SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Under this link http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL the Leodis webiste has a photo that I wonder if anyone knows where the structure is (or was). I have occasional walks in Adel Woods but I do not recall seeing anything like that before. Its description in Leodis is "24th March 1949. View of Adel Beck in Adel Woods, with stone sewer culvert built into the side of the beck".I have saved the photo and have tried to reproduce it in this message (if not the link should hopefully show it).Thanks for any help.    

Wow it worked! I did not think I would manage to add the photo.

The Leodis website also has this photo whose description is "4th May 1949. View of Adel Woods and Beck. Stone sewer culvert in foreground, with man standing to one side".I think the structure description is wrong, but I would like to have confirmation or otherwise. I feel sure this may show the stone ice store structure (or whatever it was originally built for) that is in Adel Wood a little off the right (going towards Alwoodley) of Stairfoot Lane near the house next to Adel Beck on the Alwoodley side.The Leodis link is http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL    

My tuppence worth but I think a sewer outfall of that era would be concrete and the stone would be eroded by any heavy water flow.

I think it's the other side of this outfall. I used to have a photo the side you have on Leodis. I'm certain it's the same one, if not, it was almost identical in shape and materials. It's only a short tunnel, or bridge across a small stream before it enters Adel beck. You can easily see it if you walk down the footpath from the Ring Road past Bywater farm. Just have a look down in the ditch where the footpath turns. I've marked where it is on the map here.    

P.S. I think the stream will actually be from your neck of the woods Leodian. King Lane beck i believe.

Phill_dvsn wrote: I think it's the other side of this outfall. I used to have a photo the side you have on Leodis. I'm certain it's the same one, if not, it was almost identical in shape and materials. It's only a short tunnel, or bridge across a small stream before it enters Adel beck. You can easily see it if you walk down the footpath from the Ring Road past Bywater farm. Just have a look down in the ditch where the footpath turns. I've marked where it is on the map here.     That outfall is the beck from Alwoodley that follows the Ring Road down to Bywater farm. The inlet on the east side of the bridge is also arched, but the arch has been modified with a large flat stone.The picture leodian shows is a culvert coming out of the side of the "king Lane" beck lower down to where the bridge is.It's still there today only the stonework has been cut back around the outlet and a brick structure on concrete holds the culvert outflow from which not a lot was coming out today.The beck soon runs into Adel beck and on the other side of the Adel is a lovely spring naturally bursting forth from the hillside.Nice rummage around Scotland Mill today - will post a bit later.

Leodian wrote: The Leodis website also has this photo whose description is "4th May 1949. View of Adel Woods and Beck. Stone sewer culvert in foreground, with man standing to one side".I think the structure description is wrong, but I would like to have confirmation or otherwise. I feel sure this may show the stone ice store structure (or whatever it was originally built for) that is in Adel Wood a little off the right (going towards Alwoodley) of Stairfoot Lane near the house next to Adel Beck on the Alwoodley side.The Leodis link is http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL     Your second picture is consistent with the first as a culvert, but I suspect not a sewer??Small springs run off the sides of the Adel Beck Valley and as it was once an area where people extensively walked for recreation (saying that there were plenty today with a couple walking their ferrets!) I suspect culverts had been roughly built (as these are) to hold the banks and channel the waters to keep the footpaths along the beck side in good order.As for the sewer system you can see Concrete topped stone lined shafts at points down the beck - when this was introduced and how and why only the mighty Cardiarms may know?????.....

Thanks Cardiarms, Phill and The Parksider for your replies. I must start looking much closer or going off-track as I cannot recall seeing the interesting structure near Bywaters Farm in Phill's photo nor the "culvert coming out of the side of the "king Lane" beck lower down to where the bridge is" that The Parksider mentions. It is all very intriguing.I had thought the second of the Leodis photos in my first posts may have been the possible ice store or whatever, but I now think it is not that as the photo I have added here of that (taken November 15 2007) though looking fairly similar does not have the same side stonework (unless that has been altered since the Leodis photo was taken but it seems unlikely it have would been). I have now also had a thought of the site where the first Leodis photo might be. I shall have to have a close look the next time I walk around there but I think I recall possibly seeing a mainly overgrown stonebuilt drainage into Adel Beck on the Adel side just a little downstream of Stairfoot Bridge. PS. As far as I know the small stream that runs under King Lane at what is called Nanny Bridge has no official name, so I propose to call it Nanny Beck. Nanny Bridge is at the disused Alwoodley Motor Services garage for which there is currently an application to build a Tesco Express store. That should though miss being built over Blackmoor Tunnel.

Leodian wrote: I must start looking much closer or going off-track as I cannot recall seeing the interesting structure near Bywaters Farm in Phill's photo nor the "culvert coming out of the side of the "king Lane" beck lower down to where the bridge is" that The Parksider mentions. It is all very intriguing. Well don't confuse the beck in Alwoodley with the beck that runs along the side of the ring road.Walk down the track off the RR to Bywater Farm cross the bridge and walk down to Scotland Mill. Towards the bottom climb down to the beck side to see the current culvert your first picture shows close up.If you don't fancy a clamber walk right down to scotland mill where the small beck joins adel beck, turn left and look back up the small beck and valley to the culvert which is clearly the one in your first picture.......