Kirkstall Hall

[rikj]

Wasn't sure whether to put this in the "Grand Houses" thread or not, but decided it wasn't that grand.I think if you asked people where Kirkstall Hall was, you'd just get a "you what?" in reply. But until recently the remains of Kirkstall Hall were very much in evidence, just rather cunningly hidden away. If the magical munki uploading machine is working tonight, then Kirkstall Hall should be visible above. Not the whole structure, but the shadow of the old Kirkstall Hall is visible, with the new additions on top and to the side like some sort of architectural parasite.On the 1906 map Kirkstall Hall is clearly marked, though little further info is available. The gateposts are still there, "Kirkstall" on one, "Hall" on the other. Another echo of the original hall is still extant in "Hall Farm Garage" which seems to utilise some of the original buildings.One of the windows on the buildings had the inscription "Dimbleby Chapel", and the most recent use of the site was as the "Dimbleby Memorial Home", a care home I presume. Once again, no further info found.So, Kirkstall Hall has been sitting there while hundreds of students pass every day, and thousands of commuters, without knowing it's even there. Not a particularly grand house of Leeds, but certainly one of the older ones. Now gone I suspect, as a planning application for 07 was in, and looking at google earth it has now been flattened.

[Dalehelms]

We called it "The Dimbleby Home" . It was a residential care home.I used to take groups of children from my class to distribute fruit from the Harvest Festival and to sing carols at Christmas time to the residents. My last visit was in 1997, if I remember correctly, prior to changing jobs. My kids always thought the house was "posh". The gardens were well maintained and enjoyed by the residents. The staff used to give my kids orange juice and chocolate biscuits. Happy days!!

[stevief]

In the '70s there were a couple of petrol pumps close to the Broad Lane entrance to Dimbleby House.Proberby nothing to do with the house itself.I should have saved this for a 'Lost petrol stations'thread.

[tyke bhoy]

stevief wrote: I should have saved this for a 'Lost petrol stations'thread. Certainly plenty of scope. Most of the mre recent closures have become car wash's

[Bramley4woods]

stevief wrote: In the '70s there were a couple of petrol pumps close to the Broad Lane entrance to Dimbleby House.Proberby nothing to do with the house itself.I should have saved this for a 'Lost petrol stations'thread. There was a garage and petrol station there.I used to go there for paraffin heating oil. Aged about 10 I used to take a 5 gallon can there on my bogey. it would have weighed about 40 pounds when it was full, and I had to pull it back up Broad Lea Street.

[stevief]

Not as grand as a Hall perhaps but this building must have had some status at one time.Situated on Commercial Road,it's now a Doctors surgery.

[stevief]

The gate is visible in this old photo.It's the gap in the wall below the trees.

[BIGD1951]

just found out that my grandmother Georgiana Billbrough nee Thompson worked at the hall as well as another relative Doris Armstrong, who was the maid there, My mum who is nearly 91 remembers going there with her mum when she was about 10 or 11, she didn't know that it had been pulled down. Doris was the maid and lived upstairs, it was the grandure of the hall that made mum want to travel up the ladder of life. Anyone remember these 2 ladies. My grandmother died in 1940.

[Defib Dave]

I used to live here!!!
My mam was Matron from 1972-1979
We lived in what was called the cottage, a seperate building on the right as you drove in from Broad Lane.
I loved living here, even had its own conker tree which made me the most popular kid in school ever autumn
Went to Wyther Park Primary just around the corner.