Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

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Leodian
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Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Post by Leodian »

During a stroll on January 25 2018 by the River Aire from Leeds Rail Station I noticed that much of the very thick plant growth on the river bank on the railway lines side has been removed. As a result the otherwise hidden start of a very long time blocked-off old water channel is now exposed and so very much more visible than it has been. The channel ran off the River Aire and went under Leeds Rail Station and from old maps it seems it would have come out at the Canal Basin (now usually known as Granary Wharf). The first photo is a zoomed-in one showing the start in which some of the blocking material can be made out. The second shows the location of the start of the channel behind the working platform on the river.
CurrentlyExposedStartOfLongBlockedOffWaterChannelThatRanFromRiverAireUnderLeedsRailStationJan252018..jpg
CurrentlyExposedStartOfLongBlockedOffWaterChannelThatRanFromRiverAireUnderLeedsRailStationJan252018..jpg (130.25 KiB) Viewed 17493 times
LocationOfStartLongBlockedOffWaterChannelThatRanFromRiverAireUnderLeedsRailStationJan252018..jpg
LocationOfStartLongBlockedOffWaterChannelThatRanFromRiverAireUnderLeedsRailStationJan252018..jpg (100.56 KiB) Viewed 17493 times
Last edited by Leodian on Fri 26 Jan, 2018 7:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rikj
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Post by rikj »

I have a vague memory of it being called Monk Bridge Lock. Sometime used for taking coal from the canal to Whitehall Road power station, though I can't remember where I got that thought from.

I assume this is part of the flood defence work?

jim
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Post by jim »

Lots of past posts on this subject. Try "Leeds Station's Lost World" Pages 13-15 (and later) for starters.

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buffaloskinner
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Post by buffaloskinner »

:!:
I think I posted something on here about this not so long ago, anyway here are a couple of pics.
Unfortunately the tunnel does not go very far beyond the grill gate. There was also a secondry basin which ran off the connecting canal (see Fire insurance map)
This was where Jim almost lost his glasses in the river when we were doing a reccy a few years ago, he slipped and so did his glasses.
Attachments
Monk Pit Canal Basin map.JPG
Monk Pit Canal Basin map.JPG (104.81 KiB) Viewed 17117 times
Monk Pit Branch (disused) (17).jpg
Monk Pit Branch (disused) (17).jpg (160.71 KiB) Viewed 17117 times
Monk Pit Branch info.JPG
Monk Pit Branch info.JPG (114.31 KiB) Viewed 17117 times
Is this the end of the story ...or the beginning of a legend?

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Leodian
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Post by Leodian »

jim wrote:Lots of past posts on this subject. Try "Leeds Station's Lost World" Pages 13-15 (and later) for starters.
This is a link to that thread:- http://secretleeds.com/viewtopic.php?t=2322
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Leodian
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Post by Leodian »

Thanks buffaloskinner for the information and the photo :).

I've long thought that guided tourist trips to some or even all of the publicly hidden parts under the train station would be popular. Perhaps security reasons will however rule that out of happening but I still live in hope!
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tilly
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Post by tilly »

Hi Leodian that would be a good idea but Elf and Safety would find a reason to put a stop to it.
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Leodian
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Post by Leodian »

Work has ended at the at the long blocked-off Monk Pit Lock where some water from the River Aire used to run off underground before joining the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. This zoomed-in photo, which I took on March 29 2018, shows a better view now that the work platform is no longer there (as seen in the first photo in this thread).
BlockedMonkPitLockViewMarch292018..jpg
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tyke bhoy
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Post by tyke bhoy »

Excellent work as ever Leodian. However I am at a loss as to what work has been carried out that required the platform unless it was completed before the first photo.
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Leodian
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Post by Leodian »

tyke bhoy wrote:Excellent work as ever Leodian. However I am at a loss as to what work has been carried out that required the platform unless it was completed before the first photo.
Hi tyke bhoy :).

I would guess you're right in that the work to remove the thick plant growth by the river bank had been mainly (if not wholly) done before I took the photos in the first post in this thread. I do not know when the platform was removed after those photos.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

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