SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I took this photo today (November 23 2010) at a shop on Wellington Street (on the left coming from City Square) near or at where the Leeds Central Station used to be. The engraved stone is quite low, being at street level. I suspect it indicates a Great Northern Railway boundary at 4 feet, but I wonder if anyone knows anything definite, such as what boundary and what does the 4 feet mean. Thanks for any help.

Leodian - it is indeed a railway boundery post and would have marked the companys boundery in that location. I'm guessing you found it built into what was the hotel and is now the Indian resturant.That building belonged to the Railway company when it was a hotel, the 4ft refers to the distance the companys boundery extends from the stone, towards the road - much like a fire hyderant plate tells you how far from the wall towards the road a hyderant actually is.

BIG N wrote: Leodian - it is indeed a railway boundery post and would have marked the companys boundery in that location. I'm guessing you found it built into what was the hotel and is now the Indian resturant.That building belonged to the Railway company when it was a hotel, the 4ft refers to the distance the companys boundery extends from the stone, towards the road - much like a fire hyderant plate tells you how far from the wall towards the road a hyderant actually is. Thanks BIG N. While I was at the shop I thought I might as well ask the staff if they had any information. I just got baffled looks when I mentioned what I was asking about and still bafflement when I showed the image I had took on my digital camera. I had not really expected they would know, but you never know. I clearly confused them when I mentioned the old Central Sation had been around there, as I was told which way to go to get to the City Station.

Were these common? Or is something to do with laying out of Wellington Street, which IIRC was a private turnpike road?

Hi Cardiarms. Railway boundary markers were widespread, varied in style, and in all sorts of unexpected places, as the old railway companies owned many parcels of land not connected directly with railway services. Railways probably come close to the Church as landowners/landlords. For instance,the block of land between Wellington Street, Aire Street, and Thirsk Row was partly or wholly railway owned. Much property around Kitson Street on Richmond Hill also belonged to the railway. Some would be seen as investment property that might be needed in the future, some had to be bought as part of a site needed for railway construction, where the owners would only sell a complete land parcel, and quite a lot was purchased to build workers rented housing.Sometimes parcels and booking offices were occupied in city centres remote from railway stations or lines for the convenience of passengers booking ahead, or for firms to despatch parcels or freight without going to distant goods sheds or yardsI believe that the majority of this property has been sold off over the years, but markers such as the one discussed in this thread could take a lot of removing!    

Not too sure about this but a legacy of the old railway owned property remains today in the areas of the city centre which are still the responsiblity of the British Transport Police.One example I think is the Queens Hotel,a long time since owned byBR etc but still I think part of the BTP Manor.Parts of BoarLane I hink are the same.Someone out there will know !