

The arrival of the railways and the development of the High Royds hospital during the mid to late C19th both had a profound influence on the village. The hospital opened in 1888 and became a major employer in the area until its closure in 2003, while the arrival of the railways made the locality more accessible to the cities of Leeds and Bradford. Throughout the C20th the village became more and more closely linked with these expanding urban centres, but remained a true village community rather than just another dormitory suburb.

Today, with the development of Chevin Park, the village enjoys further opportunities to share its unique character with the new residents and to make them an integral part of this vibrant community.