Request for help from a newbie RE: Tunnels under Leeds

CathJ · Post by **CathJ** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 3:38 pm

Hi, I am in my final year of a journalism corse with Leeds City College and have been set a project to create a five minute docmentary. My chosen subject for this documentary is urban legends/rumours of tunnels underneath Leeds City Centre, and after lurking in the shadows on this site reading through the forums I wondered if anybody would be willing to give me some help. I am looking for stories that people have been told or over heard regarding tunnels and hidden streets around the Briggate/Boar lane/Duncan street area of the city and there connections to other areas. Any other stories about tunnels under Leeds in general would also be welcome. Thank you in advance for any help you can give CathPS I also apologise if this thread is in the wrong place

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 6:28 pm

Go talk to the landlady of the Duncan pub on Duncan Street Cath.Noel Squires from the New Roscoe was good friends with her and he told me there is a big space under the pub, or some kind of passage in there as he's seen it himself. There does seem to be talk of this on these Leeds tunnel/ urban myth websites. I have seen it pop up a few times. I'm always a bit dubious about hearing these things until I see for myself, but there is often a rumour of truth in them. I also have no reason to think Noel would lie as he told me to go see her for a look myself (which I've never got round to as yet) It seems most of these urban legends/rumours in the area you talk about originate from Underneath the Duncan pub. You may also want to search this forum about the buried subway under Briggate.Many shops had extended cellars (mostly blocked off or forgotten about) under Lands Lane. It was in the news at the time, and I know first hand as I worked on the building when they remodelled the paving (since ripped up as dangerous, slippy, and sub-standard work I guess it will be similar things under Briggate too. Apart from what I have told you all you get about this area is people swearing blind things exist, yet when push comes to shove these people can never show you, or get any photographs of it either! Often the myth is far bigger and better than the reality.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 7:14 pm

I wish you success Cath in your project. There are certainly plenty of rumours around, as you will no doubt find in Secret Leeds threads. With all the recent redevelopement work going on in the centre of Leeds in recent years it would therefore be no surprise if some 'secret' underground passageways were found but none seem to have been reported (at least publicly). Some of course (such as the old subway in Briggate mentioned by Phill) are known and not a secret. When there was some work going on in Briggate a couple or so years back I asked a workman if there were any remains of the old toilets in the subway and he said they had come across them but they were then covered back over.As you walk around in the centre of Leeds there are still many of the old covers that are made up of small pieces of thick glass. They are almost impossible to see through but I have seen some where bits are broken and there seems as if there may be cellars below. As I've never seen any with lights showing below I assume at least most are blocked off and not used and are now part of the rumours. Please though don't disprove the long standing rumour that there is a tunnel from Kirkstall Abbey to St John's Church off New Briggate.

CathJ · Post by **CathJ** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 8:34 pm

Thank you Phil, I will take your advice and get in touch with the landlady of the duncan. I have seen a story on the bbc hidden Leeds page about some kind of street beneath a pub on Duncan street. Also streets underneath Thorntan arcade and the merrion centre. Leodian, I did take a wonder around Leeds with my camera a couple of weeks ago and went into the small alley way behind Duncan street and saw some covers close to the buildings but couldn't see anything through them.As for the Kirkstall Abbey tunnel, I have been led to believe, after reading the threads on here, that it goes to every building in Leeds and possibly beyond? lol

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 8:44 pm

That was about 5 years ago I spoke to Noel about this, so it could be a new Landlord/lady by now.But a silver tongue, and especially a pretty girls fluttering eye lashes usually gets you everywhere Let us know how you get on. Good luck

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 9:58 pm

CathJ wrote: Thank you Phil, I will take your advice and get in touch with the landlady of the duncan. I have seen a story on the bbc hidden Leeds page about some kind of street beneath a pub on Duncan street. Also streets underneath Thorntan arcade and the merrion centre. Leodian, I did take a wonder around Leeds with my camera a couple of weeks ago and went into the small alley way behind Duncan street and saw some covers close to the buildings but couldn't see anything through them.As for the Kirkstall Abbey tunnel, I have been led to believe, after reading the threads on here, that it goes to every building in Leeds and possibly beyond? lol Actually at least to Temple Newsam, ignoring the river and mine workings of courseWe get quite a few requests like yours, sadly many expect members to do the searching for them however you seem to be happy to 'get stuck in'. As others have suggested you will find a great deal in here to get you goingif you dig deep enough (sorry!). Do take advantage of Phil's knowledge on this, I'm sure he will continue to point you in the right direction - 'specially if there may be a pint behind the bar in return.what many people rarely do after these rquests, is let us know how things turn out - a quick note is always appreciated

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 10:25 pm

No offence, but if you're going to be a journalist you might want to address your spelling.

CathJ · Post by **CathJ** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 10:28 pm

I will definitely keep the forum up to date and probably put my finished documentary onto my blog for people to have a nosey at I may have already found a little clue to cellars being in use but sadly not in the right area, I took out a copy of the Illustrated history of Leeds and it mentions cellar dwellings at Bank(?) during the typhus fever epidemic (1847). There is an area called Bank on my little map of Leeds not too far from Mount St Mary's RC school. If there were houses around Lower Briggate and Duncan Street maybe the cellars are related in some way (long stretch I know lol)

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 11:06 pm

That's better. But don't end a sentence with a preposition. I think you'll find that most houses of the era had cellars, not just those at Bank. I'm not sure how helpful that line of research might be.

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 26 Oct, 2011 11:47 pm

CathJ wrote: I will definitely keep the forum up to date and probably put my finished documentary onto my blog for people to have a nosey at I may have already found a little clue to cellars being in use but sadly not in the right area, I took out a copy of the Illustrated history of Leeds and it mentions cellar dwellings at Bank(?) during the typhus fever epidemic (1847). There is an area called Bank on my little map of Leeds not too far from Mount St Mary's RC school. If there were houses around Lower Briggate and Duncan Street maybe the cellars are related in some way (long stretch I know lol) Burt's book has a wealth of information but is rather generalised if not generic. As you dig around the Secret Leeds archive, you'll find most of the data comes from personal knowledge and exploration - very little seems to be formally documented in texts.There is a booklet available from Abbey House which may help a little....