The 'road' from Adel Willows

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Thu 12 Jan, 2012 11:32 pm

I've been there at dawn and got some lovely photos of Roe deer, will post if I can work out how.If you are sat still and quiet they can't 'see' you but sense and smell (!) makes them wary.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 11:21 am

Jogon wrote: Does anyone know the history of this 'road'?There are two visible ends and I've often walked it. In doing so it looked far too well constructed to be just a farm track with a good surface and well constructed ditches to either side.1. The "Otley Rd" is new rather than "Otley Old Rd" and so perhaps this was it's original route.2. Perhaps this used to (before 1930's Golden Acre & the Quarry) link up to Blackhill Rd. From Don Cole's work I think it's a roadway going back hundreds of years. The area of Adel and Cookridge had no real centre, but a significant population that got around by foot and cart.It may have been an important road for crossing adel beck at Breary Marsh. Roads were difficult as we all know in years gone by when they became wet and muddy so getting over the marsh needed something a bit more special.This was crossed by Pinfold Lane to the west, then secondly by this road. Where the road stops today and turns sharply right (or east) it originally linked across to the old northwards route of Adel causeway.That branch of the road that SI marks was called Ridley CausewayAlthough the road no longer appears to go north beyond this sharp right turn, it did in times gone by and just beyond golden acre at black hill it forked. The left fork took you to Breary Grange, and the right fork took you to Arthington Lane (running up from long causeway I think)So if today you turn off the Otley Road onto this old Road by The Willows, then you can stop for a minute and think back 500 years to when this would be your route to pop up to Breary Grange or go on to Arthington (but not to Otley)Interestingly today's Pinfold Lane - a significantly substantial road at it's south end now petering out to a track - used to run north right through Bramhope, on to Creskeld hall, down across the Pool to Arthington Road and onto Castley Ford at the Wharfe.

Si · Post by Si » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 11:38 am

Thanks Parksider. Mystery solved.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 11:50 am

Excellent! I was looking at the map last night thinking similar things but could't find anything on the interweb apart from some interesting history about the dam failure. Then lager interupted play.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 12:03 pm

Si wrote: Thanks Parksider. Mystery solved. Just a correction.Long Causeway didn't run on north to Arthington but as it does today bends around to the Church.The road we have been talking about was Damstone Lane. The Willows may have been Damstone Farm. The track running from Kings Road (a modern road) into Breary Grange is the surviving part of the north end of Damstone lane.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 3:55 pm

parkieGood message, what is your book?Also (of part relevance to this) any mention of a deal or land swap between the Harewood Estate & Cookridge Hall owner many many years ago?Whereby Tadcaster Turnpike (Harewood Avenue) was diverted down Harewood Bank (instead of going past the 'front door'), rejoining it up the hill at Weardley "High Weardley Lane"

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 10:32 pm

Jogon wrote: parkieGood message, what is your book?Also (of part relevance to this) any mention of a deal or land swap between the Harewood Estate & Cookridge Hall owner many many years ago? Don Cole did a series of booklets on Cookridge/adel.I don't recall any land swaps, when I get time I'll thumb through, but he didn't get that far over geographically (i.e. weardley)

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Sat 14 Jan, 2012 12:32 pm

parkie thankswhere are Don's booklets avail?found an old ariel pic of Golden Acre showing the road coming in top right, line of trees then hedge.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 14 Jan, 2012 10:05 pm

Jogon wrote: parkie thankswhere are Don's booklets avail?found an old ariel pic of Golden Acre showing the road coming in top right, line of trees then hedge. Superb local historian and writer. Don isn't too hot as a salesman so the books only really seemed to be available locally.The problem is short print runs and sell outs. Don attends the Methodist Church opposite the Eyrie Pub where he used to sell the books to the congregation so that's where I'd start!#The Minister's a great guy perhaps he can put you in touch?

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Fri 20 Jan, 2012 6:43 pm

Tadcaster Turnpike did go straight by Harewood's door and was moved:-"the main east west road ran from Otley>Arthington>Harewood>York.The local landowners - including Thomas Arthington and Edwin Lascelles - decided to improve communications by making it a turnpike, and an Act was duly shepherded through Parliament. Work began in spring 1753. The trustees erected toll-bars and started charging people to use the road, before it had been significantly improved. Public opinion was outraged.All the sensible people attributed the dearness of their country to the turnpike roads; and reason speaks the truth of their opinion … make but a turnpike road through their country and all the cheapness vanishes at once.Three months later, a mob estimated to be 200 strong demolished the turnpike at Pool, then set off down the road to do the same at Harewood Bridge. But it happened that the trustees had been meeting at Arthington Hall and the two groups confronted each other at Arthington. Eventually, the threats of the rich men on horseback overcame the anger of the poor men on foot, and the mob dispersed. They tried again the following day, though.In the month of June 1753 an attempt was made by a large body of rioters to pull down several of the new toll bars. The first attack was made on the bar near Harewood bridge; but this was successfully resisted by Mr. Edwin Lascelles, afterwards the first Lord Harewood, who armed his tenants and workmen, repulsed the rioters, and after some skirmishing took about thirty of them prisoners .Lascelles was not a man to let public opinion get in his way. When he built his splendid new house at Harewood a few years later, he insisted that the village of Harewood should be knocked down and rebuilt further away, and also that the turnpike should be re-routed so that it didn’t go right past his front door"credited to http://www.johnhearfield.com/History/Adel.htm & via Don ColeSo if you google map the areahttp://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=53.895438,-1.535168&spn=0.05614,0.106945&t=m&z=13&vpsrc=6to the right A659 Harewood Av meets A61 Hgte Rd[for Otley you now go right and down to pool rd]but it used to continue straight through to what is now High Weardley Ln/Rawden Hill and shortly after that Black Hill Rd and back to the 'road' from Adel Willows.Was 'it' called "Damstones Lane"?Golden Acre Lake was Blackhill Dam.