SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

1969. Are you able to help us identify this area of Armley, photographed in 1969. It shows the end of a cobbled street of red brick terraced homes. Fencing encloses an area of grassed land and there is a view across to more terraced streets in the background.

No idea - only noticed the 'modern' street light - of late 50's vintage[edit -sorry date given]    

I don't know the area but I would assume that the very tall chimney in the background (or ? communications tower if very far back) might help in identifying the location. It will be interesting to learn where it is.

Looks like it might have been taken from here on Nancroft Terrace: http://goo.gl/maps/jRyWYThat end of the rec ground has the same street plan but the houses have been rebuilt. Doing the Old Maps/Google Maps overlay thing I think the red arrow has the location and direction it was taken from:

Sorry mhoulden, it doesn't fit. Firstly, the land on the south side of the recreation ground slopes up quite noticeably to Albion Avenue (which would be the right hand side of the photo). Secondly, the houses in the Nancrofts adjoining the rec. have gardens, checked with Old-maps from 1924 to present. Thirdly, I don't think that there were ever one room ground floor houses (cellar kitchens) in that area at any time - check Leodis picture. I have lived in Armley not far from the rec for 26 years, and this photo has me beaten!    

jim wrote: this photo has me beaten!     Me too. I've spent an hour looking at every inch of Armley on the old maps, and I can't find any layout like this at all from 1921--1970. The only place that resembles it is where M. Houlden has pointed out, and like you Jim I've discounted it too. I'm sure we'll get it eventually, but the photo isn't even guaranteed to be in Armley if they don't know the location is it????    

Then again, Leodis could always just ask Eric..mailto:[email protected]

Phill_dvsn wrote: jim wrote: this photo has me beaten!     ..... but the photo isn't even guaranteed to be in Armley if they don't know the location is it????     I thought that too. How do they know this is in Armley if they don't know the exact location?At the other side of Tong Road and classified as Wortley, there is a rugby field now at the back of West Leeds Sports & Social Club, formerly West Leeds WMC. The club is on Redshaw Road, and was on the south-east side of hundreds of redbrick back to back terraced houses which opened straight on to the pavement.These streets included the Redshaws, the Meekes, the Britannias and the Gilpins. Have a look at some of the Leodis photographs for these streets.All these houses were demolished during the slum - is that right, they look OK to me - clearances of the sixties. The question is what was demolished when?On the face of it, the houses in the LEODIS photo above might have been in the current car park of the club. Have a look at Google StreetView now. You can 'drive' right into the car park!There is some doubt because of the row of houses in the distance and to the right of the grassed area. Anyway, see what you lot think. If nothing else, it eliminates that particular site.

There's definitely room for a discussion about Leeds slum clearances. That's for a separate thread but it's something I'm interested in. Leeds Corporation had a policy of clearing housing that was in relatively good condition but required repair or renovation such as installing proper kitchens or bathrooms, which included building Quarry Hill.A couple of books I found about this on Google Books are at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=f0MO ... =falseI've found quite a few other articles as well, but that's for a different thread.

A further clue to this Leodis picture is that the cobbled street in the foreground is noticeably falling away from the camera (note door and window lintels, vestigial cellar windows relationship to pavement) as seen in the houses at the left. The open land seems to be in two sections, and that furthest away might be allotments or just "rougher" land than that at the street end. I have been trying to make out detail in the housing seen distantly on the right, but not had any success. I have also checked out the Gilpins/Redshaws/Btittania Place suggestion against the 1905/1921/1971 maps, and I'm afraid I have to discount that idea too. Anybody?