SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Save Our Spotted Path.I'm sure I can't be the only poster who knows about the near legendary "Spotted Path" which ran through the middle of Swarcliffe and up to Whinmoor, providing a quiet route to walk away from traffic?Well due to the "redevelopment" of the Swarcliffe area under the PFI scheme, much of this has now vanished, torn up to make way for new roads that tear throught the estate where once there was tranquility, allowing the developers to build new houses and flats on what was once open green space where residents played on either side of the wide spacious boulevard.A small section survives near the Staging Post pub and other sections can be found either side of where the subway used to allow pedestrians to walk below Stanks Drive, safe from the perils of crossing the road. However, even these look perilous due to ongoing work to install car bays and home zone parking areas.But the Spotted Path is a shadow of it's former self, with the lions share of it gone, soon to be forgotten in the mists of time. No more generations of school children will walk along the path, stepping only on the spots and avoiding the cracks.It's a mystery to me that the likes of the Leeds Civic Trust have allowed such an iconic feature of our heritage to be torn asunder in this way. Can we save what remains for future generations?

Whinmoor ('A' wasn't it?)was built as an icon to embrace what were then, traffic free areas into a new estate and it worked well with the spotted path running from No 1 Whinmoor way right through as you say, to York Road and the flyover at the Red Lion. Even from there as has been mentioned, it continued in spirit and slightly different form running past the old Grimes Dyke Farm behind the houses and parallel with Sherburn Road ridht upto the start of Whinmoor 'D'.Perhaps the significance has been lost to todays planning representatives, a small piece of heritage of a kind and an example of the thinking from the late 60's being allowed to disappear.Looking along the line of replacemnt houses along the Cock Beck, it looks as though public access to even that has been removed with walls and fences pervading in every gap between the houses. Be it for security or H & S in the fear of some unsupervised little offspring of indifferent parentage drowning themselves I know not. I'm not even sure if the path to Scholes can still be accessed without going through someones kitchen! Such a lack of thought for the population which pre-existed but typical perhaps of today's uninformed decision makers.

There was a big fuss last year when the new houses / apartments went up as access along the Cock Beck was meant to be maintained, as was the footpath up to Chippies Quarry and Scholes. Apparently "someone" at the developers managed to block much of it off.There were promises that it would all be sorted out, but I've heard nothing since. I'm fairly sure it's meant to form part of the "fitness trail" which has been put in around the area as part of the project. To be honest, given the number of broken promises, poor quality workmanship, problems and general hand washing of any incident with the whole PFI project, who knows what has happened? Assuming access has been restored, I can't imagine it would be a pleasant place to walk now anyway. It used to be fairly open with green areas and playing fields alonside much of the path. Now I would imagine it's all hemmed in (at best) against a series of walls and fences. A ne'er do wells paradise, perhaps?

I remember it well when first developed back in the 70's - my Great Aunt and Uncle were housed in one of the maisonettes when there life-long home of more years than I can certainly remember in old Seacroft Village fell foul to the developers of what was to Halfords in theose days (Neto now).I remember it was very pleasant then, looking out behind through the mature trees and hedges which had been pains-takingly left intact along the banks of the beck, quite tranquil too.The beck runs through Grimes Dyke of course which has its own history, many stretches of this are listed as ancient monuments. I don't know if that applies this high up, but it is to be hoped that the area has been suitabley preserved.Isn't the track to the quarry a Public Right of Way? Must have a look at that.

Too late I'm afraid - the rememnants of the spotted path referred to above are no more, dug up and replaced by more of that high gloss, low grip shiny black tarmac.

raveydavey wrote: Too late I'm afraid - the rememnants of the spotted path referred to above are no more, dug up and replaced by more of that high gloss, low grip shiny black tarmac. Yak. Such a shame those making these decisions do not take advantage of this forum to discover public opinion - and reaction!

chameleon wrote: raveydavey wrote: Too late I'm afraid - the rememnants of the spotted path referred to above are no more, dug up and replaced by more of that high gloss, low grip shiny black tarmac. Yak. Such a shame those making these decisions do not take advantage of this forum to discover public opinion - and reaction! I couldn't agree more!

chameleon wrote: I remember it well when first developed back in the 70's - my Great Aunt and Uncle were housed in one of the maisonettes when there life-long home of more years than I can certainly remember in old Seacroft Village fell foul to the developers of what was to Halfords in theose days (Neto now).I remember it was very pleasant then, looking out behind through the mature trees and hedges which had been pains-takingly left intact along the banks of the beck, quite tranquil too.The beck runs through Grimes Dyke of course which has its own history, many stretches of this are listed as ancient monuments. I don't know if that applies this high up, but it is to be hoped that the area has been suitabley preserved.Isn't the track to the quarry a Public Right of Way? Must have a look at that. I've just had a look an a couple of older (but recent in this context)maps and see that between York Road and Barwick Road, two footbridges are shown with tracks clearly deoicted ans footpaths leading to them and thence to the track to or directly to the pond and old works is Scholes.That strongly suggest to me Public Right of Way - might you be able to investigate whether or not these can be accessed? Certainly if they are not to be lost, noises need to be made quickly.

If the weather stays dry this coming weekend, I might take the dog for a walk in that direction and see what is to be seen.