SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I remember walking the Meanwood Valley Trail from Golden Acre Park to Woodhouse Moor as a lad in the mid 80's on a hot summers day.I quite fancy repeating the feat once the weather improves. Has anyone done this walk recently?What are the more "inner city" sections like nowadays? Am I likely to be accosted by feral gangs of hoodies and ne'er do wells with big dogs, or is it still a tranquil green oasis?

As safe as any other part of LEEDS, city centre excluded.I often walk/cycle Woodhouse Ridge.

raveydavey wrote: I remember walking the Meanwood Valley Trail from Golden Acre Park to Woodhouse Moor as a lad in the mid 80's on a hot summers day.I quite fancy repeating the feat once the weather improves. Has anyone done this walk recently?What are the more "inner city" sections like nowadays? Am I likely to be accosted by feral gangs of hoodies and ne'er do wells with big dogs, or is it still a tranquil green oasis? Enjoy it mate. Make sure you take in Adel woods and theremains of the buildings where the populace would take refeeshment when they used to promenade on a sunday, see the iron door of the permanent building society strongrooms often referred to here, the seven arches aquedust a monument to water engineering and stop at Scotland Mill dam and below it the scant remains of the mill itself...Super stuff.

In the early 60s i used to go to Monty,s Saturday flicks with our kid. I am sure it was Adel Woods we used to go to after the movies, i remember jumping over aquaducts that looked like they they were built by the romans, all stone & plumb sides. We used to jump over them easily but i can,t remember the bath house. Is this where we went?    I have not seen any photos of the aquaducts on Leodis.     I left Leeds in 1969 & came to Aus with Mum & Dad. Too long for the memory box i think.

I try to do the walk every year,in a different season if possible.I usually start at Woodhouse Ridge and end at Golden Acre.I've never encountered any undesirables,just other hikers,runners,dog walkers etc.On certain stretches of the walk I sometimes forget I'm in the middle of a large city,it's a peaceful oasis.    

Excellent, sounds good to me.Thanks for your advice.

As kids in the 70's we once followed Meanwood Beck (in our wellies!) all the way from Meanwood Park to Golden Acre. Obviously we didnt know it ended at Golden Acre and when we got there after a six hour hike upriver, we were convinced we were in the Lake District! I remember we hitched alift back to Headingley in a van full of hippies. Can't imagine a gang of 10 year olds doing that today...Adel Woods was always a good day out playing on the aqueducts and delving into the depths of the famous air raid shelter which has been discussed on here before. Storage for Leeds Perm or Yorkshire Bank? An air raid shelter for the Lord Mayor and the Earl of Harewood? A bunker for Government scientists to experiment on German POWs? Whatever it was it was a legendary playground for boys from all over North Leeds.

And if anyone wants to lend a hand keeping Woodhouse Ridge tidy, Woodhouse Ridge Action Group will be having one of their monthly action days tomorrow. Details on their site:http://www.woodhouseridge.org.uk/Nowt to do with me but thought I'd mention it.Or perhaps we should call it Roundwood Ridge....................

From my running club at Adel we regularly run down the trail to Meanwood Park and then back up again with a final climb at Adel Crag.Always enjoyable,albeit tough !!

Can someone pinpoint where the old war bunkers are at Adel, we run regularly through the woods and I can't say I have ever noticed them. Are they anywhere near the old aqueduct ?