SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

chameleon wrote: Leodian wrote: There is Monkbridge in Leeds so it would be great if there is a Monktunnel. Well I can be the ever hopeful optimist! Replying in similar vein, I thinks Phil's already been down that road. . . I think I may suffer from an eyesight problem, that of tunnel vision.

Here you go Leodian.Your Monks tunnel.I never realised how extensive the railway layout was inside Monksbridge until i looked at the old maps. You can see the line ran underneath Whitehall road via a short tunnel.I also didn't know the line ran across Globe road to the canal. I've since found out it was called Victoria Wharf.The portal appears to be bricked up today though.Most of the old track is still visible on Google earth.And where the line crossed Globe road to Victoria wharf.You can see the old cobblestones are resurfacing again. I can't see signs of any old rails though.        

Leodian wrote: chameleon wrote: Leodian wrote: There is Monkbridge in Leeds so it would be great if there is a Monktunnel. Well I can be the ever hopeful optimist! Replying in similar vein, I thinks Phil's already been down that road. . . I think I may suffer from an eyesight problem, that of tunnel vision. What did I tell you??? you're not alone - got one, been there done that man was straight in..................Cheers Phil.

Phill_dvsn wrote: Here you go Leodian.Your Monksbridge tunnel.I never realised how extensive the railway layout was inside Monksbridge until i looked at the old maps. You can see the line ran underneath Whitehall road via a short tunnel.I also didn't know the line ran over Globe road to the canal. I've since found out it was called Victoria Wharf.The portal appears to be bricked up today though. It's clearly going to need a lot of digging to get to the Kirkstall Abbey end but less to get into the centre of Leeds at the St John's Church end.

It's just been on the news that the Eastgate developement is going ahead. So you never know what they'll dig up at the St Johns end.Your wish may yet come true again Leodian     

When Kirkstall Abbey was built there was not much else about, so why would they waste time digging tunnels to nowhere?

I used to work at the City Varieties and was told on many occasion about the tunnel linking it to the abbey, from the old days when the CV was a drinking/entertainment venue.Was once taken down the bowels of the CV and shown a hatch that opened to a void, this was supposedly the tunnel but was probably just a sewer access or something!

sonypc100 wrote: I used to work at the City Varieties and was told on many occasion about the tunnel linking it to the abbey, from the old days when the CV was a drinking/entertainment venue.Was once taken down the bowels of the CV and shown a hatch that opened to a void, this was supposedly the tunnel but was probably just a sewer access or something! You only really need to put two dates together.Kirkstall Abbey was built between 1152 and 1182.City Varieties was built in 1885. The Abbey has been a ruin and abandoned since 1539, 300+ years before the Varieties was built.It would be a nice idea to think the Monks were partial to a bit of Widow Twanky. But i doubt it really. Some kids found those small brick tunnels along the canal between the Abbey & the Abbey pub many moons ago. They told there mates they were secret tunnels for the Monks. Since then whenever anyone finds a small tunnel, mill goit, culvert, or sewer it's part of the elaborate Kirkstall Abbey tunnel. Latest reports say the urban legend tunnel runs to exotic locations like Temple Newsam, and Roundhay park. I think you only need to ask the same reason as Chris.Why would they need to hide under ground. There was nothing, including people there in 1132 I'm sure we haven't head the last about this 'secret tunnel' on S.L yet though             

Phill_dvsn wrote: sonypc100 wrote: I used to work at the City Varieties and was told on many occasion about the tunnel linking it to the abbey, from the old days when the CV was a drinking/entertainment venue.Was once taken down the bowels of the CV and shown a hatch that opened to a void, this was supposedly the tunnel but was probably just a sewer access or something! You only really need to put two dates together.City Varieties was built in 1885. Kirkstall Abbey was built between 1152 and 1192.The Abbey has been a ruin since 1539, 300+ years before the Varieties was built.It would be a nice idea to think the Monks were partial to a bit of Widow Twanky. But i doubt it really. Some kids found those small brick tunnels along the canal between the Abbey & the Abbey pub many moons ago. They told there mates they were secret tunnels for the Monks. Since then whenever anyone finds a small tunnel, mill goit, culvert, or sewer it's part of the elaborate Kirkstall Abbey tunnel. Latest reports say the urban legend tunnel runs to Temple Newsam, and Roundhay park. I think you only need to ask the same reason as Chris.Why would they need to hide under ground. There was nothing, including people there in 1132 I'm sure we haven't head the last about this 'tunnel' on S.L yet though      You are correct on the dates, but I mean it was a drinking/entertainment venue they visited on the site where the CV now stands

Leodian wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Here you go Leodian.Your Monksbridge tunnel.I never realised how extensive the railway layout was inside Monksbridge until i looked at the old maps. You can see the line ran underneath Whitehall road via a short tunnel.I also didn't know the line ran over Globe road to the canal. I've since found out it was called Victoria Wharf.The portal appears to be bricked up today though. It's clearly going to need a lot of digging to get to the Kirkstall Abbey end but less to get into the centre of Leeds at the St John's Church end. After I left school I tried for an apprenticeship at Doncasters Monkbridge and was lucky enough to get an interview [although not the job]. After the interview several of us were given a tour around the factory. I distinctly remember walking through the tunnel indicated on the map. It was cobbled, and still with the railway track still in situ, though I don’t think it, or any of the internal rail network, was, by then, in use. I can also recall that although it was wide [obviously wide enough for standard gauge wagons to pass through] we had to wait while a fork-lift truck passed through the tunnel from north to south [from one of the press shops to the machine shop].