Waterloo Lake Waterfall

Mr.73 · Post by **Mr.73** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 12:42 am

I always remember going across the bridge of this waterfall when i was a kid, looking down to the old open air swimming pool. As far as i remember it was dismantled in the 90's and unfortunately replaced with the horrible concrete overspill thats still there now. Does anyone have any pics of this waterfall and its surroundings during the 80's/90's or even during the period when it was being dismantled or when waterloo lake was drained?To me its a real shame that it was destroyed as it was a great feature, much more impressive than the current grass slope.Appreciate any info/pics anyone may have..

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 1:27 am

Yes i have a nice pic how the waterfall and bridge looked in Victorian days herehttp://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=265602590&blogId=398532326It's at the bottom of my Roundhay tunnels picture story, I like the gent in fine attire stood on the bridge lol There's a pic of the Lido on there too.

Mr.73 · Post by **Mr.73** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 1:32 am

Thanks for the link. Very cool pic. So it was a big drop followed by a pool, then a weir, then another pool then the Lido?Any colour pics from more recent years/times?Cheers again

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 1:45 am

I remember the waterfall well, i just can't really place where it went after it come over the top. It obviously went underground to emerge the other side of Wetherby road as the Wyke beck. I'm guessing it went under the Lido. Where the far railings are herehttp://snipurl.com/v7dq9This is the begining of the tunnel underground (since blocked off/remodelled)http://snipurl.com/v7dqh(You can clearly see the end portal stonework was once visible from above, it is a neat finish)I'm assuming that tunnel portal was situated just past those railings on the top archive Lido picture, It would have been the start of the tunnel that still emerges the other side of Wetherby road (near the goat farm) herehttp://snipurl.com/v7dqq(Wetherby road is just above the wall)You can view it here on Google street view to get your bearingshttp://snipurl.com/v7dzsI'm guessing that tunnel was built when the Lido was constructed. It looks Victorian era to me (I'm sure someone will know when the Lido was built) I'm thinking it would just have been a normal open stream at the bottom of the waterfall prior to the Lido been built.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 2:05 am

You can see how this small bridge on Wetherby road was once the only covering of the streamhttp://snipurl.com/v7e1zI'd love to know just how old that remains of that buried bridge are. It must date way back to when Wetherby road was little more than a horse and cart track.You can see how the later Victorian (edited..1907) tunnel butts up to the old Wetherby road bridge herehttp://snipurl.com/v7e2q Any old maps to confirm Chameleon lol

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 2:10 am

In June 1907 an open air swimming pool 'lido' opened, at a cost of just over £1,600, being built mainly by unemployed citizens. During the 1950s and 1960s about 100,000 people a year visited the Roundhay 'swimming baths'.So the brick tunnel was also built in 1907 to take the stream under the new Lido.

Post by **chameleon** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 10:52 am

Phill_dvsn wrote: You can see how this small bridge on Wetherby road was once the only covering of the streamhttp://snipurl.com/v7e1zI'd love to know just how old that remains of that buried bridge are. It must date way back to when Wetherby road was little more than a horse and cart track.You can see how the later Victorian (edited..1907) tunnel butts up to the old Wetherby road bridge herehttp://snipurl.com/v7e2q Any old maps to confirm Chameleon lol Here's one of the old threads:http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... ighLight=1

Mr.73 · Post by **Mr.73** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 11:59 am

Cheers guys! Just found these pics:http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/243498-top of the waterfall (colour) http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/243494- Lido plus waterfall in background (colour)http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/243512- Lido (colour)Hard to tell when these were from but looks like late 70's from the cars!The lido is already fenced off. It looks a mess but the waterfall still looks fantastic.