SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Sorry about the satellite image but i couldn't find a decent pic of it online and my camera is the old fashioned kind:Hollybush Farm (currently Hollybush Conservation Centre) is a grade 2 listed building located about 5 minutes from Kirkstall Road Morrisons, on the corner by the old bridge next to The Bridge pub.I'm interested really in any sort of info anyone has about the building/uses/occupants prior to British Trust Conservation Volunteers taking up residence there in 1981. Anecdotal stuff is just fine.Some people i know are doing a history project on the building, though a lot of 'hard' investigation into it (parish records etc) hasn't turned up a great deal. We know that there's been a farm building on the site since the 1600s and that it was originally part of the abbey grounds, we also know it's been modified considerably over the years, last rebuilt around 1890 (it still has horsehair and lime plaster on the walls), and that earlier maps show the building as being a T shape (think without the outbuilding, and with the stalk coming off the main building towards the 'polytunnels').Apparently the barn (lower left part) is the oldest part.Will try to shoot off a film of the place and post in the near-ish future, it's quite a nice building in itself.The only other thing we know about the place is from a guy who worked for a shop nearby cira 1940s, who said that it was a residential building then, and that he used to deliver groceries to the old woman who lived there.Anyone know anything? or just have good stories?

It used to be a rhubarb farm at some point in it's past.And there's reputed to be a tunnel that runs from the cellar ro Kirkstall Abbey (one of many legendary tunnels in the area it seems!)...An old guy called Ross Ratcliffe used to volunteer there and he collected lots of folklore and legends. He probably knew a few tales about the place aswell. I'm not sure if he's still alive, but he'd be worth getting in touch with if he is! (Someone in the upper echelons of 'management' should have an old contact number for him).CheersDave

cheers for that... should be a big help if he's still alive and we can track him down

Just checked, Ross passad away just over a year ago Any general info about the site still much appreciated...

hi , would anyone have any info about whitehouse farm cookridge. my g grandmother and her family lived there according to the 1881 census also in 1901. I cant find it on google. maybe its been demolished , any ideas of how i can find out?

Plenty of pics on Leodis of Hollybush Farm,but they are taken in 1979             Michael    

Thanks for that, i found those a while back but the thumbs up still appreciated.There are some much older ones on Leodis too, if you fish around for where the farm building has been caught in the background of shots of the bridge, bridge inn and iirc the brewery. You don't get to see that much in them though.

The building of Hollybush farm is shown on the 1851 map at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapshe ... =201&y=278 . I've been away from Leeds for a long time, but was it once part of the brewery, and didn't it once have a gig mackeson sign on the wall. I may be confusing it with somewhere else near. If you go to Google earth (not apaprently google maps) there is a ground level picture (not sure of exact date) Not clear how to attach it

The building of Hollybush farm is shown on the 1851 map at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapshe ... =201&y=278 . I've been away from Leeds for a long time, but was it once part of the brewery, and didn't it once have a gig mackeson sign on the wall. I may be confusing it with somewhere else near. If you go to Google earth (not apaprently google maps) there is a ground level picture (not sure of exact date) which i attach.

chemimike wrote: The building of Hollybush farm is shown on the 1851 map at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapshe ... =201&y=278 . I've been away from Leeds for a long time, but was it once part of the brewery, and didn't it once have a gig mackeson sign on the wall. I may be confusing it with somewhere else near. If you go to Google earth (not apaprently google maps) there is a ground level picture (not sure of exact date) which i attach. Hi chemimike Idont think that Hollybush Farm was part of the brewery its on the other side of the Leeds Liverpool Canal from the old brewery.By the way the old brewrey is now turned into flats i do not know how long you have been away from Leeds but it has been refurbished for a few years now.