SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

No need! Pictures from drapesy... #01

#02

#03

That little building at the bottom left of the third picture has an interesting story of its own...

Go on, tell us then...

Sorry to be a tease .. I got broken off.I was told, but didnt believe it that it was built as part of the war time defences as a gun tower to defend the A65. Frankly I thought this was nonsense , and was part of the lift shaft. - (there is a lift directly underneath, although it hasn't worked for years...) and whilst they do look like gun slits on 3 sides surely they're for ventilation or something....?However... when I looked closer ( and ive seen this building close up) I got a surprise. Its built directly above the lift shaft, but on top of, and completely separate from the building that houses the lift mechanism. Most interestingly it is also obviously an addition to the original building, which was built in the mid 1930's. The bricks in this little building are obviously of a similar age, but are a slightly different colour - and while the rest of the original brickwork ( including the building that houses the lift mechanism directly below) has a distinctive pattern of 5 rows of bricks side-on then 1 row edge on this building has a simple pattern of side on bricks. Sadly I've not been able to get inside the building, or know anyone who has - there are signs that there was once a wooden ladder to the door you can see but it has long since gone. The door is firmly locked and would have to be broken down. I think this building was , as I was originally told, part of wartime defences- which were more extensive than many realise - only a mile or so up the A65 for instance you can see gun-slits in the perimeter wall of the old Kirkstall forge site.