Steepest street in Leeds?

simong · Post by **simong** » Fri 16 Sep, 2011 3:28 pm

Kirkstall Hill is a good one - during the snow last winter I was coming home from work in Headingley and driving *very* carefully down the hill, and when I came to the Morris Lane lights I couldn't stop and skidded across, only managing to stop just before the set at the bottom. I think Beecroft Street might be steeper though as Kirkstall Hill has been levelled to some extent: it's about 1 in 4 at the bottom and when I lived in what used to be the school on the corner of it and Sandford Road there were a few occasions in icy weather when I couldn't get the car up.

SKE · Post by **SKE** » Tue 20 Sep, 2011 12:46 am

First of all, not Leeds but still kind of relevant. The steepest road in the UK is in Harlech, Wales. It is classed as 1 in 2.5 near the top. The steepest motorable road in the UK is Rosedale Chimney Bank, which is classed as 1 in 3, though the official stated that is is slightly less than 33%. Are these streets? Not sure what the definition is though I suspect it means they ghave to have houses.

porters · Post by **porters** » Tue 20 Sep, 2011 12:53 am

Cockshott lane take it from me i was the postman on there up to 10 year ago

SKE · Post by **SKE** » Tue 20 Sep, 2011 1:03 am

First of all, not Leeds but still kind of relevant. The steepest road in the UK is in Harlech, Wales. It is classed as 1 in 2.5 near the top. The steepest motorable road in the UK is Rosedale Chimney Bank, which is classed as 1 in 3, though the official stated that is is slightly less than 33%. Are these streets? Not sure what the definition is though I suspect it means they have to have houses. Back to Leeds, as I mentioned before, I was looking for steep roads to ride up on my bike a year or so ago, in preparation for Chimney Bank (never got there) and noteable nasty roads I rode up included Sunset Road next to Meanwood Park, Burley Road - the stretch over the road from Morris Lane as you pass the two blocks of flats, Cockshott Lane, Parkside Road -Meanwood, De Lacey Mount etc. Going outside of Leeds a little, East Chevin Road at Otley, Pool Bank Black Hill Road and the one from Ilkley town up to the Cow and Calf are others I remember. Of all those, East Chevin Road was particularly nasty, but it is also very long so that accounted for some of the difficulty. Black Hill Road was a nightmare and I had to get off and push but that was after a long hilly ride in the hills around Blubberhouses etc and my front brake was partially engaged the whole time! A really awful one was the road up to the Cow and Calf, I really suffered! Tonight I rode from Eastend Park to Broad Lane in Bramley and road up that, and it wasn't pleasant but I didn't have to drop to my easiest gear (on East Chevin Road, Black Hill Road and the Ilkley one I was praying for more gears!!!), and I was definitely not quite as fit as when I rode the others. I then rode up Pickering Street which was no problem at all, very short and I didn't even need to drop my front gear to the smallest cog.So, I would say out of the ones in Leeds itself I have ridden, Broad Lane is probably the toughest, but it is quite long, and maybe in terms of smaller, more 'hidden away; streets, maybe Parkside Road followed by Sunset Road. I'm no great cyclist, all these were done on a mountain bike and there are far fitter people out there, but I think it allows me to kind of measure the steepness in a way as I can compare what the roads took out of me, what gears I needed to use etc. I'd love to have a go at Crow's Nest Lane and the other contenders.Anyone else like to cyc le these roads?

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Tue 20 Sep, 2011 9:58 am

SKE wrote: A really awful one was the road up to the Cow and Calf, I really suffered! Anyone else like to cyc le these roads? Thanks for the invitation SKE, but at my age No I still do a little local riding on the mountain bike but prefer an engine these days.I quite often use the Cow and Calf road in both directions and, as an ex bus driver and one time Ilkley resident, I shudder at the thought of the prewar West Yorkshire Road Car Co's "MOOR TOP" service from the Town to the Cow and Calf, especially on that last very steep stretch. With very primitive brakes and weedy petrol engines its difficult to credit that, as far as I know, there was never a failure to reach the summit nor a downhill runaway. I don't know who was bravest, the crews or the passengers, but I'd have thought twice before partaking !!

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Tue 20 Sep, 2011 6:52 pm

Pottery Lane in Woodlesford is pretty steep, but only short. It's not a street you'd notice unless you were local, but if you want a canal-side ride out from Leeds ending in a steep hill, you could try it. Come off the canal towpath at Woodlesford Lock and you're there.

billy the buffalo · Post by **billy the buffalo** » Fri 23 Sep, 2011 7:18 pm

I believe that am right on this but as time passes memories fade but i know for a fact that there used to be a compulsory bus stop on top of one of the streets in Leeds which is still there.So this must have been regarded as a steep hill at the time that the buses may have struggled getting down. So any ideas ?? i expect blakey will get this

stutterdog · Post by **stutterdog** » Fri 23 Sep, 2011 8:49 pm

billy the buffalo wrote: I believe that am right on this but as time passes memories fade but i know for a fact that there used to be a compulsory bus stop on top of one of the streets in Leeds which is still there.So this must have been regarded as a steep hill at the time that the buses may have struggled getting down. So any ideas ?? i expect blakey will get this Was it at the top of Beeston Hill?I seem to remember having to stop here before descending when I was in the LCT driving school.

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Sat 24 Sep, 2011 11:38 am

Depends what you mean by steep and whether you class Morley as Leeds. Morley is notoriously hilly. Built on seven hills, Troy Hill, Hungerhill, Daisy Hill, Scatcherd Hill, Banks Hill, Chapel Hill, and Dawson Hill. Troy Road is quite steep, but there is a cul-de-sac just off Troy Road called Troy Rise, and part of that is extremely steep. Cars invariably stick on it in the snow, given that they already lack momentum from the steepness of Troy Road. In fact I'd go as far as to say that I haven't encountered a stretch of paved road in an urban environment quite as steep as that (very) short stretch.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Sat 24 Sep, 2011 8:20 pm

stutterdog wrote: billy the buffalo wrote: I believe that am right on this but as time passes memories fade but i know for a fact that there used to be a compulsory bus stop on top of one of the streets in Leeds which is still there.So this must have been regarded as a steep hill at the time that the buses may have struggled getting down. So any ideas ?? i expect blakey will get this Was it at the top of Beeston Hill?I seem to remember having to stop here before descending when I was in the LCT driving school. Nope it was outside the YMCA (opposite the Commercial?) on Cemetery Road before the descent to the M621 and Domestic Street Holbeck. 86 and 29 routes back in my day but 74 or 75 these days I think. Beeston Hill is slightly less steep and the bend means runaways would have hit a wall sooner rather than later