A SERIES of old photographs show how Town Street and St Peter’s Church in Rawdon used to look in times gone by.

Many of the images, from Aireborough Historical Society, date back to around 1900 and show local people going about their everyday lives.

A faint view of the street (top left) was taken in 1903 and depicts a horse and cart on the side of the road.

The picture next to it is believed to have been taken on Town Street and shows a fire engine surrounded by a group of men.

Below that is a picture which was taken in around 1900 from the top of St Peter’s Church tower.

The junction with Carr Lane can be seen just before the horse and cart on the left. Opposite is St Peter’s School.

An undated image at the top of the right hand page shows cottages on Town Street. Two elderly women can be standing seen in a doorway, speaking to a group of men who appear to be giving them a letter or a piece of paper. A young boy and girl are watching the proceedings.

At the bottom of the page, on the left, is a picture taken by 1900 by prolific local photographer Ernest E Slater. The view looks down Town Street to the Parish Church of St Peter.

Ernest Ethelbert Slater was born in the Victorian era at a time when photography was in its infancy. The amateur enthusiast left a remarkable legacy of images capturing life in his hometown of Yeadon and the surrounding areas more than a century ago.

A postcard shows a lone figure stood in front of cottages with a view of the church.

A message on the reverse reads: "Queen Street, Rawdon, 9th March 1907, C F Forshaw Dear Sir, The March number of Yorks. Notes & Queries is not yet to hand. Will you please forward and oblige, Yours respectfully H M Fairburn."

It was addressed to C F Forshaw Esq. Editor for Yorks. Notes & Queries, Market Street, Bradford.

Another postcard show St Peter's Church and its graveyard.

On the reverse is the message: "Dear Auntie last week at Yeadon there was a fire at Mr Browns mill. My mother is making cakes for Christmas. Love from all W Mallinson”

It is addressed to Miss L Webster c/o Mrs Horsfall, Hayfield, Crosshills.

A drawing of the church shows how it would have looked in the 17th Century.

The Aireborough Historical Society website give a history of the church.

It says: "Francis Layton instigated the building of St Peter’s Church as a Chapel of Ease for the Parish of Guiseley in 1645.

"Due to the troubled times (English Civil War 1642-1651, then Cromwell’s Commonwealth until the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660) it took many years to erect the church. Francis Layton died in 1661, leaving his son Henry to continue with the building. It was finally consecrated in 1684.

"A tower was added in 1707 then the church was largely rebuilt in 1864 by architect Alexander Crawford at a cost of £1,200."

More alterations were carried out in later years. The former school - known as the “Institute” was converted into a house and the money from the sale paid for the St Peter’s Room, which was opened in 1980.

For hundreds of years the Layton family made their home at Layton Hall, which is situated off Town Street opposite St Peter's Church.The imposing building had previously been the residence of the Rawdon family, before becoming the home of the Oglethorpe family. It was sold to the Laytons in 1630. In recent years it has been converted into flats.