SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

While walking by Adel Beck on January 24 2025 I noticed a pipe that I wonder what it is/was used for. The pipe crosses the beck from/to the Alwoodley side to/from the Adel side.The near side in the attached photo is a steep wooded area part of Adel Woods. The other side is also steep but has homes on the top that what will be around the Eddison Close or Stairfoot View areas. The pipe could therefore be associated with the homes but where would it run from/to in the extensively wooded boulder strewn area on the Alwoodley side. With the metal girders it looks like the pipe might have been covered at one time. If there were any structures associated with the pipe I could not see them (it ran under the boulder). Any help will be appreciated.

of all the options it could be It looks like a water pipe.
It seems to be somewhere between Eccup Reservoir and the Water treatment and water tower at Tinshill ?

warringtonrhino wrote: ↑

Mon 10 Mar, 2025 5:47 pm

of all the options it could be It looks like a water pipe.
It seems to be somewhere between Eccup Reservoir and the Water treatment and water tower at Tinshill ?

Thanks warringtonrhino for your help which is appreciated.
I only occasionally walk on that very rough usually very muddy track (if it can be called a track!) but on walking along yesterday shortly after passing the pipe going towards Stairfoot Bridge I soon noticed 3 metal manhole type covers well apart but clearly in a line very close to the beck. The covers looked like they had probably not been opened for a very long time but their presence would seem to indicate they are over something that might have carried (? still does) water, drainage or sewage. Their position very close to the beck does seem strange, particularly as there did not seem to be any drainage into the beck on its Alwoodley side (at least 2 drains were seen running into the beck from the unwalkable Adel side there). It's all intriguing.

water pipes can be level and even slope up against the flow because they usually have a good head of water with a tower or are pumped.
Sewage pipes must be laid to a fall because they work by gravity.
You can often hear the water flowing with your ear to the pipe or feel the pulsing of the pumps if they are involved.
It is usual for pipes that are redundant to be salvaged so my guess is that they are still have some use.
I would dismiss drainage, if they were surface water drainage they would be clay pipes and discharge into the beck, not cross over it.