SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

In the 'Times Past' section on page 16 of the Yorkshire Evening Post today (May 31 2014) there is a very intriguing letter by a Barry Walker of Haverhill, Suffolk. The letter is headed 'Mystery of First World War car dump' in which Barry ("an old Leeds lad living down here in Suffolk") recalls how as child he played at a "huge dump of First World War military vehicles, which had probably been abandoned there since about 1920 or so". The full letter is much too large to repeat but Barry recalls that the abandoned site was "finally covered over with landfill". He recalls that from the Wheatsheaf pub turn right into Geldard Road to a landmark of an old disused coal mining winding house which was very near the dump (he mentions that the winding house had tunnels beneath it).I wonder if the vehicles are still there under the landfill or if they were ever removed? It's fascinating stuff.     

Probably but I expected they were crushed and compacted first. Out in East Yorkshire three a pit filled with broken up lancasters in it. Some almost new but surplus at the end of the war. In year to come me rubbish dumps will probably bemoaned for their scrap metal and other resources.

I'm trying to work out where he means. Isn't there a electronics wholesale place just up from where The Weatsheaf was? I wouldn't mind but I can practically see it out of the window every day but I can't recall what's where.     

Cardiarms wrote: Probably but I expected they were crushed and compacted first. Out in East Yorkshire three a pit filled with broken up lancasters in it. Some almost new but surplus at the end of the war. In year to come me rubbish dumps will probably bemoaned for their scrap metal and other resources. Not Leeds related but Lancaster related although of course many were built at Yeadon - my Dad did his national service just after the war in the RAF and commissioned and decommissioned several batches of Lancasters. Some went to the far east, some were rebuilt as passenger carrying Avro Southamptons but many were indeed broken up and buried. I also heard a similar story about a dock in Liverpool which is filled with crushed buses. One of the trades of the future will probably be metals reclaimation with a bit of archeology.

BarFly wrote: I'm trying to work out where he means. Isn't there a electronics wholesale place just up from where The Weatsheaf was? I wouldn't mind but I can practically see it out of the window every day but I can't recall what's where.      Does this help?Marked in red at the top is the [now closed] Wheatsheaf. At the bottom is the original Pack Horse [the later incarnation, now demolished, was build in 1935 "on land adjoining"].Marked with the red arrow is the Cardigan Pit - named because it was built / dug / sunk on land belonging to the Cardigan Estate - and operated by William Ingham & Sons Ltd.I'm guessing that this would be the place, its certainly the first pit of any kind that you would come to after leaving the Wheatsheaf. The next one being Ravel's Pit [noted on the map as "Raffels"] which was still there into the 50's although nolonger operating.    

Thanks liits, a little further up the road than I thought as I had wondered whether it was under a car park but it seems if anything is still there it will be under the building.    

The person who could shed any light on this is "Jailhouse John" , John Cave whose parents had the pig farm up Royds Lane from the Wheatsheaf towards the little railway tunnel , he has posted things on Leodis dont know if he is on here as well . Going up Gelderd Road from the Wheatsheaf was a field slightly lower than the road then in the 50's/60's a place which had bulldozers and old mining lorries which seem to be repaired there then you came to the Pack Horse , then railway then Cadburys warehouse then main railway then Raffles/Ravells pit which is where the Oil Drum place is now , which was used for shooting practice TA or Army not sure . At Raffles there were houses around the 30's as can be see on the Electoral Rolls .

Thanks all for your replies. It will be interesting to see if there is a follow-up in the Yorkshire Evening Post in due course.

BarFly wrote: I'm trying to work out where he means. Isn't there a electronics wholesale place just up from where The Weatsheaf was? I wouldn't mind but I can practically see it out of the window every day but I can't recall what's where.      Hi BarFly Do you mean Ring Plant when i worked for Harding and Rhodes on Water Lane they owned that building i helped put in a wire drawing machine in there.That would be in the nineteen sixties.

tilly wrote: BarFly wrote: I'm trying to work out where he means. Isn't there a electronics wholesale place just up from where The Weatsheaf was? I wouldn't mind but I can practically see it out of the window every day but I can't recall what's where.      Hi BarFly Do you mean Ring Plant when i worked for Harding and Rhodes on Water Lane they owned that building i helped put in a wire drawing machine in there.That would be in the nineteen sixties. It was RS I was thinking of -- just had to check on Google Earth. I do recall Ring though as I had a friend who lived in gildersome and we used to get the bus past it.I used to work for Comet in a warehouse in the industrial estate you turn right into after where the the Pack Horse was also.For one reason or another I seem to have spend a good deal of time on Geldered road.