Old ruined house in Wortley.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 17 Dec, 2008 10:34 pm

Brandy wrote: Si wrote: I've searched Leodis, and I think I've found your house, Drapesy.Unfortunately, the photograph is undated, but shows number 162 Upper Wortley Road. It belonged to Harry R Stainsby (appropriate name!) who was......wait for it......a scrap metal dealer. It was originally two cottages. Mather's chimneys are in the background. It looks like there were a lot of older stone-built buildings in the area. Well done that manI wasn't far off the mark then when i mentioned scrap lol Yes well done indeed! nice find. It's not easy to see it now but its obvious in the Leodis pic that they were once 2 (tiny!) cottages. Whilst there are obviously many, many older and more remarkable buildings in Leeds as elsewhere, I do think it remarkable that such a building , (which would have once been mundane and 10- a -penny) has somehow survived.

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 12:01 am

wiggy wrote: the stone roof alone is worth a kings ransom...i'd guess mid to late 18th centuary..?? Indeed so wiggy, just like the one which adorned The Grange in Seacroft until it was stripped - right next to the main road - and replaced after many, many months of rain, with galvanised steel sheeting to 'preserve' the interior! Still, at least the roof matches the remainder of the wretched building

AngryofMayfair · Post by **AngryofMayfair** » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 1:08 am

The Parksider wrote: drapesy wrote: I wonder if anyone can shed any light on this surprising survival in Wortley??its in a rare old state - Steptoe and son's got nothing on this place I would think there are more buildings that when you give them a second glance are really old and possibly pre-date the Victorian building boom. Often standing alone amongst thousands or red brick victorian buildings, and often disguised by cement render which (I think)was commonly used to protect weathering stone and georgian hand made brick. There's a few more of similar (?) vintage on Wortley Rd, corner of Station Rd.This pic is from 1994 but they are still standing and in fact look as though they are now renovated internally?

AngryofMayfair · Post by **AngryofMayfair** » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 1:10 am

AngryofMayfair wrote: The Parksider wrote: drapesy wrote: I wonder if anyone can shed any light on this surprising survival in Wortley??its in a rare old state - Steptoe and son's got nothing on this place I would think there are more buildings that when you give them a second glance are really old and possibly pre-date the Victorian building boom. Often standing alone amongst thousands or red brick victorian buildings, and often disguised by cement render which (I think)was commonly used to protect weathering stone and georgian hand made brick. There's a few more of similar (?) vintage on Wortley Rd, corner of Station Rd.This pic is from 1994 but they are still standing and in fact look as though they are now renovated internally? Hmm, there doesn't seem to be any way I can upload the pic... Got it - a Safari problem, Firefox worked OK

Si · Post by Si » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 9:41 am

drapesy wrote: Brandy wrote: Si wrote: I've searched Leodis, and I think I've found your house, Drapesy.Unfortunately, the photograph is undated, but shows number 162 Upper Wortley Road. It belonged to Harry R Stainsby (appropriate name!) who was......wait for it......a scrap metal dealer. It was originally two cottages. Mather's chimneys are in the background. It looks like there were a lot of older stone-built buildings in the area. Well done that manI wasn't far off the mark then when i mentioned scrap lol Yes well done indeed! nice find. It's not easy to see it now but its obvious in the Leodis pic that they were once 2 (tiny!) cottages. Whilst there are obviously many, many older and more remarkable buildings in Leeds as elsewhere, I do think it remarkable that such a building , (which would have once been mundane and 10- a -penny) has somehow survived. Thanks, Drapesy. Yes, it's very satisfying to find a "then and now" example like this!I think perhaps it survived because it was a business address. The different gable ends may suggest there were more cottages attached to the right-hand side at one time?Close inspection of the roof in both the old and new picture suggest that the it hasn't been "turned" in the intervening years, and therefore is probably too weathered by now to be of much use (as a roof, anyway!)

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 10:58 am

AngryofMayfair wrote: AngryofMayfair wrote: There's a few more of similar (?) vintage on Wortley Rd, corner of Station Rd.This pic is from 1994 but they are still standing and in fact look as though they are now renovated internally? Hmm, there doesn't seem to be any way I can upload the pic... Got it - a Safari problem, Firefox worked OK Theses ones were slated for demolition in the 60's when the site behind was designateded for a new school. Squatters occupied them for years and the school was never built, the school site subsequently being sold to build a care home. The squatters had lived there so long unopposed that they succesfully gained ownsership and have over the years renovated them and still live there. One of the cottages at the Town Street end of the row fell to ruin and was demolished recently being replaced by flats.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 11:05 am

Presumably, Mr Stainsby has long since retired/gone to the Great Scrapyard In The Sky, so who is using the site as a business now? Was there a sign outside, Drapesy?

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 3:09 pm

Si wrote: Presumably, Mr Stainsby has long since retired/gone to the Great Scrapyard In The Sky, so who is using the site as a business now? Was there a sign outside, Drapesy? The yard is full of skips and scrap - all locked up and with the air of not having been touched for years. I'm not sure if there was a name outside or not - I'll recheck

Si · Post by Si » Thu 18 Dec, 2008 3:17 pm

drapesy wrote: Si wrote: Presumably, Mr Stainsby has long since retired/gone to the Great Scrapyard In The Sky, so who is using the site as a business now? Was there a sign outside, Drapesy? The yard is full of skips and scrap - all locked up and with the air of not having been touched for years. I'm not sure if there was a name outside or not - I'll recheck If it's a licenced scrap site, there should be a Waste Management Licence board prominently displayed, with owner's name and phone number, etc on it.

Si · Post by Si » Fri 19 Dec, 2008 1:17 pm

Just had a look at this site. Drapesy's right - when seen in context, it really does stand out like a racing dog's b******s. The only signs I could see were warning signs on the gate, and a post box marked "160-2." However, there was a skip lorry parked amongst the junk.