Bunkers

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Fri 23 Mar, 2007 4:37 pm

Funny how the grass is not always greener from above!!

Reginal Perrin · Post by **Reginal Perrin** » Fri 23 Mar, 2007 5:42 pm

rikj wrote: If it's where I'm thinking of reginald, (Carlton Lane next to the fire station??) it was the Rothwell Civil Defence Control Bunker, in use up until the 60s I'm told. There was somewhere called RAF Rothwell Haigh but haven't found out much about it other than it was a telegraph relay station possibly. Could have been to do with the repeater station.The bunker next to the fire station hasn't been demolished has it? Last time I drove through I forgot to look properly. Yeah, it's gone, now flats. There is some disgagreement as to it's use around the 60's. It was a dentists but not sure when it changed. It was derilict for about 20 years which is odd in a town where the land is worth so much.

LS13 · Post by **LS13** » Fri 23 Mar, 2007 7:11 pm

As kids in Meanwood in the 70's , we used to embark on an expedition to the bunker at Adel. It was at least three floors deep but if my memory serves me correctly, the stairs below ground level were blocked up so you had to lower yourself through a hole in the floor. We only ever dared venture to level 2. I remember there were alcoves in the walls with bars across them which could have been part of a shelving system, but there was no evidence of what it was ever used for. Of course as kids we spun elaborate tales that it was built to house the most dangerous patients at Meanwood hospital etc, it wouldnt have been as interesting to say it was Leeds Perms store room!

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Sat 24 Mar, 2007 11:24 pm

Well, the Leeds Gentlemen's Exploration Society was up with the lark today for some long overdue bunker investigation. It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it. And reluctantly phil and I set out to burrow into the depths of the earth.After looking at some private air raid shelters this next place was an unexpected bonus. Possibly dating back to WWI we're not really sure what it was. Current info suggests it may have been an ammunition store, it seems a little narrow for an air raid shelter.These tunnels are very structurally unstable, quite a large section has collapsed. What's interesting is that apart from the collapses they are in very clean condition. There is no litter or graffiti at all. It looks as if no-one has been in here since they were sealed, possibly after WWI, or maybe WWII if that's when they were built.Unfortunately they are sealed and access is not possible.

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Sat 24 Mar, 2007 11:38 pm

This is one more pic from the tunnels. At this point everything looks a little more stable, though the things hanging from the ceiling aren't pleasant at all!Unfortunately the tunnels are sealed and access is not possible.Some more pics of underground Leeds here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rikj/sets/ ... 542181241/

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Sun 25 Mar, 2007 12:19 pm

You forgot to add my friend about the strange activity going on around there in the last 2 month! We went back to investigate some bunker entrances we found earlier & they had mysterious vanished from the face of the earth. Instead a huge crater had appeared revealing this mysterious tunnel. There is someone else out there investigating :-0

exiled in essex · Post by **exiled in essex** » Wed 28 Mar, 2007 10:18 am

I'm suprised no one's mentioned this, as it was close to the bunker between Scholes and Barwick which is still there. In Scholes, there's a dirt track called Bog Lane. This can be found almost directly opposite the Coronation Tree, which is situated in a triangle on Leeds road, where you can either turn off into Scholes or continue to Barwick. If you explored a bit just off Bog Lane, there was a collapsed bunker of some description. It wasn't a deep structure, situated just under the surface of the ground, and it was still there in 1996, this being the last time I saw it. I've scoured google earth to see if it's still there, but sadly it appears to have gone. I also remember some mysterious derelict buildings in some sort of yard just off to the left of Bog Lane, not far from it's junction with Leeds Road, Scholes. All of this now appears to have disappeared as well. Could this area's proximity to Barnbow have anything to do with installations I wonder?Interesting site by the way, I wish my parents had a PC as they'd be able to contribute all sorts, especially about the railways.

floodland · Post by **floodland** » Wed 28 Mar, 2007 1:38 pm

Phill_d wrote: Another unusual thing about Leeds air raid shelters. Most of them were built in 1938 before the war started. We must have smelt it coming. I found an old picture of a shelter been built on the corner of King lane & Nursery lane, Moortown. I thought i'd discovered one that no one else had mentioned before! I looked on Google earth & you still could see the outline of it. However google earth seems to be about 4yr old & when i had a look in reality the shelter must've only just been demolished & the school field enlarged. You can clearly see the shape of the shelter on this image this is interesting - i was at Allerton High between 1995 and 2001 and never noticed this before. i used to play football at this end of the field nearly every day, and frequently had to retrieve the ball from this area, but i never noticed any indication of the shelter...btw, i think the school was completed just before the outbreak of war, and not opened to pupils until after the war had ended. i heard that during the war, the concrete balcony on the corner nearest the front entrance (outside our maths classroom) was used as an anti-aircraft spotters post.

The beautiful island · Sun 01 Apr, 2007 7:16 pm

There was an air raid shelter in the gardens of the vicarage of St Mary's church, Town Street, Middleton. It was directly in front of the house that was next to the church.As kids we would venture half way down before chickening out and turning back. Not sure if it's still able to be accessed as it's a while since I've been up that way. Anyone know anything about it??

Phill_d · Post by **Phill_d** » Mon 02 Apr, 2007 11:12 am

The beautiful island wrote: There was an air raid shelter in the gardens of the vicarage of St Mary's church, Town Street, Middleton. It was directly in front of the house that was next to the church.As kids we would venture half way down before chickening out and turning back. Not sure if it's still able to be accessed as it's a while since I've been up that way. Anyone know anything about it?? Yes it is really strange how there's no sign of it on the ground. I posted a pic of it actually been built somewhere. It's really visible on google earth as a sort of half mound. The only reason i can think why it shows up so much from the arial shot is the concrete is still under there that soaks up all the moisture & causes the grass not to look as lush. This is true for ancient ruins. You cannot see a thing on the ground but from the air it's clear as crystal.