Barnbow

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 20 Aug, 2009 6:20 pm

For comparison, this is the site-plan biggee put up last year of the early munitions plant. You can see that the more modern tank factories and Vicker's offering that we know today were built in what was then almost an unused area.

liits · Post by **liits** » Thu 20 Aug, 2009 7:02 pm

chameleon wrote: For comparison, this is the site-plan biggee put up last year of the early munitions plant. You can see that the more modern tank factories and Vicker's offering that we know today were built in what was then almost an unused area. Not exactly unused...... The area where the ROF was built had been a golf course [apparently]. During WW1 the area was used for the storage of completed munitions. Some mining also took place on the site and was still in progress [at the eastern end of the site] during the building of the factory in the lead up to, and outbreak of, WW2.Also, don’t confuse the location of the two [actually three, if you include the Vickers] factories. The WW1 site is, as the map shows, in the area to the north and east of Lazencroft Farm, its main road gate being about a hundred yards further along Manston Lane from the track to Lazencroft.The Vickers factory, while built within the boundary of the ROF, was positioned so that it didn’t need the existing production facilities to be demolished and so work could continue. Lots of buildings were demolished –drawing offices, design & development workshops, garage and loads of stores buildings but, with the exception of a couple of bays cut out of the east end of middle shop, the production areas were untouched and continued working.

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 20 Aug, 2009 7:08 pm

liits wrote: chameleon wrote: For comparison, this is the site-plan biggee put up last year of the early munitions plant. You can see that the more modern tank factories and Vicker's offering that we know today were built in what was then almost an unused area. Not exactly unused...... The area where the ROF was built had been a golf course [apparently]. During WW1 the area was used for the storage of completed munitions. Some mining also took place on the site and was still in progress [at the eastern end of the site] during the building of the factory in the lead up to, and outbreak of, WW2.Also, don’t confuse the location of the two [actually three, if you include the Vickers] factories. The WW1 site is, as the map shows, in the area to the north and east of Lazencroft Farm, its main road gate being about a hundred yards further along Manston Lane from the track to Lazencroft.The Vickers factory, while built within the boundary of the ROF, was positioned so that it didn’t need the existing production facilities to be demolished and so work could continue. Lots of buildings were demolished –drawing offices, design & development workshops, garage and loads of stores buildings but, with the exception of a couple of bays cut out of the east end of middle shop, the production areas were untouched and continued working. Actually, that was the confusion I was trying to avoid for others liits! I suspect that just as we know it quite well, there are far more people for whom Barnbow is synonymous only with what we see there (just) today.Incidentally, it's only in relatively recent times that the present site has been acknowledged on the OS maps - presumabley for obvious reasons(Nice pic - its just come up)

leedslad_ · Post by **leedslad_** » Wed 11 May, 2011 7:56 pm

corblimey10 wrote: 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. Somewhat late to the discussion here, but fascinating thread!I'd just like to "bump" this one, and add my 2 penneth.Firstly there is mention of an old map of the munitions factory overlaid on a googlemap - can anyone link to this please?Secondly I remember once when walking round the edge of the Armanth/Amaranth sports pitch, that there is possibly some collapsed partially underground concrete workings?Thirdly I'm still wondering what the raised embankment next to Longs of Leeds is in Pendas FieldsFinally, a few people have mentioned the raised bank to the South of the railway at Barnbow, which head south itself and is covered by trees today. I wondered if this is perhaps part of the Grime's Dyke/Ditch earth workings from the Iron age, which can be seen clearly next to Bullerthorpe Lane. It was apparently 8km long, and it is almost directly in line with the embankment discussed here... http://www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsam/wo ... _arch.html

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 11 May, 2011 9:04 pm

leedslad_ wrote: corblimey10 wrote: 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. Somewhat late to the discussion here, but fascinating thread!I'd just like to "bump" this one, and add my 2 penneth.Firstly there is mention of an old map of the munitions factory overlaid on a googlemap - can anyone link to this please?Secondly I remember once when walking round the edge of the Armanth/Amaranth sports pitch, that there is possibly some collapsed partially underground concrete workings?Thirdly I'm still wondering what the raised embankment next to Longs of Leeds is in Pendas FieldsFinally, a few people have mentioned the raised bank to the South of the railway at Barnbow, which head south itself and is covered by trees today. I wondered if this is perhaps part of the Grime's Dyke/Ditch earth workings from the Iron age, which can be seen clearly next to Bullerthorpe Lane. It was apparently 8km long, and it is almost directly in line with the embankment discussed here... http://www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsam/wo ... _arch.html The overlay appears to have been taken down from the originator's site I think - unless someone has a copy or can recreate....Much of Grim's Dyke has been built on or over (although WYAS tell me that it is preserved below ground where this has happened). I did have a full map from the service too but it evades me at present. This link though contains a photo which allows extrapalation with a bit of imagination!http://www.archaeology.wyjs.org.uk/docu ... sDitch.pdf

liits · Post by **liits** » Wed 11 May, 2011 11:48 pm

[quotenick="leedslad_"] corblimey10 wrote: I remember once when walking round the edge of the Armanth/Amaranth sports pitch, that there is possibly some collapsed partially underground concrete workings? As previously posted, to the rear [east] of Shippen House Farm, between it and Amarath Cricket Club [and the rear [north] of a recently built barn] is the remains / foundation of a structure left over from the post-WW1 coal mining enterprise. Written into the concrete- by finger, is "Sealed '67" which I guess is the capping of one of the shafts. Although mining finished in the 30's / 40's I guess that the site wasn't made safe until the 60's.But, between the Amaranth cricket pitch and the bridge over the railwa there are several remanats of concrete structure which had been the guard room and pass office for workers and visitors getting off the train at the "Barnbow Halt".

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 13 May, 2011 9:40 am

[quotenick="leedslad_"] corblimey10 wrote: Finally, a few people have mentioned the raised bank to the South of the railway at Barnbow, which head south itself and is covered by trees today. I wondered if this is perhaps part of the Grime's Dyke/Ditch earth workings Ceratainly the trackbed of the west Yorkshire Colliery railway is still there running south up the rise between treesand then into the wood whre the colliersy remains are.Is this what you may have seen or if you discount it is there another raised bank?

leedslad_ · Post by **leedslad_** » Sat 14 May, 2011 10:42 pm

The Grimes Dyke is the solid blue line on this map. I've circled the raised bank in blue. My query is whether the dashed blue line is a rail embankment or a continuation of the Dyke (or both?).

guitar man · Post by **guitar man** » Mon 18 Jun, 2012 9:31 pm

I moved to Pendas Fields Estate in 1981, the earth mound between Longs Transport and the houses was constructed when the houses were being built ,it would be easy to mistake it as and old railway embankment.I walk round the area nearly every day along some of the old track bed of the railway that ran around the old World War 1 munitions factory.

guitar man · Post by **guitar man** » Wed 27 Jun, 2012 8:20 pm

I have just had my copy of The Leeds Weekly News delivered ,Look on page five and see the article headed "Barnbow Lasses" tribute approved . The information is wrong ,the site of the explosion at the munitions factory was further east down Manston Lane near to Shippen House Farm. I hope that this error will be corrected soon.