Derelict Mansion Next to a Walnut Tree

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Wed 13 Jan, 2010 9:10 pm

Can anyone help jog my childhood memory? I have particularly happy recollections of going quite often in the 1950s with my mates from Poole Square in Crossgates to explore the ruins of a large mansion - somewhere within walking distance but quite a long way - my vague feeling is that it must have been in the general direction of Seacroft or Austhorpe from Crossgates, but that might be completely wrong. Just two things stick clearly in my memory: there was a massive cast iron safe in the mansion's ruins with its door open - God knows how we avoided locking ourselves in it and suffocating - and there was a huge walnut tree right next to the ruins up which we used to clamber to pick the nuts.I have good cause to remember the walnuts in particular because when you peeled off the soft green outer casings from the nuts they stained your fingers brown just like nicotine and it was impossible to get it off, which led to my being interrogated at school on suspicion of smoking. The more I protested my innocence and explained it was all just a load of nuts the more my headmistress turned the thumbscrew. I learnt at a very early age what it must have felt like being interrogated by the Inquisition.Anyone able to recall the ruin and its location?

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 13 Jan, 2010 10:07 pm

Bert wrote: Can anyone help jog my childhood memory? I have particularly happy recollections of going quite often in the 1950s with my mates from Poole Square in Crossgates to explore the ruins of a large mansion - somewhere within walking distance but quite a long way - my vague feeling is that it must have been in the general direction of Seacroft or Austhorpe from Crossgates, but that might be completely wrong. Just two things stick clearly in my memory: there was a massive cast iron safe in the mansion's ruins with its door open - God knows how we avoided locking ourselves in it and suffocating - and there was a huge walnut tree right next to the ruins up which we used to clamber to pick the nuts.I have good cause to remember the walnuts in particular because when you peeled off the soft green outer casings from the nuts they stained your fingers brown just like nicotine and it was impossible to get it off, which led to my being interrogated at school on suspicion of smoking. The more I protested my innocence and explained it was all just a load of nuts the more my headmistress turned the thumbscrew. I learnt at a very early age what it must have felt like being interrogated by the Inquisition.Anyone able to recall the ruin and its location? Austhorpe or Seacroft - nigh on opposite directions - that's a large area with any number of possible 'halls'an you recall any other landmarks along the way Bert?

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Wed 13 Jan, 2010 10:42 pm

Sorry Chameleon, I missed out the word "Road" after Austhorpe - from Poole Square the Seacroft/Austhorpe Road arc is not quite so massive. I have a feeling the ruined mansion might have been something that had fallen into blight because of plans for the new housing estates, schools etc in that general direction.But the truth is I don't really have a clue which direction it was in; I'm basing my vague instinct just on the fact that we kids in Poole Square generally explored either in that general direction or the Primrose Valley, Halton, Whitkirk or Colton directions, and I'm pretty certain it wasn't any of them. I'm just banking on someone remembering the juxtaposition of the safe in the ruins and the walnut tree (after all, I don't recall ever seeing any other walnut tree within our exploration range in those days - it was a pretty exotic thing to me as a kid).

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Wed 13 Jan, 2010 11:06 pm

Could it be Austhorpe Lodge? http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 13 Jan, 2010 11:23 pm

Geordie-exile wrote: Could it be Austhorpe Lodge? http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL Contender but was in use/occupation into the80s at least - we need a list of anythin anyone can remember and a remaining tree....My area during that time too but nothing obvious comesa to mind.

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Thu 14 Jan, 2010 12:50 pm

I suppose I might be misleading everyone by using the word "Mansion". That's the impression I recall getting as a child, but I suppose it could have been any kind of brick building - office or what have you. It was just a load of bricks with some surviving bits of wall standing and the iron safe in amongst it all.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Thu 14 Jan, 2010 1:22 pm

Geordie-exile wrote: Could it be Austhorpe Lodge? http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL On leodis John Richardson states he played in the building when it was derelict around 1935. If it was still derelict in the 50's then it may well be a strong contender. I also home in on the "brick" aspect. many halls or "mansions" were stone built (as per seacroft grange)as that gave the air of grandeur, but if it is remembered as brick built "Just a pile of bricks" them Austhorprpe Lodge is just one of those rare brick built "grand houses" of which there ain't too many in Leeds.........

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Thu 14 Jan, 2010 9:31 pm

Thanks Parksider and Geordie-Exile. I notice in one of the Leodis photos of Austhorpe Lodge there is a big tree to the left that could well be the walnut tree I remember - it was definitely up close to the building as in this picture and was this kind of size and shape. Where exactly was the Lodge located?

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 14 Jan, 2010 11:04 pm

Bert wrote: Thanks Parksider and Geordie-Exile. I notice in one of the Leodis photos of Austhorpe Lodge there is a big tree to the left that could well be the walnut tree I remember - it was definitely up close to the building as in this picture and was this kind of size and shape. Where exactly was the Lodge located? travel up the hill of Austhorpe Lane and the Lodge was towards the top on the left. I'm not sure if the Hall was built in the same style but, this is a picture of it as it stands today. The lodge was to the left and furher bac down the hill.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 15 Jan, 2010 8:57 am

chameleon wrote: travel up the hill of Austhorpe Lane and the Lodge was towards the top on the left. I'm not sure if the Hall was built in the same style but, this is a picture of it as it stands today. The lodge was to the left and furher bac down the hill. Isn't the Hall on the left half way up the hill from Manston Hall/pub and the Lodge was further up the hill, in fact at the top where the Devon estate is now?Was the Hall Smeatons home? Whose was the Lodge?? Any connection - perhaps by the look of them same builder - was it Wimpeys or Barrets?