What was/is this area in LS16 used for?

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 14 Nov, 2011 12:25 pm

Is this the tunnel you mean by any chance?http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn ... 235/Rather nice stonework on it anyway.

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Mon 14 Nov, 2011 2:14 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: Is this the tunnel you mean by any chance?http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn ... 235/Rather nice stonework on it anyway. Thanks Phill it certainly looks like the one I remember. They built 'em to last back then. Any ideas where the path nowadays runs from and to? JD

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 14 Nov, 2011 4:00 pm

jdbythesea wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Is this the tunnel you mean by any chance?http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn ... 235/Rather nice stonework on it anyway. Thanks Phill it certainly looks like the one I remember. They built 'em to last back then. Any ideas where the path nowadays runs from and to? JD It just forms a pathway through the woods these days, the works and mills it used to serve have all closed now. There is another subway through the woods further up where Woodside dye works used to be. They all connect along the pathway.

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Mon 14 Nov, 2011 4:41 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: jdbythesea wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Is this the tunnel you mean by any chance?http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn ... 235/Rather nice stonework on it anyway. Thanks Phill it certainly looks like the one I remember. They built 'em to last back then. Any ideas where the path nowadays runs from and to? JD It just forms a pathway through the woods these days, the works and mills it used to serve have all closed now. There is another subway through the woods further up where Woodside dye works used to be. They all connect along the pathway. Thanks again Phill. JD

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Mon 14 Nov, 2011 4:46 pm

Yes there are two of these tunnels inbetween the ring road and Horsforth station. One runs under the railway furthur up the line inbetween Silk Mill woods and as Phil says the old dye works and this one which links the quarry to a track which leads in one direction towards the ring road and the other way towards Low Lane passing by the dog kennels and going over a small bridge over Oil Mill Beck. Clayton Woods and the woods surrounding it are absolutely enormous for woodland in an urban environment. There are many tracks and paths, some of which are very ancient that criss cross the woods. Even though I have lived right next to them for over 12 years I havent explored all of them and its possible to walk for miles and miles without leaving them. Especially if you cross the odd road to get into the neighbouring woodlands of Ireland Wood etc you can explore for hours. I've been surprised when I've gone for a stroll on Sunday afternoon to find that when I return I've been gone for over 4 hours! In the upper part of Clayton Wood / Ireland Wood there is an English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monument, see:ENGLISH HERITAGE's REF: SM 31527ENGLISH HERITAGE's SITE NAME: STONE HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT IN CLAYTON WOOD ON THE SOUTH WEST SIDE OF IVESON DRIVEDATE OF CURRENT SCHEDULLING: 19/03/1999I have mentioned it on here a few years ago, and despite my best efforts I cant find the exact site. Its hard to tell as this part of the woods has many stones strewn around and there is some quite thick undergrowth which may be hiding the site. What might be of interest to some of you who like underground places - Phil / RickJ is there are some underground cellars in the quarry that I only discovered a few months ago. I have yet to return with torch etc. I know that one of the cellars contains some old machinery from the quarrying days. The cellars are only accessible by squeezing through a tight gap in the earth and there is no daylight gets in so lighting is essential. I'm gonna try and do some pics when the weather improves.

jdbythesea · Post by **jdbythesea** » Mon 14 Nov, 2011 5:55 pm

jonleeds wrote: Yes there are two of these tunnels inbetween the ring road and Horsforth station. One runs under the railway furthur up the line inbetween Silk Mill woods and as Phil says the old dye works and this one which links the quarry to a track which leads in one direction towards the ring road and the other way towards Low Lane passing by the dog kennels and going over a small bridge over Oil Mill Beck. Clayton Woods and the woods surrounding it are absolutely enormous for woodland in an urban environment. There are many tracks and paths, some of which are very ancient that criss cross the woods. Even though I have lived right next to them for over 12 years I havent explored all of them and its possible to walk for miles and miles without leaving them. Especially if you cross the odd road to get into the neighbouring woodlands of Ireland Wood etc you can explore for hours. I've been surprised when I've gone for a stroll on Sunday afternoon to find that when I return I've been gone for over 4 hours! In the upper part of Clayton Wood / Ireland Wood there is an English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monument, see:ENGLISH HERITAGE's REF: SM 31527ENGLISH HERITAGE's SITE NAME: STONE HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT IN CLAYTON WOOD ON THE SOUTH WEST SIDE OF IVESON DRIVEDATE OF CURRENT SCHEDULLING: 19/03/1999I have mentioned it on here a few years ago, and despite my best efforts I cant find the exact site. Its hard to tell as this part of the woods has many stones strewn around and there is some quite thick undergrowth which may be hiding the site. What might be of interest to some of you who like underground places - Phil / RickJ is there are some underground cellars in the quarry that I only discovered a few months ago. I have yet to return with torch etc. I know that one of the cellars contains some old machinery from the quarrying days. The cellars are only accessible by squeezing through a tight gap in the earth and there is no daylight gets in so lighting is essential. I'm gonna try and do some pics when the weather improves. Jon thanks for all this info. You and Phill have certainly been a great help. It's 50 yrs since I ran around those woods and the memory ain't what it was but I can place the tunnels now.Be careful though when you go exploring further in Clayton Woods. There was a murder and the body was found in a pond there about 10 years ago. I wouldn't go on my own. JD

CathJ · Post by **CathJ** » Mon 14 Nov, 2011 7:09 pm

jonleeds wrote: Yes there are two of these tunnels inbetween the ring road and Horsforth station. One runs under the railway furthur up the line inbetween Silk Mill woods and as Phil says the old dye works and this one which links the quarry to a track which leads in one direction towards the ring road and the other way towards Low Lane passing by the dog kennels and going over a small bridge over Oil Mill Beck. Clayton Woods and the woods surrounding it are absolutely enormous for woodland in an urban environment. There are many tracks and paths, some of which are very ancient that criss cross the woods. Even though I have lived right next to them for over 12 years I havent explored all of them and its possible to walk for miles and miles without leaving them. Especially if you cross the odd road to get into the neighbouring woodlands of Ireland Wood etc you can explore for hours. I've been surprised when I've gone for a stroll on Sunday afternoon to find that when I return I've been gone for over 4 hours! In the upper part of Clayton Wood / Ireland Wood there is an English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monument, see:ENGLISH HERITAGE's REF: SM 31527ENGLISH HERITAGE's SITE NAME: STONE HUT CIRCLE SETTLEMENT IN CLAYTON WOOD ON THE SOUTH WEST SIDE OF IVESON DRIVEDATE OF CURRENT SCHEDULLING: 19/03/1999I have mentioned it on here a few years ago, and despite my best efforts I cant find the exact site. Its hard to tell as this part of the woods has many stones strewn around and there is some quite thick undergrowth which may be hiding the site. What might be of interest to some of you who like underground places - Phil / RickJ is there are some underground cellars in the quarry that I only discovered a few months ago. I have yet to return with torch etc. I know that one of the cellars contains some old machinery from the quarrying days. The cellars are only accessible by squeezing through a tight gap in the earth and there is no daylight gets in so lighting is essential. I'm gonna try and do some pics when the weather improves. Hi Jon,I wonder if it was one of those cellars I remember? I can't remember ever seeing anything inside when I peeked into the opening. Maybe once the warmer weather comes round I'll have to have a trip down memory lane.

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Tue 15 Nov, 2011 1:34 am

JDbythesea, yes I remember well the police retrieving the body from one of the two ponds in Clayton Woods. It was in January of 2001 and as there were no leaves on the trees I could clearly see the police divers retrieving the body from the pond from the window A couple of homosexual menin their mid-late 20s who lived on Iveson Drive, at the edge of Clayton Woods had apparently befriended a 17 year old heroin addict and homeless person who they murdered during or after a sexual act. They then tried to make it look like he drowned in the nearby ponds by hitting his head with a stone from the side of the pond and submerging his body. The pair claimed that the young man had slept on their sofa overnight, but when they awoke in the morning he had left. However his body was discovered by dog walkers the next day and the police were called. Forensic evidence proved that he had died from suffocation by strangulation or smothering and not drowning as there wasn’t evidence of water in the lungs. The pair were each given life sentences and their appeals to have their sentences reduced were denied. So the murder didn’t actually occur in the woods. In the 12 years that I’ve lived in West Park I have spent many a weekend exploring the woods and I have never had any trouble at all. Infact even in the middle of summer during the school holidays its rare to find kids playing in the woods. I think the modern generation are glued to their Nintendo Wii’s / Xbox 360s etc rather than playing out and exploring. The people who ride motorcross bikes are generally grown-ups who come to the quarry mostly on a weekend, some come from quite far away and bring their family for the day. I see them parking up their 4x4 vehicles / vans usually with a trailer on the back for their bikes / quads etc. Its strange that there is virtually no council literature / information about Clayton Woods and the surrounding woodland so if you don’t live near the woods you probably wouldn’t know they were there.Cath, there are a few submerged structures around the inside of the quarry, most are the foundations of what were once buildings related to the quarry. It was quite an operation, you can see the size of the place from the google satellite view, I mean you could probably fit most of Horsforth into the Clayton Woods / Woodside Quarry site.

CathJ · Post by **CathJ** » Tue 15 Nov, 2011 11:09 pm

jonleeds wrote: Cath, there are a few submerged structures around the inside of the quarry, most are the foundations of what were once buildings related to the quarry. It was quite an operation, you can see the size of the place from the google satellite view, I mean you could probably fit most of Horsforth into the Clayton Woods / Woodside Quarry site. That's true, although the quarry looks a lot bigger on google maps than I remembered it to be, again this could be poor memory or perhaps it appears bigger because of the clearance of the area. I think if you look closer on the satellite view, just below the cross type tracks in the centre is the structure I remember seeing. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=horsfor ... 8gEwAAHope that link works to show the close up I mean.

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Wed 16 Nov, 2011 2:27 am

Hi CathJ, yes the location you are pointing are the remains of one of several buildings that were demolished. Largely all that remains of them now is the foundations - and in some cases the subterreanean chambers that lie below. I'm going to have a wander over there when we get a dry day and try get some photos of the place as its never been discussed on here before. About a mile and a half away in Hawksworth Woods I also uncovered the entrance to the genuine Kirkstall Abbey Tunnel that many people have tried to dismiss as being an old explosives store from the quarrying days. Well have a look at this picture of mine and tell me what you think:andand…!People have claimed that the tunnel is only a few feet deep but when the solid iron door is buried beneath 4 foot of earth with only the top 8 inches visible and only able to open wide enough to squeeze my hand through with my camera to take a photograph I find it hard to see how anyone could know the length of the tunnel. Indeed some photos were posted by some persons who reckoned they had climbed inside and that it came to a dead end, and the laugh of it is - THEY WERE MY ORIGINAL PHOTOS!!! The cheek of it! LOL!Also people have tried to debunk my Kirkstall Abbey Secret Tunnel (copyright 2011 JohnnyLeeds) by making and issue of the first few feet of the tunnel being bricks and mortar and having a solid cast iron door. Yes this is true, but if you inspect the interior photo above you will see that after a couple of feet the more modern bricks and mortar gives way to a much more ancient masonry from rough cut stone. Also these same Kirkstall Abbey Secret Tunnel debunkers are trying to say that the tunnel is only a few feet long, well yes the part of the tunnel which you can see in the interior photo is indeed only a few feet in length, BUT this isnt the entire tunnel. You can just make out that the tunnel towards what looks like the end is making a RIGHT-HAND TURN ! ! ! Yes the tunnel as you enter the ancient masonry work section immediately turns to the right, and hence out of view from anyone trapped behind the iron tunnel entrance door. Now then if these guys who claim the tunnel is a dead end and only about 4 foot in length did really get inside, why didn’t they take another photograph of the tunnel section as it goes around the corner? Well I will tell you why… Because they haven’t been inside the tunnel !! So what this means is that beyond the visible part of my Kirkstall Abbey Secret Tunnel interior photographs lies a long stretch of unexplored / unphotographed tunnel that leads back to Kirkstall Abbey! Who knows what treasures might lie hidden along its dank recesses, maybe even subterranean ‘priest holes’ where catholic priests / secret catholics could have hidden from the kings men who were persecuting them. Perhaps inside these underground refuges there are medieval religious treasures that were hidden away to save them being destroyed by the protestant population. Of course this could just be the ramblings of a crazy person who is awake far too long after his bedtime, in all likelihood the tunnel maybe goes onwards for about another 10 yards around the corner and then it might be impassable due to a cave in or something. Put it this way, when I do get inside, if I discover there is a long length of tunnel which disappears into inky darkness I’m not going to go trundling along it as its most likely crumbling / dangerous. Anyway I’m gonna do a great explore this weekend if the weather is OK and take in these local (to me) sites of the Woodside Quarry buried cellars and walk down to the Kirkstall Abbey Secret Tunnel entrance, but this time take a spade with me to excavate the door so I can open it up wide enough to squeeze inside and put this matter to rest once and for all. So watch this space! I’ve been asked to do this by a local guy from Horsforth who is something of a historian of the Horsforth area and who has worked on things before for the Horsforth Museum. He said he would like to accompany me and he will be bringing a spade too and maybe his son for an extra pair of hands. So if anyone would like to join us let me know by Saturday. Anyway sorry for the crazy rant above, I have been writing this in Word and kept coming back to it over the evening so its turned into something of an essay! Thanks for bearing with me…