Possible old wharf features near the River Aire.

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
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Leodian
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Possible old wharf features near the River Aire.

Post by Leodian »

I noticed these 2 interesting features during a stroll on December 21 2017 in the Navigation Walk area of the Victoria Quays development. I wonder if anyone knows anything about them? Being very close to the River Aire and in an area where there used to be wharves and warehouses I wonder if they are relic features that were retained during the development? The 2 objects seemed to be made from concrete and (if old) they presumably had a functional use rather than decorative. They seemed to be part of Flax House as Flyboat House is very near and Aire House is a little further away (both off view on the right of the second photo). The first two photos show the 2 features (the second is a view across the River Aire with by chance a train passing in the far rear). The third photo shows a nearby plaque dedicated to the Victoria Quays development some 30 years ago already!
PosOldWharfFeaturesNavigationWalkVictoriaQuaysNearRiverAireLeedsDec212017(1)..jpg
PosOldWharfFeaturesNavigationWalkVictoriaQuaysNearRiverAireLeedsDec212017(1)..jpg (107.35 KiB) Viewed 3014 times
PosOldWharfFeaturesNavigationWalkVictoriaQuaysNearRiverAireLeedsDec212017(2)..jpg
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VictoriaQuaysDevelopmentPlaqueNavigationWalkLeedsDec212017..jpg
VictoriaQuaysDevelopmentPlaqueNavigationWalkLeedsDec212017..jpg (157.88 KiB) Viewed 3014 times
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buffaloskinner
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Re: Possible old wharf features near the River Aire.

Post by buffaloskinner »

:!:

This area has been discussed somewhere on here before, it’s the old Warehouse belonging to British Waterways, the water and dock features, building exteriors remain as you have photographed them.

The large concrete lumps at the entrances to the warehouses were placed there to stop the wheels from the wagon carts damaging the walls.

There are remains of the warehousing all the way towards Leeds Bridge and also along Dock Street. There are also pictures of the interior of the warehouse on Leodis.

:arrow:
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Aire & Calder Warehouse.JPG
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Aire & Calder Dock 1891.jpg
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csd4t
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Re: Possible old wharf features near the River Aire.

Post by csd4t »

I lived in Aire house in 1990 top floor in the rh side in the very last picture (with sattellite dish) is my kitchen and bathroom windows. The dock in the picture was closed off and stocked with small carp. i had a walk round there recently and saw no fish only weed and a very neglectedn pond.

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buffaloskinner
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Re: Possible old wharf features near the River Aire.

Post by buffaloskinner »

csd4t wrote:I lived in Aire house in 1990 top floor in the rh side in the very last picture (with sattellite dish) is my kitchen and bathroom windows. The dock in the picture was closed off and stocked with small carp. i had a walk round there recently and saw no fish only weed and a very neglectedn pond.

:idea:
The dock was flooded, along with other parts of Leeds along the riverbank in January 2007. All the fish that were in there will have been washed away (see pic below). They did put some flood barriers up after that but the dock was never the same again and was left to nature.

:arrow:
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Victoria Quays flooding 2007.jpg
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Leodian
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Re: Possible old wharf features near the River Aire.

Post by Leodian »

Thanks buffaloskinner for your help and information, which is appreciated :).
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

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Leodian
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Re: Possible old wharf features near the River Aire.

Post by Leodian »

csd4t wrote:I lived in Aire house in 1990 top floor in the rh side in the very last picture (with sattellite dish) is my kitchen and bathroom windows. The dock in the picture was closed off and stocked with small carp. i had a walk round there recently and saw no fish only weed and a very neglectedn pond.
Hi csd4t :).

These are 2 photos that I took at the site on August 1st 2017. The enclosed 'pond' had a nice growth then of water loving plants. The second photo also shows a moorhen that I watched walking on the plants. As you say though the site does look very neglected just now (sadly also that there is usually litter in the water). It was interesting to see a moorhen in the centre of Leeds but it seems to have gone now. The building will be part of Flyboat and/or Aire House. The site is just out of view on the left of buffaloskinner's fascinating January 2007 flooding photo.
OldDockVictoriaQuaysLeedsAug012017..jpg
OldDockVictoriaQuaysLeedsAug012017..jpg (193.86 KiB) Viewed 2896 times
MoorhenAtOldDockVictoriaQuaysLeedsAug012017..jpg
MoorhenAtOldDockVictoriaQuaysLeedsAug012017..jpg (171.78 KiB) Viewed 2896 times
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