Tong Road/Wellington Road

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Sat 28 Aug, 2010 8:56 pm

Prompted by the Dragon Bridge thread. ..I was driving into town today, down Tong Road and where it becomes Wellington Road it runs parallel to the railway to join the gyratory and previously Whitehall road. Does any body know if Tong Road, before the railway/Wellington Road were built, used to go down what is now Copley Hill and join Whitehall road there or even if it's a older road and used to connect to the roads leading to Leeds Bridge?Thanks.

jim · Post by **jim** » Sat 28 Aug, 2010 10:22 pm

Hi Cardiarms, what you suggest is what, in fact, was true. Tong Road, Copley Hill, Holbeck Lane, and Water Lane were all one route from the south end of Leeds Bridge before the construction of Victoria Bridge, Monk Bridge and Wellington Bridge. This was the original route between Leeds and Wortley, Armley, and Bramley.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 28 Aug, 2010 10:59 pm

jim wrote: Hi Cardiarms, what you suggest is what, in fact, was true. Tong Road, Copley Hill, Holbeck Lane, and Water Lane were all one route from the south end of Leeds Bridge before the construction of Victoria Bridge, Monk Bridge and Wellington Bridge. This was the original route between Leeds and Wortley, Armley, and Bramley. Is this connected with the pathway that has survived many years and can be traced from around the round foundry through to bath road and under the viaduct which accomodated it and out onto near holbeck lane??As an "ancient " right of way it seems to have been sacrosanct even in the face on Victorian development?The pathway as an old way, doesn't seem to touch today's water lane (only the way through where ASDA HQ is today)?Jim - taking this principle forward I wonder how many other old routes out of Leeds exist that no longer are such routes today, but maybe remain as minor - almost unused - rights of way.....

jim · Post by **jim** » Sat 28 Aug, 2010 11:35 pm

Hello again Parksider. The information I gave is supported by Fowler's Plan of Leeds, of 1821. I have re-examined that map to see if I can identify a causal link.The map shows a part of the foot way in roughly its later position, but it is actually following very closely the bank of Holbeck Brook. This seems to be an alternative outlet to the "Hol Beck", leaving that water course about level with the Lord Nelson Pub, and joining the river opposite the later site of the LCT P-way yard, in other words considerably further down-river than the Water Lane branch. It may be the case that this is the original course of the beck, and that the Water Lane section is the diversion - the latter has a more "artificial" look about its route. This may suggest that the foot way ( this is how the map refers to it ) predates Water Lane itself, but that is pure speculation.

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Sun 29 Aug, 2010 12:33 am

Cardiarms wrote: Prompted by the Dragon Bridge thread. ..I was driving into town today, down Tong Road and where it becomes Wellington Road it runs parallel to the railway to join the gyratory and previously Whitehall road. Does any body know if Tong Road, before the railway/Wellington Road were built, used to go down what is now Copley Hill and join Whitehall road there or even if it's a older road and used to connect to the roads leading to Leeds Bridge?Thanks. Looking at the tithe maps of the early 1800's I didn't know that Tong Road was called "Back Lane" where it joins Copley Hill (aka Holbeck Lane) and further up the road towards Wingate was called "Low Lane" - then further up "Moor Side Road". Must have been before it became a toll (turnpike) road.