Barnbow

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Sun 22 Apr, 2007 6:25 pm

Just a thought for anyone wanting to have a look at the old Barnbow site - don't wait too long!This had completely slipped my mind until last night but the council submitted a UDP a couple of years ago for a new relief road from the Outer Ring Road to the West of Wetherby Road right across to the Thorp Park junction on the M1 extention at Colton.There was very little publicity about it at the time, although our ward councillor did raise the point in a newsletter and advised anyone living in the area to study the plans.Basically the idea is for a dual carriageway to take traffic off the existing ring road and go through what is currently open countryside to the North of the Red Halls, cross Wetherby Road, passing between Whinmoor and Thorner, then over York Road passing between Swarcliffe and Scholes, skirting Pendas Fields and Austhorpe before reaching Thorp Park and joining the motorway junction.As if that isn't bad enough the area either side of the road is to be developed with residential and business use throughout the length of the new road.Like these things do, it's all done quiet again, but if it ever happens it would be a scandal. Not only would the road scythe through the site of the Battle of Winwaed (excuse my spelling) and the Old Barnbow site, but it would mean the end of Thorner and Scholes as villages. They would simply become quaint old houses on the edge of yet another sprawl of anonymous "executive style" homes empty "buy to sit" apartments and industrial units, which would no doubt be built with the usual lack of infrastructure that seems to be the norm now.These sites may have lain untouched for years, but they won't be there much longer if this happens.

corblimey10 · Post by **corblimey10** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 1:26 pm

Barwicker wrote: Reading the comments above about earthworks to the south of the Crossgates to Garforth line opposite the old ROFactory prompted me to have a quick reread of Graham S Hudson's excellent book "The Aberford Railway and the History of the Garforth Collieries" published in 1971. He states quite categorically that there was a branch off the main line to the south which led to three separate pits, Adelaide, West Yorkshire & Brown Moor. Adelaide pit was roughly midway between the main line and Austhorpe Hall, West Yorkshire somewhere close to Austhorpe Primary School and Brown Moor is the site of the present Brown Moor Farm off Barrowby Lane. In 1971 there still existed most of the "waggonway" embankment from Brown Moor pit to the main line and at that time the farm occupied some of the pit buildings. There were also some remains of the West Yorkshire pit. I have no idea what remains today.. Sorry for 2 month delay - only just discovered this site. I go running around this area. There is a small area of woods behind (east) of Austhorpe Primary school which has a large hill in it (spoil?) which can be accessed from Barrowby Lane. Within that wooded area on the east side are some old stone structures which look like old mine works. Running north from these woods towards the main Leeds-York railway is what is obviously an old railway embankment with a single gap in it where a bridge is no more. This sounds like a route to the West Yorkshire mine. Very obvious. Looks like another track came in from the east approx half way to the mainline - sounds like route to Brown Moor. Much of where Brown Moor would have been is probably now levelled in preparation for extensions for the Thorpe Park office park. The old munitions site / mine areas around the back of Lazenby Farm and towards Garforth Golf Club has lots of old bits of brick work, lines where sidings once were, with lots of footpaths to help investigate.I'm assuming, Barwicker that you are heavily involved in the Barwick Historical Society - the history of Barnbow pit you have published at http://www.barwickinelmethistoricalsoci ... /5943.html is great when understanding what you are seeing as you go through the area. Thanks!

fluffysheep · Post by **fluffysheep** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 2:25 pm

bigpants wrote: Phill_d wrote: Is it the strip of land running between Sandleas way & Chelsfield way? nope, its right below the north point in the image you posted. is there a way i can get its location from google earth and post some sort of a link to the co-ordinates? There used to be a hall in that area - Barnbow Hall. I think the small square piece of land that can be seen on the google earth map earlier in the thread, just under the north arrow is the area that is labelled 'tank' on this map.

bigpants · Post by **bigpants** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 2:49 pm

fluffysheep wrote: bigpants wrote: Phill_d wrote: Is it the strip of land running between Sandleas way & Chelsfield way? nope, its right below the north point in the image you posted. is there a way i can get its location from google earth and post some sort of a link to the co-ordinates? There used to be a hall in that area - Barnbow Hall. I think the small square piece of land that can be seen on the google earth map earlier in the thread, just under the north arrow is the area that is labelled 'tank' on this map. yep, the tank existed until recently but has now been topsoiled over and tree planted. i believe the tank is still there, just no longer accessible

Barwicker · Post by **Barwicker** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 9:43 pm

Corblimey 10, you are correct to assume that I am a member of Barwick Historical Society and I am pleased that you find our Website informative.I have had another quick look at Mr Hudson's book but there does not appear to be a connection from the east to the lines leading to Adelaide, Brown Moor or West Yorkshire pits. There does appear to be an old old path or road passing close to Brown Moor Pit however, possibly from Barrowby crossing.Barnbow Hall was roughly halfway between Cock Beck & Carr Beck, to the north of what became the WW1 munitions factory.I will now be "off air" for about 18 days. R & R.

corblimey10 · Post by **corblimey10** » Fri 22 Jun, 2007 2:37 pm

The area I'm talking about is south of the railway line - the 'spoil' hill and remains are in the woodland south of my red line.

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Sat 21 Jul, 2007 9:46 pm

Dear me, must have read all the posts on the site trying to find this one again! Anyhow, here goes.In his notes to the 1906 map of Cross Gates and Halton(North) Gordon Dickinson writes the following after discussing the station at Cross Gates:Curiously Bradshaw for January 1861 also shows another station called 'Manston' only half a mile further east., but as yet nothing is known of its exact location or further history. Was it, one wonders, needed to deal with coal traffic, for two feeder lines (presumably standard guage but motive power unknown) joined the railway thereabouts from Waud's Brown Moor and Manston Collieries"As Brown Moor farm still exists on the site of the colliery it seems to confirm the supposition from jf, and subsequent info from Barwicker and corblimey10 that the features were a line to the south of the Leeds-York main line.

wiggy · Post by **wiggy** » Mon 20 Aug, 2007 7:14 pm

my great gran worked there during ww1,she had just finished her shift and was on her way home when the whole lot went up..kabooom!

farbank · Post by **farbank** » Mon 20 Aug, 2007 7:37 pm

There was an explosion in WW1. And me and my mates witnessed another in WW2.We were playing on the field on St.Wilfrids Circus [known locally as the ' woodyard '. When, looking over towards Crossgates we saw this huge atomic like cloud of smoke, rising up into the air. As we stood and watched this amazing sight, then came the deafening roar of the explosion. You could feel the air of the blast pluck at you.All that distance away. It transpired that it was an ammunition train in the sidings, that had been shunted there. Whilst they could deal with a burning axle-box.? Anyhow, the upshot was that the hero of the hour was a chap who vainly tried to uncouple the affected railcar. He lost his life in the explosion.

wiggy · Post by **wiggy** » Mon 20 Aug, 2007 7:40 pm

farbank wrote: There was an explosion in WW1. And me and my mates witnessed another in WW2.We were playing on the field on St.Wilfrids Circus [known locally as the ' woodyard '. When, looking over towards Crossgates we saw this huge atomic like cloud of smoke, rising up into the air. As we stood and watched this amazing sight, then came the deafening roar of the explosion. You could feel the air of the blast pluck at you.All that distance away. It transpired that it was an ammunition train in the sidings, that had been shunted there. Whilst they could deal with a burning axle-box.? Anyhow, the upshot was that the hero of the hour was a chap who vainly tried to uncouple the affected railcar. He lost his life in the explosion. ey oop farbank,where did you live on gipton? are you still there?