SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

According to the works records Brunel's culvert was about 1.3m diametre, quite substantial but as Phil has said it's been throttled down to about a foot nowadays. Probably to stop people crawling up it.

I noticed on the old map that Chameleon posted, that Sheepscar Dye Works is nearby.They would have used a huge quantity of water, and of course would have created an equal amount of waste water.In those days the waste would have been sent to the nearest water course, as did all the dyeworks on Meanwood Road, straight into Meanwood Beck

The Meanwood beck has a major failing, the water levels rise rapidly during heavy rain. Indeed many properties flooded along Meanwood road 2 years running not long ago.The beck cannot empty into the River Aire when it rises. It just backs up and up. I think it will prove to be a major headache for the council very shortly.You can see the outfall into the river is pretty much level with the river during dry spells in Summer herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/125088 ... 66200/This is the same place during flood, the water is way above our heads.http://snipurl.com/ubxm4Those properties around the Royal Armouries flood frequently. It's obvious the beck flow can't escape.    

Brunel wrote: I noticed on the old map that Chameleon posted, that Sheepscar Dye Works is nearby.They would have used a huge quantity of water, and of course would have created an equal amount of waste water.In those days the waste would have been sent to the nearest water course, as did all the dyeworks on Meanwood Road, straight into Meanwood Beck That's a 1908 map showing the Sheepscar dyeworks, do you think it would still be in operation, or using the Gipton beck by 1934?

Phill_dvsn wrote: The Meanwood beck has a major failing, the water levels rise rapidly during heavy rain. Indeed many properties flooded along Meanwood road 2 years running not long ago.The beck cannot empty into the River Aire when it rises. It just backs up and up. I think it will prove to be a major headache for the council very shortly.You can see the outfall into the river is pretty much level with the river during dry spells in Summer herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/125088 ... 66200/This is the same place during flood, the water is way above our heads.http://snipurl.com/ubxm4Those properties around the Royal Armouries flood frequently. It's obvious the beck flow can't escape.     That's quite a consequence - with the proposed defences in place, you can imsgine the increased depth, I wonder how that will be dealt with?

If you look very carefully at the paper copy of the 1908 map, in my case using a large magnifying lens.Looking at the junction of Carr/Meanwood Beck and the beck that runs east to Gipton beck, you can see it is joined in the same swept bend.On the map Benson St. is shown as one complete street, it was divided later when Sheepscar St. South and Regent St. were constructed.So it looks as if this junction is def. one and the same that Phill. Det al explored, and can be seen from the car park of the North St./Sheepscar branch of Plumbcentre    

Phill_dvsn wrote: The Meanwood beck has a major failing, the water levels rise rapidly during heavy rain. Indeed many properties flooded along Meanwood road 2 years running not long ago.The beck cannot empty into the River Aire when it rises. It just backs up and up. I think it will prove to be a major headache for the council very shortly.You can see the outfall into the river is pretty much level with the river during dry spells in Summer herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/125088 ... 66200/This is the same place during flood, the water is way above our heads.http://snipurl.com/ubxm4Those properties around the Royal Armouries flood frequently. It's obvious the beck flow can't escape.     Phill,never really thought before, what is the other culvert on the right of your exit?

This is from an undated street plan.Gipton Beck is overlaid with a red line, as it is a council boundary, separating LEEDS CENTRAL AND LEEDS NORTH

Brunel wrote: This is from an undated street plan.Gipton Beck is overlaid with a red line, as it is a council boundary, separating LEEDS CENTRAL AND LEEDS NORTH And I think confirms your culvert to have been the by-pass for the pond at some point.

chameleon wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: The Meanwood beck has a major failing, the water levels rise rapidly during heavy rain. Indeed many properties flooded along Meanwood road 2 years running not long ago.The beck cannot empty into the River Aire when it rises. It just backs up and up. I think it will prove to be a major headache for the council very shortly.You can see the outfall into the river is pretty much level with the river during dry spells in Summer herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/125088 ... 66200/This is the same place during flood, the water is way above our heads.http://snipurl.com/ubxm4Those properties around the Royal Armouries flood frequently. It's obvious the beck flow can't escape.     Phill,never really thought before, what is the other culvert on the right of your exit? The culvert on the right is the same Meanwood beck, it splits into two. there are sections in there where you can walk between the two.You can actually see where that concrete split section starts during it's construction in 1939.You can see the Palace pub in the distance to get your bearings.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... FULLThat's a great pic to plot the course of the beck, that new section cuts out all the old Timble beck area.    I think it also shows you how that culvert will easily be full to the roof when the nearby river is in flood. It simply can't run off.