Collingham, West Yorkshire: a Wharfe-side village of bridges, floods and old Yorkshire continuity

Collingham is a village and civil parish in West Yorkshire, about 2 miles south-west of Wetherby, at the junction of routes linking Leeds, Harewood and the Wharfe valley. The village stands close to the River Wharfe and is connected to nearby Linton by the historic Linton Bridge. Its parish church, St Oswald’s, anchors a settlement whose core was reshaped in the later 20th century yet still preserves the sense of an old Yorkshire village. The Old Mill is first mentioned in Domesday Book, a reminder of how long this site has been occupied. In recent decades Collingham has also become known for serious flooding episodes, especially in 2007 and 2015, events that left their mark on the village and on Linton Bridge.
Population: 2,991 inhabitants (2011 census).
Distance: about 2 miles south-west of Wetherby and within reach of Leeds.
Traditions and culture: Collingham balances village continuity with commuter life, maintaining strong sporting, church and community associations.
Highlights: St Oswald’s Church, Linton Bridge, the riverside and beck landscape, the Old Mill and local sports facilities.