18 super photos take you back to Seacroft in the 1960s

It was the decade Seacroft become home to the first large scale shopping and civic centre development to be built on the outskirts of the city.

The Seacroft Civic Centre helped transform the fortunes of local community in the 1960s and is the focus of this gallery celebrating a decade in the life of LS14. The development was built on a 10-acre site and featured 71 shops, 60 maisonettes, 4 large stores, office blocks, banks, restaurants, estate office and pub. There were also sites for a library, bowling alley, health centre, market and two underground car-parks. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in October 1965 and attracted shoppers from Horsforth, Alwoodley, Moortown and Lawnswood thanks to access from the ring road. The surrounding villages of Barwick, Thorner, Garforth and East Keswick were also within easy reach. And Seacroft was well served by public transport from Leeds with special services to the city centre for those tempted by out-of-town shopping. The 1960s also featured the opening of the local library as well as Queensview multi-storey flats. Enjoy these photos, a mix from the YEP archive and others published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service, charting a decade in the life of the community. READ MORE: Walk around Seacroft Shopping Centre during the 1960s and 1970s LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP NEWSLETTERS: Sign up for free news and sport emails

Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice