Aireborough Urban District boundary as of abolition
Aireborough was a local government district in the
West Riding of Yorkshire, England from 1937 to 1974. It was formed through the abolition of the
urban districts of
Guiseley,
Yeadon and
Rawdon and enlarged by the addition of parts of Otley urban district and parts of the
civil parishes of
Esholt,
Hawksworth and
Menston in the Wharfedale rural district on 1 April 1937.[1] Aireborough Urban District was administered from Micklefield House in Rawdon which had been acquired by Rawdon UDC in 1930.[2]
The district is, since 1974, part of
Leeds and Esholt is in
Bradford
Aireborough is the name of a UK
census ward, which was named "the most average place in England and Wales", following studies arising from the
2001 census.[3]
Background
In 1936, the urban district councils of Guiseley, Yeadon and Rawdon, along with smaller settlements belonging to
Wharfedale Rural District, decided to form a new autonomous
Urban District Council covering a similar to the former ancient Parish of Guiseley. The name Aireborough was adopted to reflect the equality of all townships included in the district and "wipe out old jealousies, and concentrate on the problems ahead, working together as a team".[4] On 1 April 1937, the urban district came into being. Aireborough Urban District was subsumed by Leeds metropolitan borough under the 1974 local government reorganisation.[5]
Current usage
The name Aireborough has been used by many official bodies or organisations. Yeadon and Guiseley Secondary School was renamed
Aireborough Grammar School in 1937 (when the Urban District was formed) and retained the name until its closure in 1991[6] – the names of the different townships emblazoned on the school frontage are now set into the stone wall opposite Nunroyd Park. The
Royal Mail has an Aireborough
delivery office.[7]