Another Beck.....or stream?

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mark1978
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu 28 Feb, 2013 7:28 am

Post by mark1978 »

Here are the maps I was never able to upload using the old system - firstly a current map showing the 'Linton Road Beck' (note the little bit that also comes above ground between Belvedere Court and Linton Rise)
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mark1978
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Post by mark1978 »

And now the 1954 view of the same area. Note the two drains running from the Sandhills into what's now the Linton beck, one of which matches the aforementioned Belvedere bit!
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The Parksider
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Post by The Parksider »

mark1978 wrote: And now the 1954 view of the same area. Note the two drains running from the Sandhills into what's now the Linton beck, one of which matches the aforementioned Belvedere bit! Mark, don't these drains create a small beck that becomes great heads beck flowing into roundhay Park??IIRC the area you quote is in a plateau between the falling ground to great heads south, and the falling ground north and a stream crossing the harrogate road to discharge to the reservoir.If the land was virgin land it'd be wet moorland discharging both ways. The "drains" probably helped make the soggy land arable. Which way they drained caused the water to go that way as opposed to naturally soaking down to a water table that would discharge both north and south....    

mark1978
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Joined: Thu 28 Feb, 2013 7:28 am

Post by mark1978 »

The Parksider wrote: mark1978 wrote: And now the 1954 view of the same area. Note the two drains running from the Sandhills into what's now the Linton beck, one of which matches the aforementioned Belvedere bit! Mark, don't these drains create a small beck that becomes great heads beck flowing into roundhay Park??IIRC the area you quote is in a plateau between the falling ground to great heads south, and the falling ground north and a stream crossing the harrogate road to discharge to the reservoir. I'm not sure I've fully understood you but the drains appear to flow into the stream between Linton Road and Linton Avenue, which is flowing in the wrong direction to feed Great Heads. It flows north, disappears under the road just beyond the top of the images I've posted, re-emerges a few hundred yards west off High Ash Drive, then goes under Harrogate Road as you say. Does it flow into the reservoir though? It certainly goes nearby (under Alwoodley Lane and then into Wigton Knowle), but the modern map suggests it possibly flows into a drain which goes round the edge of the reservoir and eventually into Adel Beck. Not sure about that though, I'm not great at interpreting maps! Quote: If the land was virgin land it'd be wet moorland discharging both ways. The "drains" probably helped make the soggy land arable. Which way they drained caused the water to go that way as opposed to naturally soaking down to a water table that would discharge both north and south....     Think you're definitely on the money here - can't see any evidence of drains or streams on maps in (what we now know as) the Sandhill area pre 1950s, so they were likely put in to make the area buildable-on.

ultrix
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Joined: Wed 28 Oct, 2015 11:08 am

Re: Another Beck.....or stream?

Post by ultrix »

The little stream that flows under Harrogate Road and under Alwoodley Lane, then into Wigton Knowle, does flow into a drain which goes around the eastern side of the reservoir.
I've spent a lot of time at Eccup during the summer and managed to trace some of the little streams in the area. I used a Philip's street atlas of West Yorkshire as a map, so all place references can be found there.
From the map, the stream that runs under Harrogate Road, Alwoodley Lane and into Wigton Knowle, appears to drain into the reservoir at the deep inlet at the south-east corner. However, it drains into a small culvert, hidden by trees, a few yards short of the apex of the inlet.
Once underground, it is joined, on the left, by another culvert which surfaces to the west of the inlet. This stream can be traced, on the surface, as far west as the area near Reservoir Lodge. I haven't followed this stream to its source as it flows into the Reservoir Lodge gardens.
The culvert follows the eastern edge of the reservoir and somewhere close to the gatehouse at the end of the lane leading down to the reservoir from Harrogate Road. The waters from the culvert emerges at the top of a magnificent flight of 142 steps and joins Eccup Beck.
I'm surprised that the culvert outfall hasn't been mentioned before, but it is hidden just inside the treeline. For completeness, I looked at the drainage of the north side of the reservoir. Eccup Beck runs in an open ditch along the north side of the reservoir with a very short modern culvert which takes it under the road across the embankment into a steep open channel which runs diagonally down the embankment.
I've put together a small website with some photographs at http://www.urbanredux.uk

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Leodian
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Re: Another Beck.....or stream?

Post by Leodian »

Thanks for that information and images ultrix :).

I've often walked by the "western inlet" and had thought that the water going in there will likely eventually go to the reservoir. The course can be followed for a while by the few short stone structures by the track that have manhole like covers on them, but those structures seem to disappear (at least from easy view) before reaching the reservoir dam end. Many years back now, finding it could be opened, I opened the cover at the first structure just after the 'western inlet' and looked down its short shaft to the narrow water course. One thing I do recall were some interesting white fungus-like growths on the shaft wall.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

mark1978
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu 28 Feb, 2013 7:28 am

Re: Another Beck.....or stream?

Post by mark1978 »

ultrix wrote:The little stream that flows under Harrogate Road and under Alwoodley Lane, then into Wigton Knowle, does flow into a drain which goes around the eastern side of the reservoir.
I've spent a lot of time at Eccup during the summer and managed to trace some of the little streams in the area. I used a Philip's street atlas of West Yorkshire as a map, so all place references can be found there.
From the map, the stream that runs under Harrogate Road, Alwoodley Lane and into Wigton Knowle, appears to drain into the reservoir at the deep inlet at the south-east corner. However, it drains into a small culvert, hidden by trees, a few yards short of the apex of the inlet.
Once underground, it is joined, on the left, by another culvert which surfaces to the west of the inlet. This stream can be traced, on the surface, as far west as the area near Reservoir Lodge. I haven't followed this stream to its source as it flows into the Reservoir Lodge gardens.
The culvert follows the eastern edge of the reservoir and somewhere close to the gatehouse at the end of the lane leading down to the reservoir from Harrogate Road. The waters from the culvert emerges at the top of a magnificent flight of 142 steps and joins Eccup Beck.
I'm surprised that the culvert outfall hasn't been mentioned before, but it is hidden just inside the treeline. For completeness, I looked at the drainage of the north side of the reservoir. Eccup Beck runs in an open ditch along the north side of the reservoir with a very short modern culvert which takes it under the road across the embankment into a steep open channel which runs diagonally down the embankment.
I've put together a small website with some photographs at http://www.urbanredux.uk
This is fantastic - I've meant for ages to go up to Wigton Knowle and find out what happens to this beck, but just haven't had chance. Good to finally confirm what I suspected, ie that it doesn't flow into the reservoir but gets diverted around it, albeit in the opposite direction to what I'd assumed.

So having studied the OS map afresh via Bing, would I be right in thinking that having gone down the 142 steps, it joins Sturdy Beck (another waterway close to my heart...) and ultimately discharges into the lake at Harewood House?

Remaining mystery: where does it come from? It appears from under the road at Brookhill Crescent, leaving us to guess its source. I've posted my guesses further up this thread (spring at that point, fortified by land drainage from the Sandhill estate, plus maybe some kind of outflow from Moortown East Service Reservoir) but it would be nice to confirm it somehow.

Gars28
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Joined: Thu 10 Mar, 2016 3:52 pm

Houghley Ghyll and the springs of ridge wood.

Post by Gars28 »

I had a short walk today from Kirkstall to Armley, at the bridge at Amen corner I noticed a water course emerge on the banking a short distance up that empties into the canal. After some thought, with my local knowledge I came to the conclusion that it is in fact Houghley Ghyll. This is the stream that now runs underground from Houghley lane near Christ the King church, down the wooded area to here just behind the church at amen corner, there is also a continuation of this watercourse on the towpath side of the canal I'm presuming completing the last stretch of the original Ghyll to its mouth at the river Aire,this also acts as a top up/drainage to the canal.
I continued my walk over the Redcote lane bridge and back on myself on the other side into the woods at the back of Armley house. There are several little streams running down the hillside and even a spring bubbling up in the middle of the path. Further along where the golf course levels out and meets the woods at the bottom another Ghyll emerges from a culvert under the golf course from ridge road.
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A closer view
A closer view
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Houghley Ghyll, you can just see the church at Amen corner in the distance
Houghley Ghyll, you can just see the church at Amen corner in the distance
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Gars28
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Joined: Thu 10 Mar, 2016 3:52 pm

Ridge wood streams and springs

Post by Gars28 »

Some more pictures from ridge wood, can anyone tell me any information on the culverted streams running from under the golf course? It seems too large to be excluded from old maps pre golf course days. Also there is supposed to be a boundary stone in the woods somewhere, I cannot find it anywhere has it been stolen or vandalised does anyone know? I did see a stone close to the edge of the canal with a w/m or k carved, but dare not get close enough to inspect for fear of getting wet!! Some photos are too large to add, how can I shrink them to add to the post? Look in buildings and structures for my hidden/ secret doorway found in Gotts park on the same walk.
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Stream emerging from underneath golf course
Stream emerging from underneath golf course
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jim
Posts: 1895
Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Re: Another Beck.....or stream?

Post by jim »

Hello Gars28, welcome to the site. Interesting topics, and good pics. If you google "leeds tithe maps" and click on the twin maps facility, with a bit of messing about dragging and enlarging the maps provided, you will be able to access the areas you enquire about. As you suspect, the stream entering the canal is indeed the Houghley Gill. It is shown on the 1836-51(?) Tithe Map, and has a noticeable pond feature adjacent to the canal (I am assuming that the entry you depict is just SE of the Amen Corner Bridge). As to the other streams you mention, there is a well shown on the c1910 OS map available on the site, just SW of Redcote Bridge, which is also marked "W" on an earlier OS map, which may have something to do with one of the entries you describe. The Tithe Maps site has in addition to those I mention OS maps for c1875, c1890, and a variety of more modern maps available.

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