Do these stone blocks at an end of the Neville Street 'tunnel' have a purpose?

patter · Post by **patter** » Thu 01 Sep, 2011 10:02 am

Leodian wrote: PS. There are a lot of rucksack carrying folk in the view brought up through the http://tinyurl.com/4y8lhkc link. I wonder if that was taken around the time of a Leeds Festival (not this year though as the tunnel looks different now with the lights etc). but its so dingy down there, shouldn't we call them "darks"

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 01 Sep, 2011 8:26 pm

I wonder if those blocks were installed a few years ago when many millions of £'s were spent strengthening the New Station Street bridges in preparation for routing the buses across there and into the new bus interchange at the station, rather than down the dog leg onto Bishopgate Street and back up to City Square?I could be completely wrong, but they look quite new to me.

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 01 Sep, 2011 10:26 pm

Hi Raveydavey. I am reasonably certain that the stone blocks date back to before 1900. They have certainly been cleaned, but for many years new work of this type has been carried out in ferrro-concrete - take a look at the foundations for City House, available for inspection in the arch at the other side of the road.Additionally, buses have used New Station Street for many years for rail replacement services and other purposes, but I agree not in the quantity now seen. I believe that the works you refer to would have been repairs and repainting.

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 01 Sep, 2011 11:16 pm

Leodian - I think you'll enjoy trawling through this thread if the arches interest you:http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... ighLight=1

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 01 Sep, 2011 11:42 pm

chameleon wrote: Leodian - I think you'll enjoy trawling through this thread if the arches interest you:http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... ighLight=1 Cheers chameleon. It will be a couple or so years back since I last saw the River Aire running in the Dark Arches under the railway station but it remains a sight I'll not forget. It would be fascinating to be able to explore the truly hidden secret parts under the station but, as mentioned in that thread, it is highly unlikely to be allowed by the railway staff. It would be a terrific trip in a Heritage Tour. Mind you, I think there really is a tunnel from Kirkstall Abbey that carries some of the River Aire to under the station as there seems to be less water in the river after Kirkstall but more coming out at the Dark Arches (well it makes a nice thought! ).

Bramley4woods · Post by **Bramley4woods** » Fri 02 Sep, 2011 1:23 am

Phill_dvsn wrote: Hefty stones for sure. If you see above the blocks they are holding some weighty looking girders. I'm not sure if they are original?? Or a later addition, alteration? In those days they built well oversize. Notice what were once tapes overlaying some of the joints between the blocks, these will have been stuck on as tell-tales to record any movement over the medium term. Presumably someone at some time had concerns about the foundations or the sideways load from above. Either could cause the pile of blocks to tip over eventually.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Fri 02 Sep, 2011 9:17 pm

Bramley4woods wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Hefty stones for sure. If you see above the blocks they are holding some weighty looking girders. I'm not sure if they are original?? Or a later addition, alteration? In those days they built well oversize. Notice what were once tapes overlaying some of the joints between the blocks, these will have been stuck on as tell-tales to record any movement over the medium term. Presumably someone at some time had concerns about the foundations or the sideways load from above. Either could cause the pile of blocks to tip over eventually. That is an interesting suggestion Bramley4woods. I think however that what I assume you are referring to that does look like the trace of removed bits of tape may be the faint remains of lettering that reads HUL 4 (note also the railway bridge number in my first post). The lettering is a bit more obvious (if zoomed in) in the image brought up through Phill's Google street view herehttp://tinyurl.com/4yq7du2 link than it is in my first photo of the blocks.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 02 Sep, 2011 11:57 pm

Leodian wrote: Bramley4woods wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Hefty stones for sure. If you see above the blocks they are holding some weighty looking girders. I'm not sure if they are original?? Or a later addition, alteration? In those days they built well oversize. Notice what were once tapes overlaying some of the joints between the blocks, these will have been stuck on as tell-tales to record any movement over the medium term. Presumably someone at some time had concerns about the foundations or the sideways load from above. Either could cause the pile of blocks to tip over eventually. That is an interesting suggestion Bramley4woods. I think however that what I assume you are referring to that does look like the trace of removed bits of tape may be the faint remains of lettering that reads HUL 4 (note also the railway bridge number in my first post). The lettering is a bit more obvious (if zoomed in) in the image brought up through Phill's Google street view herehttp://tinyurl.com/4yq7du2 link than it is in my first photo of the blocks. Good point about the bridge numbering Leodian. It's something I've noticed ever since photographing the Holbeck viaduct in 2007, but I've only just found out what it stands for.All bridges and structures along the same line always started with the same initials, then a different number behind them. Along the Holbeck viaduct all the bridges began with DOL3, just like your bridge (and respective bridges along that line) start with HUL4.All the different bridges/structures are like this around Leeds, and across the country.The code numbering is called 'Engineers line reference' and HUL is the line between Hull and Leeds. HUL4 is the block section of track between Micklefield to Leeds City Station. After Micklefield the bridges and structures are HUL3 which runs between Micklefield and Selby South Junction, and this is how it carries on. Once you realise how it works, it becomes easier to work out what the first three initials stand for. In your case it's the end of the line at Hull, the last section of track being HUL1 Selby to Hull.Likewise with the DOL3 bridges along the Holbeck viaduct, you can see on Google street view herehttp://tinyurl.com/3njy2kfDOL stands for the block section of track between Doncaster and Leeds. DOL3 being the section between Wakefield and Leeds (which was extended into DOL2 when the Holbeck viaduct closed) Along the Leeds and Bradford line the 'Engineers line reference' is LBE, you can see that on the bridge over Carr Crofts in Armley herehttp://tinyurl.com/3oylfwjLBE1 being the section between Leeds Holbeck West Junction to Laisterdyke East Junction.And similar with the Leeds Harrogate line bridges as can be seen under the railway bridge along Burley Road herehttp://tinyurl.com/42z746aLEH refering to the Leeds to Harrogate line, LEH1 being the block section between Leeds Wortley Junction to Pannal Junction.If anyone understands all this straight away, then you deserve a medal The full list of Engineer's Line References (ELRs) is herehttp://deaves47.users.btopenworld.com/ELRs/ELR0.htm