SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

The track coming off Back Church Lane near York Gate leads to the church of St John the Baptist (Adel Church). On the left of the track shortly before entering the church grounds you pass the private homes of Aisling Cottage and Ashling House. These I’ve found used to be the Rectory from 1652 but that will have presumably been modified since and was sold in 1975.

On a wall of what may be an outhouse by the track there is a slot in the brickwork that intrigues me. I wonder if anyone does know what the slot was for? Perhaps it may have been somewhere to put coins in when the site was still the Rectory and if so is a surviving feature. Despite it being very obvious I have however been unable to readily find information on it (I did not want to knock on a door to ask an occupant!).

I have attached a close-up photo of the slot that I took on December 25 2020 along with one showing more of the outhouse wall.

I would suggest the slotted stone is from elsewhere. The cill would suggest it is part of a "bricked up" window. There also appears to be a bricked up door to the left of the wider shot.

As for the purpose of the slot, and I will state it is purely conjecture, could it have been one of two supports for an iron bar which would straddle a fire from which cooking pots would be suspended?

There appears to be another stone 2 courses above the one in question,which also appears to have a slot present.

Perhaps they were imported for use from elsewhere,being in too good a condition to discard.

In that case the iron bar theory seems quite possible.

Hi tyke bhoy and unslet. Thanks for your help which is appreciated.
That the slot could have been a support for a bar is a good suggestion as well as that the stone(s) could have been recycled. As for there being a possible other slot I did not notice one if there was but I shall check when I next have a walk to Adel Church sometime during next year (Covid-19 restrictions permitting!).

I'll take some exterior filler round and sort it for you Leo

As it's a church property I would not be suprised if it's not a collection box point? Try putting a £2 coin in??

As for the stone being re-used then of course that is highly likely as such dressed stone is worth a lot of money and certainly worth rec-cycling .

Demolition companies pay owners for the contract to pull down stone buildings on condition they - the demolition company - get to keep the stone.

Turn around and go back down the lane turning left on to Stairfoot lane

look out for the stream and the track alongside. Take a left there then walk up the hill into the quarry where the stone likely came from. Leeds had scored of quarries but most are filled in. This one is as it was at amandonment - worth a look...

unslet wrote: ↑

Tue 29 Dec, 2020 11:04 am

There appears to be another stone 2 courses above the one in question,which also appears to have a slot present.

Perhaps they were imported for use from elsewhere,being in too good a condition to discard.

In one!!

Having wandered Hunslet a thousand times the only dressed stone I can find there was paid for by very rich organisations like the Church or the railway companies.......Oh and temple works in Holbeck whose owner made his fortune up in Adel

Leodian wrote: ↑

Sun 27 Dec, 2020 10:23 pm

On a wall of what may be an outhouse

Indeed it was and remains an outhouse, the owner caught me looking at it (there are bigger holes in other stones, as well as the slots) so I asked him if he knew anything but nothing.....

Anyway I had a nice walk and noticed in the churchyard one upmanship and money still prevails even in death, not enough to have a bigger gravestone, or a granite gravestone this guy and his missus decided to a roman temple instead

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151 ... udus-hirst

Cue a thread on outrageous gravestones......

I would say eighty percent of the Temple Works were built with brick having worked there in the sixty's if you look at the towers you will see what i mean.All the inner buildings were the same.

Parkie wrote: ↑

Mon 04 Jan, 2021 7:32 pm

Leodian wrote: ↑

Sun 27 Dec, 2020 10:23 pm

On a wall of what may be an outhouse

Indeed it was and remains an outhouse, the owner caught me looking at it (there are bigger holes in other stones, as well as the slots) so I asked him if he knew anything but nothing.....

Anyway I had a nice walk and noticed in the churchyard one upmanship and money still prevails even in death, not enough to have a bigger gravestone, or a granite gravestone this guy and his missus decided to a roman temple instead

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151 ... udus-hirst

Cue a thread on outrageous gravestones......

Hi Parkie .

Thanks for the "Indeed it was and remains an outhouse, the owner caught me looking at it (there are bigger holes in other stones, as well as the slots) so I asked him if he knew anything but nothing.....". So my query about the slot continues!

In your first post on Jan 04 2021 you mention a quarry that I think has to be the one with the often queried mysterious bunker! I understand that it was built as the possibility of World War 2 was coming ever likely and was intended to store important documents of such as Leeds City Council and the then Leeds Permanent Building Society. I understand however that severe damp quickly caused problems and the site was not used for such storage. I did wonder when the quarry was first worked and found there is no mention on a 1:2,500 1893 map but the quarry is labelled in a 1908 1:2,500 map. I don't know when quarrying stopped.

tilly wrote: ↑

Mon 04 Jan, 2021 7:47 pm

I would say eighty percent of the Temple Works were built with brick having worked there in the sixty's if you look at the towers you will see what i mean.All the inner buildings were the same.

Thanks Tilly,

"All of the mill buildings added from 1815 still exist. In the early years, child labour was employed. In 1832 Marshall's political opponents alleged that: 'In Mr Marshall's mill, a boy of 9 years of age was stripped to the skin, bound to an iron pillar, and mercilessly beaten with straps, until he fainted. But other reports claim that Marshall treated his workers better than most factory owners: overseers were forbidden to use corporal punishment to control the workers, and Marshall installed fans and attempted to regulate the temperature of the mill"

Hope you didn't get flogged! Ironically the health & Safety executive moved in there....