From Airey Home Dreams to Eviction Nightmares: The Oulton Coal Estate Story
Oulton Institute, 5 Quarry Hill, Oulton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS26 8SX
Join historian Dr Jessica Field for a talk about the architecture and social history of Oulton's National Coal Board housing estate – a prefab Airey neighbourhood made famous by a recent campaign to prevent demolition and tenant eviction.
Airey houses were 'permanent' prefabricated homes named after their creator, renowned Leeds industrialist Sir Edwin Airey (1878-1955). A pair could be erected by unskilled workers in under two weeks – capturing public imagination during a post-war housing crisis. Around 26,000 were built nationwide after WWII; many in Leeds, including 210 by the National Coal Board in Oulton. These iconic worker houses quickly became cherished homes for coal families.
However, Britain's post-war prefabs were structurally flawed. When defects emerged in the early 1980s, the Coal Board balked at refurbishment costs and sold estates to speculators – including Oulton. Private landlords continued managed decline, which culminated in the recent mass eviction of hundreds of tenants and demolition of an iconic post-war coal estate.
Was such destruction inevitable? Drawing on her forthcoming book, Eviction: A Social History of Rent, Jessica Field explores the Airey design's promises and pitfalls, the context around prefab defects and Coal Board sales, and the tenant community's fight back against landlord neglect.
Timings & Tours
- Sunday 21 September:
- 1800-1930 (45 minute talk + Q&A)
Location & directions
Oulton Institute, 5 Quarry Hill, Oulton, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS26 8SX
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Additional information
There is some off street parking to both sides of the building. Please respect the needs of local residents if parking on nearby streets.
- Max no of people per tour:
- 100
- Est. tour duration:
- 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)
