Hawksworth Wood: what to know before moving day
The estate was built between the wars: after the First World War councils were urged to build homes fit for heroes, and Hawksworth Wood was one of the Leeds estates that went up by 1930. It is bordered by Butcher Hill, the A65 and Vesper Road, and the street names come in families (Cragside, Lea Farm, Hawkswood, Vesper), so a full address saves a driver from circling. The estate also has Norman Towers, an apartment block; if you are moving in or out of a flat, tell us the floor and whether there is a lift.
Old quarry land around the estate has gone back to woodland, mostly oak and sycamore, and public paths lead into the woods from Butcher Hill, Hawksworth Road, Abbey Road, Vesper Road and Cragside Walk. Hawksworth Wood Primary School is the estate's only primary school, the old Vesper Gate Middle School is now Hawksworth Wood Children's Centre, and the shops include a Co-op and two small Premier stores. St Mary's Church, put up in 1933, once had one of the rare 1933 pennies under its foundation stone.
How the van gets to Hawksworth Wood
From Bradford, the Leeds outer ring road (the A6120) runs past the estate, where it is called Broadway and then Ring Road Horsforth, so the van can join it from the A647 side of Leeds and follow it round. Abbey Road, the A65, runs along the bottom of the hill by Kirkstall Forge, and Spen Lane and Butcher Hill lead in from the east.
The drive from Bradford is roughly 20 to 35 minutes. That is an estimate from route data, not a timed run, and traffic changes it.
Services for Hawksworth Wood
Each service below links to its Pudsey page, which covers how the job works in and around Pudsey.
Hawksworth Wood: questions before you book
Is this the same place as Hawksworth village?
No. Hawksworth village is an old settlement about five miles away. The Hawksworth estate in LS5 took the name in the 20th century, probably from Hawksworth Wood, the wood that once stood west of Kirkstall Abbey. Make sure your booking says LS5 or Kirkstall.
Where is the Post Office on the estate now?
The old Post Office on Broadway closed for lack of staff, and a Premier store took over its main services. The postbox outside the former Broadway premises was still in use in 2021.
Where the local details on this page come from
Checked on 28 September 2026 against:
- Postcode lookup (postcodes.io, ONS data): LS5 3PP is in Kirkstall ward, Leeds, unparished
- Hawksworth, Leeds (Wikipedia): early 20th-century council estate between West Park and Horsforth, bordered by Butcher Hill, the A65 and Vesper Road, LS5, Kirkstall ward, name taken from Hawksworth Wood and the village five miles away, homes fit for heroes by 1930, oak and sycamore woodland on old quarry land, public paths, 1933 penny at St Mary's, shops, Post Office on Broadway, Hawksworth Wood Primary School and Children's Centre
- OpenStreetMap map view (checked 2026-09-28): Broadway and Ring Road Horsforth (A6120), Abbey Road (A65), Vesper Road, Butcher Hill, Spen Lane, Hawksworth Road, Cragside, Lea Farm and Hawkswood streets, Norman Towers, St Mary the Blessed Virgin church, Kirkstall Forge