SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

In the late 1940s my Brother and I used to go to School at Mount St. Mary's Richmond Hill, we should have got off the Tram at the Hope Inn on York Road but now and then we would stay on an alight at the Bus Station opposite Quarry Hill Flats. the attraction was that at least a couple of ties a week our arrival would coincide with the sheep or cows being herded from Marsh Lane Train Sidings to the Slaughterhouse on York St.
Getting to the point on the ground opposite the Bus Station leading to the railway embankment there where gravestones, like a miniature graveyard. As the sheep neared the Slaughterhouse , maybe got the smell, some would leap over the low wall and on to these stones. I remember the sound of their hooves clattering on the stones.
The Gravestones were the old black type and in later years were stood up against the embankment and I think the ground became flower beds.
What I would like to know is A. Was that a graveyard or B. were those stone just laid there and originally came from some where else in the City. Lastly does anyone know what became of them / are they still there ?

This has been discussed somewhere else in another thread, but yes that was the original graveyard before the railway embankment was built, the grave stones now lay on the side of the embankment and more are in St Peters (Leeds Minster) laid out side by side

buffaloskinner wrote:This has been discussed somewhere else in another thread, but yes that was the original graveyard before the railway embankment was built, the grave stones now lay on the side of the embankment and more are in St Peters (Leeds Minster) laid out side by side

Thanks, I shall have a look next time I am in town, it will always be the Parish Church to me.

And after St Peters became full. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhouse_Cemetery

buffaloskinner wrote:This has been discussed somewhere else in another thread, but yes that was the original graveyard before the railway embankment was built, the grave stones now lay on the side of the embankment and more are in St Peters (Leeds Minster) laid out side by side

Sadly a number of gravestones in the grounds of Leeds Minster have been damaged during the recent restoration work going on at the Calls area. With many in the Leeds Minster grounds being already badly eroded I have a feeling that most (possibly all) will be removed at some stage. There used to be a lot in the area on York Street opposite the bus station but that area has been lawned over for some time. There are still a lot of gravestones on the area off Kirkgate opposite Leeds Minster and at certain times of year that area can be very pretty looking with wild flowers. This is a photo I took there on June 25 2015.

PS. It's going to take me a long time before I instinctively say Leeds Minster and not Leeds Parish Church!

Part of the area where the graves are was where a lot of cholera victims are buried. Apparently the land is still "contagious" but I doubt it after nearly 170 years.

I had a distant family member who my mum remembers as a girl that her uncle was digging those graves back in the 50's/60's or could be 70's and he got T.B from digging those graves!

The small 'park' by York Street (opposite the Bus Station) has been grassed over for some time, though I'm unsure if the gravestones that were in the grassed area were removed or just covered over with soil. Some gravestones however are in use as the 'pavement' in the park and this one caught my eye on March 15 2016 in being one of the less eroded ones. Its inscription is interesting and as far as I can make it out it reads "BENEATH Are the Remains of ROBERT BECK. Mason who for the last 7 Years of his Life was employed as Letter cutter at the Parish Church. His death which took place on the 2nd Day of JUNE 1829 and in the 21st Year of his Age to his friends was most afflicting His employer as a token of respect has placed this stone to his Memory”.

His surname could however be BEAK and the “has” in the “respect has placed” is not clear but it does seem likely to be “has”. I suspect that his remains are no longer under the gravestone.

The dates indicate Robert started working at the Parish Church when he was only 14 and he died young. I assume a 'Letter cutter' inscribed letters and numbers onto perhaps gravestones, memorial stones and similar things. Where I could make out dates on other gravestones it is clear that dying very young or to in early adulthood was sadly common.

Seems quite disrespectful to me by Leeds Council to have not lifted the gravestones completely when turning this area into a recreational area. as Leodian mentioned it is possible that having been covered in soil it is just possible these are original graves. either way taking up ehe stones would have shown respect.

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL From a early time with comments from a SL member.