What's this in the woods?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Thu 16 Jul, 2009 12:05 am

Now looking on Google the quarry is easy to find. Scanning down to the ponds they aren't there. So they must be very recent, and given the Quarry idea was shelved around 2007 with quite a lot of criticism I can't see any connection now!!!

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 16 Jul, 2009 9:45 am

The Parksider wrote: Now looking on Google the quarry is easy to find. Scanning down to the ponds they aren't there. So they must be very recent, and given the Quarry idea was shelved around 2007 with quite a lot of criticism I can't see any connection now!!! It does beg the question of why the water would negotiate the railway track though? without knowing the site, seems like a costly task.As far as the development goes, many proposals from the UDP were shelved but often in the short term or to await an Inspector's report.With the continuing policy which arose from these of continuing to infill on Brown Field sites before progressing to green space/belt extension, it could well be that it shortly comes into being.This is the case with Grimes Dyke of York Road where the earliest start date was put back to 2011 - and planning has now commenced for this.Just think, another couple of years and the next UDP will be upon us!!

The Doggers · Post by **The Doggers** » Thu 16 Jul, 2009 10:34 am

God I remember going up here right after it closed, I was about 11 years old then. Me and my best mate used to love riding bikes up there (bmx not motor!) and I also used to catch lizards in the quarry. I'm sure they wouldn't have been allowed to landfill if the existence of these lizards was common knowledge, but being a kid I never thought to raise any kind of awareness of it. I did take a few down to Holly Bush Farm at Kirkstall though. They put them in the limestone area, although whether they'd have survived, I have no idea. I've never seen any before or since. They were a yellowy/gold/sandy colour. Think they were just known as sand lizards. Editted to add:Just found this:Conservation statusSand lizards are endangered in Britain, mainly due to the loss and fragmentation of their heathland habitat. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is an offence to kill, injure or sell sand lizards.on a BBC science site. Not sure from the pics I saw if they are the same type though...

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 16 Jul, 2009 10:39 am

I'm just looking at the 1:25 000 OS map from about '74 - further up-stream on the beck, it shows a number of small ponds or lagoons up-stream from Oxford Place.There is also a srteam shown running east-west through Clayton Woods north of the quarry which stops at the railway.Additional interest:The map shows a Boundry Stone in the vicinity of the area marked in blue above.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 17 Jul, 2009 8:52 am

chameleon wrote: I'm just looking at the 1:25 000 OS map from about '74 - further up-stream on the beck, it shows a number of small ponds or lagoons up-stream from Oxford Place.There is also a srteam shown running east-west through Clayton Woods north of the quarry which stops at the railway.Additional interest:The map shows a Boundry Stone in the vicinity of the area marked in blue above. From the top left hand corner there's the area of small housing that sits on where the silk mill was. I always though this was higher up in the woods where the stone and brick tanks (still are) for dipping cloth, but these seemingly were always in the open air. One of the tanks full of rainwater has it's customary supermarket trolley in it.The pond lower down is probably a mill pond and the large mill that is just after it is Low Mill variously a paper mill, steel mill and dye works. That's now demolished recently.Then as you approach the bottom R/H part of your fine pic you see Oxford Terrace with the open land just above it over the back. That's exactly where the three very large ponds have been excavated and fenced.The only boundary I know is the stream itself which is the boundary of Cookridge and Horsforth. The silk Mill was one of nine mills all down from the Rail Station to the Bridge inn. It was classed as being in cookridge merely because the stream bent around the south side of the mill and back again. Maybe the B.S. is just a marker between the land of Low Mil and Woodside Mill (now demolished too)

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 17 Jul, 2009 8:54 am

chameleon wrote: The map shows a Boundry Stone in the vicinity of the area marked in blue above. My mistake - the BS is right on the stream, but why would a B.S be needed when the stream IS the boundary between Horsforth & Cookridge...

NELLY · Post by **NELLY** » Fri 17 Jul, 2009 12:31 pm

Leeds City Council have agreed in principle for planning consent to construt a huge housing development on Clayton Woods Quary site. Maybe these works are something to do with the initial groundworks for this site.

Post by **chameleon** » Fri 17 Jul, 2009 12:57 pm

NELLY wrote: Leeds City Council have agreed in principle for planning consent to construt a huge housing development on Clayton Woods Quary site. Maybe these works are something to do with the initial groundworks for this site. 'The Parksider wrote: There is a possible housing development of the massive quarry in Clayton Wood above this area, but I'm hard pressed to see the logic of any connection there....................Grumpytramp:fingers perked up reading the thread ...... mmm ...... did someone mention a quarry?Dash ....... even still it may be worth having a scan through this:http://www.woodsidequarryleeds.info/woo ... 1105.pdfIt would not surprise me if that these people are responsible; creating either a new habitat to relocated Great Crested Newts (which sounds unlikely if its lined), SUDS balancing pond ("sustainable urban drainage system" - basically a means of holding surges of water drained from surfaced features such as roads, roofs etc in retention ponds to even out the flow and avoid downstream flooding) but these are generally mostly dry except in heavy rain or most likely settlement ponds to collect silt contaminated water from the development site (allowing the silt to settle out in a series of linked ponds prior to discharge in the beck)??? 'Yes it is earmarked as Brown Field under the last UDP.