SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I just found this fascinating report on a series of visits to Leeds industrial concerns by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 1903.
If you have any interest in the history of the great industrial firms in Leeds you might like to read this:
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1903_Insti ... er_Station
Many of the firms in this report will be familiar names to anyone who grew up or lived in Leeds when it was still an industrial powerhouse.

I have a personal interest in the early electrification of Leeds because my great grandfather moved to Leeds from London to work for Yorkshire House to House electric company in 1894.
I was also interested in the account of the York Street subway. Does anyone know whether this still exists?
Also the account of burning waste in the council destructors. (A modern waste incineration plant is planned for near where I now live to much local opposition.)
Apologies if this reference has been previously quoted here.

Excellent find there BP.

TABBYCAT wrote:Excellent find there BP.

I agree .

As to the York Street utilities only carrying subway I feel sure I've read that at least some of it is still intact and is maintained for safety reasons.

Glad you liked it Tabby and Leodian.
I could only find a couple of mentions of the utilities subway.
This one has a photo

https://leeds-list.com/culture/the-odd- ... -of-leeds/

I don't think my great-grandfather ( a foreman cable jointer for Yorkshire House to House Electricity) would have been too happy laying his electric cables in this "subway" if he had to work up to his waist in sewage!

I enjoyed reading it too but my reading of the section about the subway was that the sewer was beneath an airtight floor within the subway, so that nobody need do any paddling in it.

The sewer is laid under the floor and is accessible by means of manholes sealed with air-tight covers. The sewer is ventilated in the usual manner. The subway itself is ventilated by openings in the roof 48 feet apart. At distances of 40 feet, sideways are constructed (4 feet high and 3 feet wide), under the floor of which will be placed house-drain connections. The floors of the sideways are formed of bricks on edge laid dry so that ready access is given to the house-drains. Nine-inch pipes are inserted every 15 feet in the walls of the subway to take the surface wires and pipes to abutting houses.

I cannot be certain and the lack of a site search engine mains I cannot qualify it, but I have an inkling that access to this subway was gained some time ago (by a former urban exploring member) and mentioned somewhere on the forum.

Apologies in advance if this is incorrect.

This and many other underground tunnels were discussed on here a few years ago, it was put on by the infamous Phil (I gotta have it my way or else) Davison, who eventually took his bat and ball home (thankfully) because he didn't get his own way.

He then deleted most of the pictures he had posted via photobucket. What a prick that bloke was.

It is still possible to see those pictures (but not on this site) and I for one take exception to him using this sites name as his own.

I could be wrong but i think one entrance was a metal door under the flyover on i think Bridge Street.

jma wrote:I enjoyed reading it too but my reading of the section about the subway was that the sewer was beneath an airtight floor within the subway, so that nobody need do any paddling in it.

The sewer is laid under the floor and is accessible by means of manholes sealed with air-tight covers. The sewer is ventilated in the usual manner. The subway itself is ventilated by openings in the roof 48 feet apart. At distances of 40 feet, sideways are constructed (4 feet high and 3 feet wide), under the floor of which will be placed house-drain connections. The floors of the sideways are formed of bricks on edge laid dry so that ready access is given to the house-drains. Nine-inch pipes are inserted every 15 feet in the walls of the subway to take the surface wires and pipes to abutting houses.

Yes you are quite right jma. The 1903 text and diagram of the subway make this perfectly clear. I was mislead by another photo which showed a large sewer with some service lines on brackets fixed to the wall under a caption that indicated this was the York St subway.
So my great-grandfather probably kept his feet dry. Water and electricity don't mix well .

TABBYCAT wrote:I cannot be certain and the lack of a site search engine mains I cannot qualify it, but I have an inkling that access to this subway was gained some time ago (by a former urban exploring member) and mentioned somewhere on the forum.

Apologies in advance if this is incorrect.

Hi Tabbycat.
Don't be put off by lack of a site search engine.
In google search just type in something like this

site:www.secretleeds.com "tunnel"

and it will search the site for any mention of the word "tunnel" and give you a list of results.
You can substitute anything else you want for tunnel.eg:-

site:www.secretleeds.com "school dinner"

(And any other website for secretleeds.)
BP