How the people of Boston Spa are making their own history as community spirit thrives in the village

As you arrive in the village, that has one main street running through, the green, orange and red colours of the tree-lined approach to Boston Spa were particularly noticeable.

It reminded me, though not sure of which one, but of a conjured up a scene from a Victorian novel of tree-lined routes.

The main high street through Boston Spa is dotted with impressive examples of mansions, townhouses and country cottages from the time.

None are the same and interspersed with newer builds of all differing types.

It gives some idea of the development of Boston Spa throughout the last few hundred years from labourers of the 19th century, the turn of the century, post war development and more recent modern day builds.

The oldest of the ‘grand’ houses is St Kitts which dates back to 1774. It was built by Rev Christopher Atkinson for his daughters and remained in the family until 1860. It features in a heritage trail where a blue plaque tells that the Grade II listed building was the first of the grand houses to be built following the creation of a turnpike road linking Otley and Tadcaster.

A history board in the centre of the village gives a little more idea of how Boston Spa came to be, and it coincides with the building of St Kitts, but is this intentional or just coincidence?

The area was known as Boston and was in the Township of Clifford in the Parish of Bramham. It suggests the name came from bos (meaning ox) and ton (meaning town).

Other takes on history say Boston was the surname of a family who gave their name to the settlement of the area.

In 1744, local man John Shires discovered sulphur springs near the river. For the next century the village was known as Boston Spa or Thorpe Arch Spaw (a village across the river).

Years later, Joseph Taite sank a pump and started to charge people to take the water. It evolved into the The Spa Bath Company being formed.

The board says that by 1891 there were around 600 people living in Boston Spa and over time, this has grown to several thousand.

A local history book by Beatrice M Scott reveals some other wonderful tales.

A notable one is entitled “Strange Incident in Boston Spa in 1877”.

It refers to an order by Rev Villiers, a governor at the church schools, that all girls should curtsey to the Vicar or his wife. One seven-year-old girl, had been instructed by her Independent father to be polite but not to curtsey and so she didn’t upon meeting him in the street.

She was promptly expelled.

In 2011, the census had the population at 4,079.

One of those was then, and still is, parish councillor Keith Blake.

He moved to Boston Spa 40 years ago from Hertfordshire for work and has never been tempted to go back.

A stroll down Boston Spa high street takes you past a gym, the Fox and Hounds pub, a carpet shop, jewellers, an interiors shop, hair and beauty salons, a travel agent, a hardware shop, post office, newsagent and many more shops besides.

Most of them are independent businesses and then there is a selection of cafes, delis and bars as well as restaurants, The Crown Pub, which re-opened last year after a nine year closure) and SALT, a contemporary craft beer bar which opened in July following a re-brand.

Add to that a village green near the Church Fields housing development, an active parish council and a village hall where a beer festival and an arts and craft fair are among the upcoming events to be advertised.

This variety and vibrancy, says Mr Blake, is making Boston Spa the village it is today.

He explains: “When I came here there was a pub down the street, a couple of restaurants and it was the sort of place that had a bit of atmosphere about it.

"But, it died off a bit. The hotel closed, The Crown closed and it lost a bit of its village feel. A lot of people came to live here because it was a popular area, house prices went up quite a bit but people did not support the village.

"Church Fields was built ten years ago and that transformed the village. There were young families, a mixture of housing from four beds to social housing – it brought new people that started to support the village again.”

The demographic created a market for the businesses, The Crown reopened and the village green, built as part of the planning agreement for the Church Fields development, has become a focal point for residents, as has Stables Lane Park and Deepdale Community Centre which are part of Boston Spa Parish Council.

The village benefits from all of these says Mr Blake. "There is a good community spirit.”

There aren’t that many properties available for sale which gives some indication of how attractive a location it has become again.

A search on Rightmove brings up 18 sales. The cheapest is a two bedroomed apartment for £195,000.

A three bedroomed terrace cottage is £425,000 and a four bedroomed family home is £650,000. The most expensive listing is actually a fabulous example of some of that early history of Boston Spa.

Four Gables is an impressive Grade II listed 'Arts and Crafts' style residence with seven bedrooms and a price tag of £1.5m.

Mr Blake adds: “I got a job at Yorkshire Television and for us it was a place to get out of London. We came here, both our kids were born up here and that was it.

"I didn’t do much in terms of the village when I was working. I suppose I was one of the people that I have criticised. It was when I retired that I wanted something to do and the parish council seemed a thing to belong to.

"I have been here 40 years and the last ten years (when working) I was in London three to four days a week and I had no affiliation to London and was much happier here. I don’t think I would want to live anywhere else.”