Secret Old Railway (Crown Point)

simon2710 · Post by **simon2710** » Fri 20 May, 2011 11:51 pm

Hi all,Haven't posted in a while so here is a goodie I found in Leeds. I walk over this bridge every day on Ivory Street, Leeds - No longer than a stone's throw away from the Crown Point Shopping Centre. It looks just like a railway once ran down there (to where though...?) and it also run right up the railway line that currently exists if you follow it along. Doesn't look like it can't be accessed and the entrance seems to have a sign stating that it is owned by National Grid.Hope this is of some interest.Simon

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 21 May, 2011 12:25 am

simon2710 wrote: Hi all,Haven't posted in a while so here is a goodie I found in Leeds. I walk over this bridge every day on Ivory Street, Leeds - No longer than a stone's throw away from the Crown Point Shopping Centre. It looks just like a railway once ran down there (to where though...?) and it also run right up the railway line that currently exists if you follow it along. Doesn't look like it can't be accessed and the entrance seems to have a sign stating that it is owned by National Grid.Hope this is of some interest.Simon It's of very intense interest Simon, it's the old connection between the main line and what was Hunslet Goods station. Check out the old maps - the site goes back years and is of great interest as you say. Crown point retail park is sat directly on the template of the old railway station/goods yard.Nice one......

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 21 May, 2011 12:32 am

simon2710 wrote: Hi all, It looks just like a railway once ran down there (to where though...?) http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... Y=FULLthis is the goods station as was now the retail park. the pic I think is from Ivory Stret bridge....

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 21 May, 2011 12:44 am

Hi Simon.Thanks for posting your pics. It shows the vegetation has started to grow back, good time to photograph it before it's head height again then. I have a few before and after closure photos of the cutting here you might find interestinghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/309505604/

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Sat 21 May, 2011 1:05 pm

Through a search I found this link to a 1913/1914 map of the railway lines in the central area of Leeds. I thought it may be of interest as it shows (among other things) the site of the Hunslet goods yard. Please accept my apologies if the map is already somewhere in the SL site. This is the link, which I hope works! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leeds_RJD_40.jpg Edit added moments after posting. The link as it is does not work, but it does if you copy and paste the full link. Sorry for that!

Post by **chameleon** » Sat 21 May, 2011 7:30 pm

Leodian wrote: Through a search I found this link to a 1913/1914 map of the railway lines in the central area of Leeds. I thought it may be of interest as it shows (among other things) the site of the Hunslet goods yard. Please accept my apologies if the map is already somewhere in the SL site. This is the link, which I hope works! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leeds_RJD_40.jpg Edit added moments after posting. The link as it is does not work, but it does if you copy and paste the full link. Sorry for that! Another of the SL mysteries .... it doesn't recognise the colon in the address and fails. This is the picture for anyone struggling; click on the cross as usual

fell runner · Post by **fell runner** » Sat 21 May, 2011 7:54 pm

Phill will probably know the answer to this, I regularly run on the Trans Pennine Trail which starts on Old Mill Lane just off Low Rd,Hunslet.Not far into the run is the remains of a railway bridge, with one of the supports in the middle of the River Aire near the weir, if you look up you can still see a set of buffers. Might be wrong but I think this line would go to the old Hunslet goods yard,now Crown Point shopping centre

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Sat 21 May, 2011 8:54 pm

fell runner wrote: Phill will probably know the answer to this, I regularly run on the Trans Pennine Trail which starts on Old Mill Lane just off Low Rd,Hunslet.Not far into the run is the remains of a railway bridge, with one of the supports in the middle of the River Aire near the weir, if you look up you can still see a set of buffers. Might be wrong but I think this line would go to the old Hunslet goods yard,now Crown Point shopping centre Yes it's covered in a bit of detail with maps and photos on the lost rails of West Yorkshire website herehttp://www.lostrailwayswestyorkshire.co.uk/Bee ... %20gds.htm

fell runner · Post by **fell runner** » Sat 21 May, 2011 10:05 pm

thought as much, thanks for the link Phill,very interesting

railnut · Post by **railnut** » Mon 23 May, 2011 12:58 pm

Hunslet Goods was the original passenger station before the deviation was built past Holbeck Shed and into what became as Leeds New and later Leeds City.Hunslet Goods [or passenger as was] was earmarked to be extended north up Briggate and a hotel was built at the corner of Hunslet Lane/Hunslet Road at Meadow Lane. This is the triangular building that exists today. Many think its shape was to do with the road layout, but in fact it's to do with the proposed alignment of the route. Never opened as a hotel though as far as I know. Used to be the offices of Tunstalls.A tunnel was envisaged at some point to go under New Briggate and then pick-up the Meanwood Valley to go north.What a different City we would have if the main railway route was north/south instead of the east/west layout we have today. EDIT ADDEDThe Crown Point yard was Midland Rly and known as Hunslet West in BR days, whilst the other location near the river aire at Sturton was the Great Northern line to Hunslet Goods GN then becoming Hunslet East. Road access was from South Accom Road. Rail access is now from Neville Hill West Junc after the old swing bridge over the river and the route to Beeston Junc was closed.