School Fire mid-1990s

[Mooneyphoto]

I'm trying to find details on some photographs I took in the mid-1990s, one of which was published in either the Yorkshire Post or Evening Post at the time. Someone suggested it's Benjamin Gott School and it looks like maybe a river on the middle right of one of the wider angles. Thanks for any assistance.
Simon

[tyke bhoy]

Not an area of Leeds I'm all that familiar with.

This confirms a fire in 1995 https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/histo ... y-24580856 and the type of building is consistent with your images except for I can't see the tall chimney. The lie of the land is consistent too (Picture from the aticle)

Pedantic I know, but it would be the canal in your image if it was Benjamin Gott. Here is the modern aerial view of the site https://goo.gl/maps/bj3zc1SkL1nG7Vpe8

[Mooneyphoto]

Thanks and point taken about the water being the canal not the river.

I agree the area shown in my pictures looks a lot like that in the 1970s aerial photo you posted above. I found someone on the Gott School Facebook group who shared a newspaper article about a mid-90s fire. Unfortunately, she said my photos aren't of her old school as it didn't have the chimney. I did wonder if the chimney might have been outside the school grounds...

[tyke bhoy]

Well we do know that camera shots can forshorten background (there is a thread on here of a picture of Bridgewater Place which turned out to be taken from Airedale in far Castleford) but that Chimney does look mighty close to the School if not part of it. The image I posted does appear to have 2 or 3 Chimneys across the river in Burley(?) but they would be getting on for half a mile away. There may also be one directly over the top left corner of the bigger school building but again a fair distance. Kirkstall Forge vicinity?

There can't have been many post-war schools in Leeds in the vicinity of a stretch of water unles of course it isn't water.

[Mooneyphoto]

I now think the school was St Benedict’s in Bramley. The school was near the canal and the gable end and distinctive windows look like a really good match to me. Will hopefully get confirmation and maybe a bit more info from a Facebook group.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... ol-3093548

[warringtonrhino]

It looks like Benjamin Gott School. The single large chimney is probably Kirkstall power station, which originally had a pair of them , but in April 1979 when the cooling towers were demolished, there was only one chimney remaining.

[Mooneyphoto]

The railings still on the Leeds and Bradford Road in Bramley, with the St Benedict's site behind (now housing), appear to match those on my first pictures of the fire.

[tyke bhoy]

Yes it almost certainly is St Benedict's but there is still a mysterious chimney. Possibly hidden behind the house from this Leodis Image https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/99969

but also not evident on any of the 4/5 other images of the school google can find
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=st+be ... 41&dpr=0.9

There is also no mention of a fire there that I can find, just that it was demolished and replaced with a "housing estate". Of course that could be the burnt out shell was demolished. To be mid nineties the building would have to have been empty for several years unless it was repurposed because ofsted (and other sources) has the school closing in 1989 only 23 years after it was opened.

[Mooneyphoto]

Confirmation it's St Benedict's from the school Facebook group admin who also sent pictures that solve the chimney mystery:

'Hi Simon, Your pictures are 100% St Benedict's School, Leeds & Bradford Road. The school officially closed its doors in July 1990 and I'm guessing the fire pictures maybe around 1993ish The full building demolition may have been around September 1994. Hope this helps.'

Thanks for the help!

[uncle mick]

The fire was in July 1996 according to the YEP
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... iAoOgVBh1c

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