The Blackmoor Tunnel

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 23 Jan, 2008 12:17 am

The Parksider wrote: chameleon wrote: Could always just tell Phill there's a tunnel buried there.... and stand well back!! (sorry Phill!).Seriously though, do you think we'd get a way with a 'test trench'? there's every chance the culvert is still there - it would have been expensive and valueless the victorians digging it up. Not sure about ploughing depths and how deep the tunnel may be.AS FOR THE VIADUCT I parked up in a cul de sac first right up adel lane (WOW what a cul-de sac) and went to see if I could find the second aqueduct.The original crossroads was weetwood lane, smithy mills lane, long causeway and adel lane. Now the weetwood lane and ring road junction dominates.Built into the walls here are two large stones which say Alderman Martin gave the land at the crossroads to the city to stay undeveloped for people to enjoy. However they seem to have just run a great ring road through what was "Martin Close".Over the ring road near Tethers end which I assume was Weetwood farm, and there you see the stream the aqueduct crossed coming out from it's tunnel under the ring road.At that point there's an entrance to the woods on the south side of the stream and you go over the bridge and sharp left down the wide stone steps and take the track nearest the stream as it tumbles towards Meanwood beck and Smithy Mills.After a short walk the track moves a little away from the stream and over the ring road you see the cricket ground.In the woods are remains of old walls - pretty consistent in their make up and stone sizes. However straight across the track is a double course of much larger stones heading straight to the stream.The hillside (Fox Hill) is steep there, but following the line of stones you see the hillside has collapsed as though it's been roughly dug out.I can only guess this is what remains of the second Aqueduct that was possibly stone built and cut into the hillside below foxhills.When you look around there are enough later Victorian stone houses to assume that every dressed stone of the old aqueduct would have been taken for building - it's valuable stuff.I worked with some demolition guys who pulled down stone mill buildings and I asked how much the contract was. they told me they PAID the developer £3K to pull the buildings down on the proviso the stone was theirs!!!Where the structure would have tied into the hillside they (the victorian builders) appear to have removed all that stone and so you see (I think) how the hillside is cut back at that point.Anyway loved the little field trip, and found something that I'd be delighted if anyone else would have a look too. I give it my best educated guess I have found the remains of the aqueduct - but obviously crave a bit of agreement.The culvert carried on round that hillside gently faling down to weetwood. It would have been cut through at many a point for developments, and i wonder if it shows itself anywhere else.To trace it would take a lot of time and a lot of garden creeping!!! maybe when I retire............ That's a beautifully concise descripotion - I'vel added it to my list of 'summer outing must go tos'.... it's going to be a busy one (If I get the wife off Ancestry!).

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Wed 23 Jan, 2008 11:32 pm

chameleon wrote: I've added it to my list of 'summer outing must go tos'.... it's going to be a busy one (If I get the wife off Ancestry!).Do please post your thoughts when you go. It's an easy winter outing!!This summer we've vowed to walk the line of the Middleton Light Railway that starts in Miggy and terminates at the Scarboro pub - well it didn't but it will this summer.

David Raven · Post by **David Raven** » Fri 08 Feb, 2008 12:04 am

Hi rikjThe 'elusive shaft' you're looking for lies to the rear of Blackmoor Court flats. On your pic, it's just to the left of the red line, below the trees, above the white 'reversed' 'L' shape. Turn into King Drive from King Lane and take the second access road on the left (a private road into the grounds of the flats), go to the bottom of the garage area directly in front of you and look over the seven-foot high fence on your right. There you'll see a circular structure, much like the other shafts.CheersDave rikj wrote: Well, the elusive shaft was to the east of King Lane, so unfortunately can't be in the field. (As an aside, I think it was on here that someone mentioned public air raid shelters in that field.)The attached pic shows the line of the tunnel, bearings taken from the extant shafts, outfall basin at Seven Arches and valve shaft at Eccup. I'd say the red line is accurate within a few feet as to the line of the tunnel. The 1850 OS map shows the line of the tunnel but no shaft. The 1933 OS map shows the missing shaft, but no tunnel.So, trying to match the two, I'd say that the shaft lies somewhere between King Drive and the line of trees to the north that mark the stream.

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Fri 08 Feb, 2008 12:17 am

Thanks very much David, I'll have a look! Look forward to more contributions from you.

David Raven · Post by **David Raven** » Fri 08 Feb, 2008 7:05 pm

I nipped up this morning to take a few pics...I think one of the reasons it's 'elusive' is because, even though it's seven feet high or more, it's a little overgrown!Here's what you can see if you peer over the fence I mentioned:-There is easier access to it (which I forgot to post yesterday) if you take the public footpath that runs along the southern bank of the stream. This footpath goes from King Lane by the closed Alwoodley Motors garage, to the bottom of Far Moss. After the second block of flats, the shaft is on your right:-You can get to it quite easily at this time of year. I was pushed for time though, so only took a couple of quick pics. I didn't explore to see if there was a door in the side of the structure... Next time...! CheersDave

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Sat 09 Feb, 2008 11:26 pm

Thanks David, at least we know where it is now! I must admit I thought it didn't exist anymore. Will have to have a peer on google earth again.

David Raven · Post by **David Raven** » Wed 12 Mar, 2008 6:18 pm

I was working at Blackmoor Court flats today and one of the residents there showed me a copy of a Yorkshire Water large-scale map showing the tunnels etc. in the area.It actually shows two tunnels running parallell to each other, one labelled 'old' and one 'new'. Both were also labelled 'abandoned'. The Blackmoor shaft and the nearby 'Verity's shaft' in the Buckstone estate aren't on the same tunnel (I forget which was on the 'old' and which was on the 'new'). I asked one of the other residents how the water got from Eccup to Leeds now, if both the tunnels are abandoned. He told me that a new pipe was sunk, which can be seen near the 'Seven Arches' in the woods. Although this wasn't shown on the Yorkshire Water map!(I'm a little confused now!)...

kierentc · Post by **kierentc** » Wed 12 Mar, 2008 7:31 pm

David Raven wrote: I was working at Blackmoor Court flats today you're not the gardener by any chance are you? if so i seeeeee yooooou, loli live on king drive, and funnily enough used to live at blackmoor court before i got married. lovely flat in the second block overlooking the courtyard<sighs> happy days

David Raven · Post by **David Raven** » Wed 12 Mar, 2008 8:04 pm

kierentc wrote: David Raven wrote: I was working at Blackmoor Court flats today you're not the gardener by any chance are you? if so i seeeeee yooooou, loli live on king drive, and funnily enough used to live at blackmoor court before i got married. lovely flat in the second block overlooking the courtyard<sighs> happy days Er. Yeah! (Have we met?)

kierentc · Post by **kierentc** » Wed 12 Mar, 2008 9:59 pm

David Raven wrote: Er. Yeah! (Have we met?) nah, but i've heard your mower many a time loli'll say hello next time i see you edited to add...is there more than one gardener or just you? the one i always see has long hair, fair i think?