SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Evening all..My old gran, God rest her soul, used to live on the Brackenwood estate; Larkhill Green to be precise; and her sister - my auntie - had a flat close by in Lidgett Towers.My cousin and I were effectively brought up there while our respective parents toiled away at work - and we used to love messing around either by the garages, the shops and latterly the Highwood Inn.I was just wondering if anyone knew a potted history of that estate - I have recently come to realise that although I spent so much time there I have very little historical knowledge of the area either before or after the estate was built.The name "Larkhill" has always intrigued me too - presumably it's a literal reference?Thanks, great site....    

ARGIE wrote: Evening all..My old gran, God rest her soul, used to live on the Brackenwood estate; Larkhill Green to be precise; and her sister - my auntie - had a flat close by in Lidgett Towers.My cousin and I were effectively brought up there while our respective parents toiled away at work - and we used to love messing around either by the garages, the shops and latterly the Highwood Inn.I was just wondering if anyone knew a potted history of that estate - I have recently come to realise that although I spent so much time there I have very little historical knowledge of the area either before or after the estate was built.The name "Larkhill" has always intregued me too - presumably it's a literal reference?Thanks, great site.... LOL. My Stomping ground I was also the Postie on that estate for 10 years. I did the bottom half of the estate mostly, but i did do the Larkhills/Lidgett towers area for about a year before they changed it all and RUINED the job I'd be interested to know more about the place too, sadly i never photographed Gledhow grange before it got torched either.

Hi Argie, I too was raised on the Brackenwood estate, the Lincombes to be precise!I heard that the area was once a quarry and that Brackenwood Drive was just a dirt track. Not sure how precise that information is.Was Gledhow Grange where the nursing home now is? I believe that used to be a Children's home.Regards!

simon2710 wrote: Hi Argie, I too was raised on the Brackenwood estate, the Lincombes to be precise!I heard that the area was once a quarry and that Brackenwood Drive was just a dirt track. Not sure how precise that information is.Was Gledhow Grange where the nursing home now is? I believe that used to be a Children's home.Regards! Hi Simon, yes Gledhow grange stood where the care home is near the bus turning circle at the top of Brackenwood drive. Gledhow grange was a fine building, it was a childrens home lastly, but it stood empty and derelict for years. They'd been trying to get plans passed to build this care home on site, but it kept getting knocked back as it didn't fit in with the old building already there. Then one bonfire night it mysteriously got fired, it was knocked down within days, and they were on site laying foundations for this new care home before Christmas. Fish and smells e.t.c I must try find some pics of the old place on Leodis.    

I've just found a great pic on Leodis before the Brackenwood estate was built herehttp://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIde ... LAY=FULLIt was taken from the Leeds 7 side of Gledhow road, the only buildings you can see are 'Hillside' (That's this building on the sharp bend as you come down Gledhow lane/Little Switzerland) And Gledhow Grange on top of the hill.Not a building in site apart from those, just fields and trees         

Don't know if this should be in this thread or the pubs but is that pub open (forgotten its name Highwood maybe) went in it once when waiting to meet a friend who lived in the area. Last I heard it was shutting down and the landlord was refusing to leave or something...

By the way Simon the quarry you mention was where Gledhow valley road runs, I guess the valley was more or less man made with the excavations.The quarry was once a major industry in Leeds. Records tell of 10m high quarry faces producing stone for the rapidly expanding city.More info about the place is herehttp://www.wyorksgeologytrust.org/leeds/gledhow.htmlThere's lots of info on the net about the old parts of North Leeds, Gledhow e.t.c.But very little info about the 1960's Brackenwood area.    

Simon Looking at the 1906 map, it looks like there was virtually nothing other than fields on Brackenwood. The very north part of Brackenwood drive seems to hollow a short length of path that ran accross the grounds of allerton grange, and the chandos were being built. Have superimposed the map on google earth. tried making it transparent, but nothing was clear. Hope it works on forum    

Mate of mine lived on lidget lane,amongst the first of the council houseson there.Didn't use the Highwood much but I called in for a quick pint when my mate wasn't at home,was asked if I was 18,I was about 22,hadnt 'been challanged for age since I was about 16 when I was tall for my age.Sad to see pubs close but not a great loss really

Phill_dvsn wrote: By the way Simon the quarry you mention was where Gledhow valley road runs, I guess the valley was more or less man made with the excavations.The quarry was once a major industry in Leeds. Records tell of 10m high quarry faces producing stone for the rapidly expanding city.More info about the place is herehttp://www.wyorksgeologytrust.org/leeds/gledhow.htmlThere's lots of info on the net about the old parts of North Leeds, Gledhow e.t.c.But very little info about the 1960's Brackenwood area.     Thanks Phil! I knew there was a Quarry much further on down Gledhow Valley, but maybe this explains why a lot of the housing estate contained a lot of Yorkshire Stone and Yorkshire stone flags and Limestone. I remember the previous house I used to live in had tons of the stuff in the garden and it was a right challenge to circumnavigate during a raining day!Thanks!