There are some parts of Leeds which just do not seem to age and the Moravian Village at Fulneck is one of them, as our ‘then and now’ pictures show.
Even today, members of the Moravian Church do not have televisions and lead a relatively simple life compared to most. The community stands on the border between Leeds and Bradford, with panoramic views across rolling fields.
Pudsey, 19th February 1971Fulneck, Moravian Church.
Members of the Moravian Church settled at Fulneck in 1744. They were descendants of old Bohemian/Czech Unity of the Brethren (extinct after 1620 due to forcible re-Catholization imposed on the Czech lands by Habsburg emperors), which in 1722 had found refuge in Saxony on the estate of Nicolaus Ludwig Count von Zinzendorf. Within the next few years after settling, housing as well as a school and a chapel were built.
The chapel building was completed in 1748. In 1753 and 1755 the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools were opened. In 1994 the two became one school.
CLICK FOR MORE YEP NEWS HEADLINES
Fulneck Moravian Chapel is a Grade I listed building, making it one of the most architecturally significant buildings in Leeds.
3 November 2015……. TARDISFulneck Moravian Church and school, Pudsey. Picture Tony Johnson
Many of the 18th-century stone houses in the village are listed buildings.
The fee-paying Fulneck School, established in 1753, forms a major part of the Moravian village.
It is also home to what is believed to be one of the longest terraced streets in England.
The picture-perfect village includes a church, a school, a ‘choir house’ and a parsonage.
Two of the cottage buildings were once used as separate accommodation for men and women. And since the settlement was built in the mid-18th century very little has changed during its 250 year history. Fulneck’s Museum is home to hundreds of artefacts that give a unique snapshot of life over the centuries.