SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

hi coal mine seems to be the favorite. or is it a treacle mine lol. im fasinated by the underground structures and buildings there seems to be so many of them.

rehtnap wrote: hi coal mine seems to be the favorite. or is it a treacle mine lol. im fasinated by the underground structures and buildings there seems to be so many of them. Yes, it's definately coal, Rehtnap.Alternating layers of shale, clay and sandstone lie just beneath the surface on "The Heights," and these thin seams of coal have been mined for hundreds of years. However, the treacle seam is much deeper, and necessitated the digging of Greenside tunnel to reach it. I believe it was completely worked out in the early 80s, due to over-exploitation, and the fact that they no longer had to work between trains. (The niches in the tunnel side where the miners could seek safety can still be seen.) A similar fate befell the jam butty mines in Liverpool, I'm told.

And now the birds have radar and sat-nav they can fly with their eyes shut and no longer need to fly back'ards--------

Si wrote: "Nov. 29th. Br. John Tordoff gat very much hurt yesterday in a coal-pit, and it was a great wonder to every one that knew it that (he) was not kill'd on the spot, because a stone of more than a pack weight fell from the top of the pit more than 20 yeards deep, where he was in the bottom, and it fell upon him."Found this passage in a history of (nearby) Fulneck, from 1775. I don't think it's our pit, but shows coal mining was going on in the area at an earlier date, and presumably run by the Moravian 'brothers' of Fulneck. "Very much hurt?" I bet he was! Classic example of Yorkshire understatement.     Is Brother John related to Jack Tordoff of JCT600 ? I thinkhe started his business in Pudsey.    

dogduke wrote: Is Brother John related to Jack Tordoff of JCT600 ? I thinkhe started his business in Pudsey. Sticker Lane, Bradford, wasn't it?The only Jack Tordoff/Pudsey connection I know of, is that he used to go waterskiing in the Lakes with a bunch of Pudsey lads in the 60s (my dad included!)Tordoff is a fairly common name around Bradford.    

hi dont know how true it is but i was always told that some of the mining spoil from greenside tunnel was used to build the st lawrence cricket ground. it certainly a built up ground as we used to live backing on to it.

rehtnap wrote: hi dont know how true it is but i was always told that some of the mining spoil from greenside tunnel was used to build the st lawrence cricket ground. it certainly a built up ground as we used to live backing on to it. I should imagine most of the spoil from the tunnel (If not all of it, plus boat, after boat load from somewhere else) was moved a few hundred yards passed the West portal to build the Smalewell embankement. It's the largest manmade embankement in Europe. I can't see the railway company wanting to help build a Cricket pitch whilst holding up there construction. They'd want the line open as soon as possible to recoup there money.        

The embankement is around 80-100' at the highest point. It gives you an amazing view from up there. You can see the Tyersal Beck has been culverted through the embankement. Greenside West portal is to the left, and only 230 yards away from the beck..        

i was told ogdens the building firm bought the embankment as its a lot of yorkshire stone in its construction and they wanted to retrieve it only to find a greenbelt order slapped on it. further up the line towards tyrsal is where during ww2 there was a false yeadon airport made from wood and canvas to fool the germans.

Phill_dvsn wrote: rehtnap wrote: hi dont know how true it is but i was always told that some of the mining spoil from greenside tunnel was used to build the st lawrence cricket ground. it certainly a built up ground as we used to live backing on to it. I should imagine most of the spoil from the tunnel (If not all of it, plus boat, after boat load from somewhere else) was moved a few hundred yards passed the West portal to build the Smalewell embankement. It's the largest manmade embankement in Europe. I can't see the railway company wanting to help build a Cricket pitch whilst holding up there construction. They'd want the line open as soon as possible to recoup there money.         I agree, Phill. That embankment's volume must be dozens of times bigger than the tunnel's (and associated short cuttings.) I've often wondered where it all came from. If spoil was used at the cricket club, it would more likely have come from the ventilation shaft - easier to transport. However, I think this was left at the site, making "Pepperpot Hill." The spoil heap is shown on the Godfrey map as an earthwork (see above.)