Killingbeck Bridge

[Leodian]

In seeing a report about possible housing development on land by York Road and Selby Road it stated the area is known as Killingbeck Bridge. It was clear from the report and what I've now found that is the railway bridge over Selby Road. I've never heard it called Killingbeck Bridge though I admit I did not know of an official name for it. To me it is the Appleyard Bridge from an old advert on it! I would not think it is part of Killingbeck so I wonder how long it has been called that?

[buffaloskinner]

Killingbeck bridge is not the railway bridge over Selby Road, but the bridge which ran under the old York Road from Killingbeck Pond. This area was some years ago a council highways depot. York Road has since been re-aligned.

[Leodian]

Thanks buffaloskinnner for that very interesting information that I was not aware of .

I wonder what the White Bridge in the White Bridge Farm on the map is named for?

[buffaloskinner]

From Leodis

White Bridge Farm
This farmhouse was situated near the railway embankment just south of York Road near Killingbeck Bridge. The farm was originally called White Bridge Farm but is also known as Wykebeck Farm. Dating from the 16th century, it is on record as being the property of William Thompson in 1638. It was offered to let in 1722, with barns, outhouse and thirty acres of pasture. It was demolished in 1948 and houses on Diadem Drive were built on the site.

[volvojack]

When we were kids we used to cross Wykbeck valley road to the Beck it's self and do some fishing. The Beck was not very deep so not many fish, mainly tiddlers but toads, frogs.The prize catch was to capture a Newt The Beck was too wide to jump so to get to the other side we used the white wooden bridge, we knew too us as "Monkey Bridge" that also led to a path up to "Bluebell Wood" which was well named at times of the year. We did not venture much further up as there was an Hospital which to us was the "Fever Hospital." on the way back to the bridge on the right hand side was an orchard surrounded by high railing painted red. Kids being what we were at that time managed to tunnel under the railings and grab as many apples as we could and pass them to the lads waiting on the path. sometimes there was the sound of shoutin and dogs barking and we were off back down and across the bridge.
This was the time of food rationing and the apples were a real luxury.
The Tunnel going under York Road we used to shout out and there was an echo.
(We were easily pleased in those days.)

[tilly]

Yes Jack back in the days when fun cost nothing, we were always out and about.Not from your neck of the woods but we would go all over the place
looking for things to take home if the opportunity arose, it could be turnips or rhubarb even scabby apples from the back of the market poor but we never knew it.

[Leodian]

Thanks buffaloskinner, volvojack and tilly for your inputs .

If it works (!) this is another image of the farm taken from Leodis. The photo is dated 1936.


Its caption is:-
1936, Farmhouse dating from 15th/16th centuries. It was demolished in 1948. This farm was originally called White Bridge Farm but is sometimes also known as Wykebeck Farm.

Wow, to my surprise I got it to work!

[Lookatleeds]

Interesting stuff about the farm. Been researching this area recently so it was a welcome bit of information.
Going back to Killingbeck Bridge- would that be anything to do with the pedestrian underpass that still exists today (known locally as the Dunhill Tunnel)?

[buffaloskinner]

Going back to Killingbeck Bridge- would that be anything to do with the pedestrian underpass that still exists today (known locally as the Dunhill Tunnel)?

The tunnel or underpass under the railway embankment linked York Road to both Killingbeck and Halton Sewerage works, and before its closure I suspect Killingbeck Colliery. I do not think that it had any connection to White Bridge Farm apart for access to Halton.
My friends and I played on the old Blackhills (pit slag heaps) when we were children and the tunnel always scared the pants off us. My G Grandmother used to collect Elderberry currants in that area by Killingbeck Bridge to make her wine.

The map below clearly shows the path and tunnel under the embankment.

[blackprince]

When we were kids we used to cross Wykbeck valley road to the Beck it's self and do some fishing. The Beck was not very deep so not many fish, mainly tiddlers but toads, frogs.
..............................................................................
The Tunnel going under York Road we used to shout out and there was an echo.
(We were easily pleased in those days.)

I recall doing exactly the same thing a few years after you (in the mid 50's) Jack. It was a long walk from where we lived so it would have been in the school summer holidays, fishing for sticklebacks with a net and a jam jar. As you say the stream was wide and shallow. It wasn't very muddy and we used to wade in it wearing wellies. I distinctly remember wading into that tunnel under York Rd.
BP