Where is/was the exact location of Black Road and Red Road East Leeds?

York Road Lad · Post by **York Road Lad** » Sun 07 Jul, 2013 1:47 pm

The Parksider wrote: York Road Lad wrote: Both Red Road and Black Road are just round the corner from me. Red Road runs from opposite the site of the 'Bridgefield' to Halton Moor and Temple Newsam. It is usually marked on maps as 'Halton Moor Road', but 'Red Road' is the part that was surfaced with red slag/shale - hence its name. The area has several old coal mines and the red road is surfaced by waste crushed fireclay, originating from the mines, which was used for making bricks. Apologies for the correction, but the mines and minerals of Leeds are a great interest of mine (no pun intended) shale and slag roads are to be found, but these will be grey/black.... No, I'm grateful for the correction. I always wondered what the red stuff actually was. There was some of it used to make a path on Torre Drive when I was a kid outside where the power substation is. I am also told that there were 'red hills' near the top of Torre Road on the site of the Torre Club (now the 'New Torre') and adjoining industrial premises. Apparently, they were removed some time before I was born - so that would be probably late 1950's. Would this be the same stuff?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Tue 09 Jul, 2013 2:02 pm

York Road Lad wrote: No, I'm grateful for the correction. I always wondered what the red stuff actually was. There was some of it used to make a path on Torre Drive when I was a kid outside where the power substation is. I am also told that there were 'red hills' near the top of Torre Road on the site of the Torre Club (now the 'New Torre') and adjoining industrial premises. Apparently, they were removed some time before I was born - so that would be probably late 1950's. Would this be the same stuff? Absolutely, the area is the centre of Fireclay in Leeds with the Burmantofts pottery.On Barrowby Lane at the old West Yorks Colliery there are piles of fireclay....

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Tue 09 Jul, 2013 8:19 pm

I drove past here tonight and noticed that a bit of clearing work appears to have been carried out on the former site of the Bridgefield - along with what appears to be new 'hazard' tape strung around the site...

fellrunner · Post by **fellrunner** » Wed 10 Jul, 2013 8:33 pm

I remember the coal train that used to come up from Temple Newsam,at the side of Snake Lane fields,go across Cross Green Lane and then behind the Bridgefield pub and then onto the coal staithes on Easy Rd.Used to go fishing at Red Walls,about half way down Black Rd.I still do a lot of running down Black Rd ( or the M 1 link rd as it is now and through Bell Wood to Temple Newsam

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 11 Jul, 2013 8:30 pm

raveydavey wrote: I drove past here tonight and noticed that a bit of clearing work appears to have been carried out on the former site of the Bridgefield - along with what appears to be new 'hazard' tape strung around the site... Tonights passing saw the erection of what appear to be hoardings going up around the site...

barnsleybob · Post by **barnsleybob** » Sun 11 Aug, 2013 4:03 pm

fellrunner wrote: I remember the coal train that used to come up from Temple Newsam,at the side of Snake Lane fields,go across Cross Green Lane and then behind the Bridgefield pub and then onto the coal staithes on Easy Rd.Used to go fishing at Red Walls,about half way down Black Rd.I still do a lot of running down Black Rd ( or the M 1 link rd as it is now and through Bell Wood to Temple Newsam I tried to look for the red walls but no luck.I parked up by the SNA car auction and then walked 100 yards where the Wyke Beck stream is but couldnt see them. I presume they are over the wyke beck. Is this where they are/were? My only solution might be because Black Road is now widened into a dual carriageway they have pulled it down. Thoughts?

fellrunner · Post by **fellrunner** » Tue 13 Aug, 2013 5:14 pm

I will have a look when I run down Black Rd but I don't recollect seeing them

mayslass · Post by **mayslass** » Fri 21 Feb, 2014 12:27 pm

Hiya Barnsley Bob, I know this area well, I lived around here when I was a kid in the 50's ( used to play there) and still do live close by. Red Road is still there in fact I had an allotment there until last year. Red Road is a private Road which used to belong to The Temple Newsam Estate, but now it is owned by the Railway.Allotments run down the side of Red Road called Red Road Allotments. It is a private gated road with pedestrian or bycycle access only. It still stretches to Halton Moor - Red walls. Black Road as it was know was part of Pontefract lane which stretched from York Road and still does. That part of Black Road/ Pontefract Lane however is now the actual start new M1/A1 link road called the A63. This starts at the top of Cross Green Lane Leeds LS9, not to be confused with Cross Green Lane Leeds LS 15. Hope this is helpful. Next time I go around there I'll take a picture of it as it is now and post on here for you.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 21 Feb, 2014 1:19 pm

A good aerial photo to add to this thread.Full size photo herehttp://tinyurl.com/omvfkw8

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Fri 21 Feb, 2014 2:17 pm

Aerial photos like that posted by Phill are fascinating.I'm fairly sure the building in the centre is the Bridgefield Hotel/Pub. I wonder if anyone knows what the white building is a little right and down from the Bridgefield? Also, what is the intriguing looking building right of centre on the bottom that looks as if not all is showing and seems to have some possibly related features to its left and right?As a kid in the early 1950s I used to play on Black Road and Red Road but that's about all I now recall of them!