Clifford is situated 3 miles South of Wetherby, on the eastern edge of the City of Leeds. It is centrally located approximately 12 miles from each of the busy shopping centres of Leeds, York and Harrogate.
Clifford is a rural village, with a conservation area in its centre, and a mix of buildings from traditional limestone cottages to modern family housing. All construction within the conservation area must use local limestone. The village is separated by Green Belt land from the nearest neighbouring villages of Bramham and Boston Spa, both of which are about a mile away.
There is access to the A1 just over a mile away, making for easy travel to all parts of the country. Bus services (via Boston Spa) to Tadcaster, and direct to Leeds, Harrogate, Wetherby and Wakefield are frequent and reliable, and both Leeds and York stations are served by the East Coast mainline railway providing fast & frequent services to London and Edinburgh, and the rest of the UK rail network for travel elsewhere.
Annual Parish Meeting
The Annual Parish Meeting is a meeting of the Parish electorate. It is not a Parish Council meeting. The Parish Council Chair can call Parish Meeting and Chairs the meeting if in attendance. There is no prescribed format for this meeting and its recommendations are not binding on the Parish Council.
Minutes of Annual Parish Meeting 20 May 2026
darft Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting 21 May 2025
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting 15 May 2024
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting 17 May 2023
Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting 18 May 22
Diggles First Fruits
This local charity was established over 100 years ago by Mr Diggle, a member of the Methodist church. It has a modest income available to support education (including social and physical education and training) of any person under the age of 25 residing in the parish of Clifford, or organisation supporting the same age group. Examples of grants made include for educational items not funded by schools e.g. residential visits and special equipment etc. Also for transport, equipment, course books etc. when going to college/university. Annual grants are also made to anyone following a course in Further Education post 18 years of age. Swimming vouchers are also available for Tadcaster Swimming Pool.
For further details can be found on the website, which also contains an application from.
Martin House
Martin House Hospice Care for Children and Young People
Martin House provides family-led care, free of charge, to children and young people with life-limiting illnesses across West, North and East Yorkshire. We offer a range of support to families including planned respite, emergency care, symptom control, end of life care, community care and bereavement support. This year we will be celebrating 30 years of care for families across the region, largely thanks to the ongoing commitment and generosity of our supporters. If you would like to support us in 2017, either through fundraising or volunteering, we would love to hear from you. For further details go to
Churches
St. Edward’s Roman Catholic Church
Masses: Saturday (Vigil) 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m.
For more information visit
St. Luke’s Church, Clifford
Sung Eucharist at 11.00am each Sunday except the first Sunday of the Month, when the Eucharist will be celebrated at 3.30pm.
For arrangements for Baptisms, Weddings or Funerals, please ring the Group Office (01937 844402)
For up-to-date information, Please see announcements in OUTLOOK or the Church Notice Board.
Methodist Church
Every Sunday
10:30 a.m. at the Methodist Church, Nursery Way
Minister: Rev. Stephen Jakeman – 01937 842156
Churches together in Boston Spa and District
Churches Together nationally seeks to promote closer understanding and relationships between Christians of all denominations. Our local group includes St. Mary’s, Boston Spa and the Lower Wharfedale Group of Parishes (St. Luke’s Clifford, All Saints Bramham, All Saints Thorp Arch, and St. Peter’s Walton), The Methodist Churches at Clifford and Boston Spa, and St. Edward’s Roman Catholic Church Clifford.
See their website.
Public Spaces
Clifford Community Sports Ground
The former Cricket Club is now owned by the Parish Council. The building and field are being brought back into use by Clifford Juniors and Clifford Scouts who have so far come forward to make use of and maintain this village asset, plans are being put in place so the venue will be available for hire, if you’d like to know more please contact Pete O’Brien on 07711228583.
Northways
This site is maintained by the parish council under a 99 year lease from Leeds City Council. Its name recalls the former Northways School of which it was the playing field. Nunnery Way occupies the site of the school buildings some of which were once a convent.
The field and woodland area are available to the public to enjoy quietly for recreational use. The playing pitch is the home of Clifford A.F.C. and they have priority for its use on fixture dates and practice sessions. Written permission must be obtained from the Parish Council for any other organised match or training session.
It is intended that the woodland area will be managed with a ‘light touch’ to allow a natural environment to develop. Users are therefore asked to keep to the path and not to disturb the habitat piles nor the site generally. Wild flowers should not be picked. Please be aware of the natural hazards which you may encounter as in the countryside e.g. stinging insects and their nests, stinging or irritating plants. Do not eat unidentified berries or, in particular, fungi.
Please note that any activity on the field is prohibited which is likely to cause danger or injury to other users or may cause annoyance, disturbance, inconvenience or damage to neighbouring premises or their occupiers.
Clifford Parish Council is not responsible for injury caused during the use of this field. No camping, fires or fireworks are allowed. No alcohol may be consumed on the site.
No organised event may take place on the field without written permission from Clifford Parish Council.
Please keep all dogs under control. It is a criminal offence not to remove faeces deposited on the land by a dog in your care.
Please do not deposit litter on any part of the land. Please use a litter bin or take it home with you.
Community Garden
The community garden at the rear of the village hall was created in 2004 with a grant from ‘Living Spaces’. Residents are welcome to use it at all reasonable times. There is an area for playing ball games at the lower end next to the children’s play area.
The garden is owned and managed by the Village Hall Committee and the parish council assists financially with its maintenance. Please treat it with care.
Play Area
Situated below the Community Garden, this includes a range of equipment, newly installed in 2000 to suit children from 2 to 12 years of age. It was established with a grant from the National Lottery and is owned by the Village Hall Committee. Under an agreement with the committee, the parish council pays for running costs, annual inspections and maintenance. The council has established a specific fund to ensure that resources are available to do this.
Village Green
The piece of land between Clifford Moor Road and Willow Crescent was designated a village green in 2002 Long term residents of the village recalled this being known as ‘the children’s playing field’ and it was on this basis that it was designated.
It is maintained, through their contractor, by Leeds City Council who remain the landowner. At one time it was a quarry and then became a land-fill site which made it unsuitable for development. It is now available for anyone to use for informal recreation.
Footpaths
There are three public rights of way within the Clifford parish boundary.
Footpath No. 1 runs from Willow Lane (where it is known as Westfield Lane) to the footbridge over the A1. The signpost ‘Footpath to the Great North Road’ indicates its history.
Footpath No. 2 runs from the other side of the footbridge to the boundary with Collingham and Linton parish.
Footpath No. 3 was established in 2000 as a result of an initiative by the parish council. It runs from Moor Avenue to Boston Road. It is maintained as an urban footpath as its origins were to provide pedestrian access between Boston Road and the Moor Avenue estate, built by the then Wetherby Rural District Council.
Clifford Parish Council is a member of the Paths Partnership scheme with Leeds City Council. Under this scheme, the parish council arranges for maintenance of the footpaths, the cost being largely met by an annual grant from Leeds City Council.
Also there is a Bridlepath, (also known as a “Non-Motorised Users Path”) which runs along the eastern side of the A1, with a deviation around Rhodes Lane Farm. It connects to Winnow Lane in the north of Clifford parish, to Footpath No 1 at the footbridge over the A1 and to Gypsy Lane in the south of the parish, continue on to Bramham.
All other land in the parish is in private ownership and residents are asked to respect it as such. There is no land in the parish designated as ‘open access’ under the Countryside and Wildlife Act (CROW) 2000.
St Edward’s Wood Field
This is located at the eastern side of St Edwards Church Yard and is accessed by the slopping path opposite New Mill Lane.
It is currently being developed as a woodland area with wild flower and a community orchard, with a view to becoming
a wild life haven for walking, sitting and quiet contemplation. Seating and nature features are planned as the site develops. The use for the site resulted from the community responses to the Neighbourhood Planning questionnaires an Open Day Events.