SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

can any one shed any light on why there is a mill grinding stone abandoned in Gledhow valley woods?

Suvi wrote: can any one shed any light on why there is a mill grinding stone abandoned in Gledhow valley woods? Where abouts can it be seen? A rough location?

SuviThere was considerable Quarrying in the "Gledhow Valley Road" (as we know it) area.Confusingly reference is to Gipton Woods and Harehills Stone.The Quarries appear on the 1847 and 1915 OS Maps.Gledhow Valley Road was only cut in 1925.See good local group site http://www.fgvw.co.uk/html/woods/rigs.htm    

Quarry detail

yes I know, it is just strange that a finished item be left there. There are other shaped blocks within the woods for walls etc, but this would have been an expensive item, so why leave it there. It could of course been placed there, but then there's the question of how, I imagine it is extremely heavy.Its near the top of the wooden steps just into the woods from Gledhow Lane on the Brackenwood estate side of the valley.Is there any history of a windmill? but then you would think there would be evidence of two grinding stones, not just the one

Suvi wrote: Its near the top of the wooden steps just into the woods from Gledhow Lane on the Brackenwood estate side of the valley. You mean this entrance into the woods?http://g.co/maps/jqnaqI've walked through there going back 15 years or more now, I've never seen any old millstone, I wonder if it's only just been left there?Incidentally they've just erected some new noticeboards about the woods, there is one at this entrance. There is a map of the woods and the features in it, such as Gledhow hall, the spa bath and where the quarry was e.t.c. It also lists all the types of different wildlife and flowers to be seen in the wood. I'll get a photo of it next time I pass before it gets vandalised.    

for others frequenting this site please doI'm astonished we still have the signs, though if people feel that their environment is something for them, then perhaps they will last...don't hold your breathehowever in the last year we have had three signets on the lake which was described in the past as an eyesore by some residents is now "our lake" and "our swans!"I will try to find a more exacting discription of where the mill stone is

There were no mills up Gledhow, it was all farms at one time and nothing else. I have always wondered why there are remains of this old track leading off Gledhow Valley Roadhttp://g.co/maps/vx2m9It can't have lead far, and I've seen nothing at all that stood there on old maps before. The stream used to run that side of the road before It was built and the stream was culverted underground.On the 1938 it shows a stone coffin with human remains was found just off Gledhow Valley Road near the junction of Gledhow Lane. It's hard to read exactly. I'll upload the map later.            

1938 map.Stone coffin containing human remains.The next bit is a little unclear to read, does it say found 1801 AD? Here's a nice shot I got of the woods last week with the trees just showing signs of coming back to life, the weather has certainly changed from then         

Hi Phill. This map is taken from the 1934 one in the Old-Maps UK website and more clearly shows the date found is 1901.