Monk's Bridge Iron Comany

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 29 Oct, 2011 7:10 pm

Jon Howe wrote: 5. Did the New Peacock close and get demolished in 1974? Yes to make way for the M621

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 29 Oct, 2011 7:23 pm

Jon Howe wrote: 7. On a slightly different subject, there are several mentions on Leodis of a 'Slum Clearance' around Elland Road in 1959. What exact area was this and was this prompted by the eventual building of the M621? I'm not sure, but Elland road was a brickmaking area originally out in the open in "brick fields". I guess the hamlet of Islington was built to house the brickmakers, and the new peacock created as their local watering hole. The whole area can be found on Leodis use "Knowles Street" as the search words.There was then a full brick and tile factory built so the industry flourished on into the 20th. Century. It sems from research that Islington was pulled down as slum clearance. If you have a date 1959 for islington as a slum clearance area, there are pictures in the 1960's of it still being lived in and references to demolition 1974 for the M621 then I'd guess that the area was earmarked for demolition 1959 and eventually got round to for the Motorway in 1974??

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 29 Oct, 2011 7:27 pm

Leodian wrote: When I used to see Leeds United at their Elland Road ground many years back now I was always amused (and confused) that the newer looking pub opposite the ground was called the 'Old Peacock' and an older looking pub near the ground (on the left going to Leeds) was called the 'New Peacock'. I know you know this but for others the old pub was seemingly a watering hole on the road to Churwell and Morley, with a new pub for the brickmakers. Then the new one went 1974 and the old one was rebuilt.There was a fireclay/coal mine called the "Peacock Pit" near where the new peacock was that supplied the brick fields, I suspect it was called that after the old pub, they both appear in 1854....

Beeston · Post by **Beeston** » Sat 29 Oct, 2011 9:03 pm

Been great reading the information on the surroungs of Elland Rd on here. I moved to Heaths as a 3 year old in 1988, so grew up in the area and know the modern day area well. I've always wanted to reasearch the area much deeper but never really got round to it or had the know how to do it.I've moved away now but my mum still lives there. Sadly now my mum seems to be one of the longest serving members of the street, so I cant be of much help of the real history of it, as the our road just seems to be full of young couples now from other parts of Leeds. Sorry this message isnt much help, I'll have a think of any older members of the area my mum might know who might be able to help you with your questions.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sun 30 Oct, 2011 10:28 am

Jon Howe wrote: The Rugby club moved onto the Elland Road site that is now the football club (bought from Bentley's Brewery) and the cricket club moved next door over Lowfields Road, but who owned that land before? Holbecks rivals Hunslet RFC bought their ground from the Low Moor Iron and Coal company, but the Elland Road deal some years ago had involved Bentleys Brewery as you say.The first incumbents of the ground Leeds Athletic RFC were attempting to draw fans from all over Leeds as the premier "football" club, and therefore on a match day where better to have a few drinks than the two Peacock pubs one on the way to the ground and the other opposite.Once devoid of it's ironstone, coal and fireclay the colliery would have been of little use to the owners stated above and a decent deal must have been open to both Bentleys and the Athletic club to create a ground and attract a large beer swilling market down Elland Road for matchdays.Pure conjecture, but it fits very well.

Jon Howe · Post by **Jon Howe** » Mon 31 Oct, 2011 12:35 pm

The Parksider wrote: Jon Howe wrote: To pull all this together I thought it made sense to make a definitive list of questions that I have, so please see below. Any help with these is much appreciated.6. I know Holbeck Cricket & Rugby Club moved from the Holbeck Recreation Ground in 1897 when it was demolished for housing. The Rugby club moved onto the Elland Road site that is now the football club (bought from Bentley's Brewery) and the cricket club moved next door over Lowfields Road, but who owned that land before? In 1878 the coal mines had closed in the immdiate area of the Soccer ground and the land was flattened enough to turf it with colliery waste being used to bank up around the pitch. First users were the Leeds Athletic RFC and even at that time it was estimated 23,000 could be accomodated. I Believe that Bentleys Yorkshire Brewery were responsible for the ground and rented it out. I guess they owned it. In 1897 Holbeck RFC bought the ground outright for £1,100.Leeds City took the lease in 1904 and "improved the terracing" and built a new stand. 1905 saw 22,000 in for the Derby with Bradford City once Manningham RCF and 1906 saw 4.2 acres of extra land acquired with the pitch beng turned around accordingly Parksider, severely indebted to you for this information. I have a question about the quote above. You say Leeds City built a stand immediately upon taking the lease in 1904. As the pitch was in a different orientation to what it is now, will that stand have been a "grandstand" along the length of Elland Road itself? Was this actually what became known as the Scratching Shed, as presumably it remained in place but now behind the goals when the pitch was moved? When the land was purchased in 1906 and the pitch moved around, the new stand built was then presumably the original West Stand that eventually burnt down in 1957?Also, when was the original Spion Kop built? ie. the huge open mound terrace that went all the way around along Lowfields Road. This must have been built after 1906 if they had just bought that specific land. What happened to the terraces you mentioned that were made from built up colliery waste.Many thanks as always,Jon

Jon Howe · Post by **Jon Howe** » Mon 31 Oct, 2011 12:39 pm

Beeston wrote: Been great reading the information on the surroungs of Elland Rd on here. I moved to Heaths as a 3 year old in 1988, so grew up in the area and know the modern day area well. I've always wanted to reasearch the area much deeper but never really got round to it or had the know how to do it.I've moved away now but my mum still lives there. Sadly now my mum seems to be one of the longest serving members of the street, so I cant be of much help of the real history of it, as the our road just seems to be full of young couples now from other parts of Leeds. Sorry this message isnt much help, I'll have a think of any older members of the area my mum might know who might be able to help you with your questions. Beeston,Cheers for this. Your message is helpful in that I do want to speak to a local resident. Your Mum may not be able to recall some of the things we are discussing in this thread, but I do have a number of minor queries relating to events post 1970, that only a local resident is likely to remember. Which street does your Mum live on? If she could spare half an hour for a chat at some point that would be very helpful. Please let me know. Thanks,JonJon, Beeston - sorry to intrude but could I suggest you exchange such personal contact details directly and not on here. This is a very public place and anyone can be looking in and sadly there are those who may mis use that info.If you don't wish to publish your email addresses on here, I'm happy to act 'in the middle' - my address is in my profile. - Chameleon.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Mon 31 Oct, 2011 7:03 pm

On pages 43-46 of The Yorkshire Dalesman of November 2011 Volume 73 Number 8 there is an article by a Sebastian Oake titled 'Lost industries of Leeds' that has mention of the Monk Bridge iron and steel works.In the article it states "From 1830 Kirkstall Forge grew to supply railway axles, wheels and wagons. By 1930 virtually every lorry and bus made in England had a Kirkstall Forge back axle casing. And it was by no means the only iron works in Leeds. The huge Monk Bridge iron and steel works was in operation right in the city centre from the early 1900s....Kirkstall Forge, the iron works founded by monks, closed in 2002 and is now largely demolished. The huge Monk Bridge iron and steel works closed in 2005 and was wiped from the landscape a year later".I appreciate that this is not directly relevant to what this thread is about but (rather than start a new thread) I thought it might be of interest in view of the Monk Bridge works connection.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Mon 31 Oct, 2011 11:30 pm

Jon Howe wrote: You say Leeds City built a stand immediately upon taking the lease in 1904. As the pitch was in a different orientation to what it is now, will that stand have been a "grandstand" along the length of Elland Road itself? Was this actually what became known as the Scratching Shed, as presumably it remained in place but now behind the goals when the pitch was moved? When the land was purchased in 1906 and the pitch moved around, the new stand built was then presumably the original West Stand that eventually burnt down in 1957?Also, when was the original Spion Kop built? ie. the huge open mound terrace that went all the way around along Lowfields Road. This must have been built after 1906 if they had just bought that specific land. What happened to the terraces you mentioned that were made from built up colliery waste.Many thanks as always,Jon If you check the OS maps the first stand on the Elland Road side ran along the length of the pitch side, but not all the way towards the corners. Once the pitch was turned around that same stand remains on the map but does now go from corner to corner as it looks onto the turned round pitch and the narrower goal end. It is the old shed as far as I can tell. The dimensions don't change on the mapsThe old west stand may or may not date from 1906, it may have been developed at some time as these things can be. The OS maps also seem to show the Gelderd end (kop) and east stand (lowfields) getting bigger and bigger as the years go by!! I have never researched soccer past 1906 so can't help too much with the development of Elland Road stadium....

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Tue 01 Nov, 2011 9:01 am

Jon Howe wrote: Parksider, severely indebted to you for this information. I have a question about the quote above. You say Leeds City built a stand immediately upon taking the lease in 1904..... You need to check our version of the early development of Elland Road with the Wikipedia one. I recognise some of the information there and it probably comes from the Local History Libraries collection of sports newspapers.It differs on the "scratching shed" describing it as a barrel roofed 1920's construction over an existing terrace, however that would be more convincing if the OS maps didn't consistently show a stand from the 1800's right through to the 60's of the same dimensions - HOWEVER a "stand" is not neccessarily always roofed, so it could be that they put a roof on the old unroofed stand in the 1920's. The old stand at Parkside was brought from Woodhouse Hill and roofed in the 1920's too.The Monk Bridge Quote comes in here and for the life of me I see no connection, why would they want to buy mining land where the minerals were largely mined out??Did they follow the Farnley Iron company into mine ownership. Were they after local ironstone? Grumpytramp is the man.........