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Underground & Hidden Leeds

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Bush Tucker Man:
I was in Leeds yesterday with the intention of going to a Carribean take-away/cafe for a Goat Curry.
Sadly they'd sold out :(
So, I decided to go park up just out of the city-centre (cheaper parking!, & still close - 400yards or so to the Market)

On walking back to the centre, I passed over a beck/stream in a culvert.
It got me to thinking about what I'd been told of a hidden river, but presumably it's just a beck?

A bit of searching last night found me the 'Lady Beck', that runs underground & is culverted for most of its journey through Leeds.
It originates up on Otley Chevin through Bramhope, then entering/draining the lake at Golden Acre Park, Adel, Meanwood, and onwards,
It takes its name from a long-gone Chantry Chapel at the junction of Lady Lane & Templar Lane (just off EastGate)
This was also the site of the first Catholic church built in Leeds

'Leodis.net' Search on Lady Beck

Flickr 'Underground Leeds Album. 1'

'Unknown Leeds' Collections


Exploration clip


This was the beck that I saw, that sent me in this direction (click on pic to enlarge)


It's certainly a fascinating topic, & will probably grab my attention for quite a while.
Even though I'm not from Leeds, but I love the Victorian architecture side of it :clap:


And as for the content of this site
Some of the responses make for really great reading for anyone who has the slightest knowledge of Leeds.
Such as;
1. There are ten Victorian prison cells directly under the front steps of the Town Hall which are very cold, dark and creepy.
They still have the shackles for chains on the benches in there. The council open them up to the public when they can, so keep an eye out for any announcements in the press!
It is well worth the trip.
Where I work, our adjoining mental Hospital (before its demolition) also had shackles remaining in some chambers/cells within the oldest parts


2. Several years ago I heard rumours from a friend who was working there at the time of a tunnel linking the Town and Country Club on Cookridge Street, with Leeds Train Station. The suggested original purpose of the tunnel was for the transfer of animals back when the T&C was a circus. Has anyone else heard such rumours?

BK:
When I worked for a drainage company,I went down something similar to this in york but I went down on a inflatable boat,this one in leeds looks like a surface water drain(not foul) that is why they have no BA ,I had BA and a gas detector and a massive torch,ther were lots of large rats and lots of sewerage (obviously),also dead animals and various other things I cant say on here but under the main road in york through the shopping area there is a huge victorian sewer that runs the full length of York City.........its very interesting although I dont do it now having slipped two discs in my back lifting lots of manhole covers(bloody heavy) :)

BK:
They look really unequipped to go down there even though its only surface water,there will be rats down there and we all know what "weils disease" is and theres no cure for it,i would want full waterproofs,gas detector and a 10 minute escape set.Btm,do you work at pinders?cos if you do it was me that surveyed and cleaned every drain on that site a couple of years ago :)

Bush Tucker Man:

--- Quote from: BK on February 22, 2008, 17:22:12 ---They look really unequipped to go down there even though its only surface water,there will be rats down there and we all know what "weils disease" is and theres no cure for it,i would want full waterproofs,gas detector and a 10 minute escape set
--- End quote ---
I guess they know the risks & accept that fact
Watching the video, I wonder how far they had to return to exit??, as they couldn't get out at the exit to the River Aire




This site is good, if you want to look at the hidden side of Leeds
http://www.secretleeds.com/





--- Quote from: BK on February 22, 2008, 17:22:12 ---Btm,do you work at pinders?
--- End quote ---
Yes I do (for my sins)
Which company was it?, as one was there that had a 6x4 (or possibly 6x6?) 110, with a large box-body

dreadnought110:
I keep looking up the history of the Great central Railway and trying to follow the remains on google earth it's interesting... :) Honest....

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