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Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Posted: Fri 26 Jan, 2018 2:10 pm
by Leodian
During a stroll on January 25 2018 by the River Aire from Leeds Rail Station I noticed that much of the very thick plant growth on the river bank on the railway lines side has been removed. As a result the otherwise hidden start of a very long time blocked-off old water channel is now exposed and so very much more visible than it has been. The channel ran off the River Aire and went under Leeds Rail Station and from old maps it seems it would have come out at the Canal Basin (now usually known as Granary Wharf). The first photo is a zoomed-in one showing the start in which some of the blocking material can be made out. The second shows the location of the start of the channel behind the working platform on the river.
CurrentlyExposedStartOfLongBlockedOffWaterChannelThatRanFromRiverAireUnderLeedsRailStationJan252018..jpg
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LocationOfStartLongBlockedOffWaterChannelThatRanFromRiverAireUnderLeedsRailStationJan252018..jpg
LocationOfStartLongBlockedOffWaterChannelThatRanFromRiverAireUnderLeedsRailStationJan252018..jpg (100.56 KiB) Viewed 18261 times

Re: Currently exposed start of a long blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Posted: Fri 26 Jan, 2018 3:18 pm
by rikj
I have a vague memory of it being called Monk Bridge Lock. Sometime used for taking coal from the canal to Whitehall Road power station, though I can't remember where I got that thought from.

I assume this is part of the flood defence work?

Re: Currently exposed start of a long blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Posted: Fri 26 Jan, 2018 4:25 pm
by jim
Lots of past posts on this subject. Try "Leeds Station's Lost World" Pages 13-15 (and later) for starters.

Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Posted: Fri 26 Jan, 2018 7:38 pm
by buffaloskinner
:!:
I think I posted something on here about this not so long ago, anyway here are a couple of pics.
Unfortunately the tunnel does not go very far beyond the grill gate. There was also a secondry basin which ran off the connecting canal (see Fire insurance map)
This was where Jim almost lost his glasses in the river when we were doing a reccy a few years ago, he slipped and so did his glasses.

Re: Currently exposed start of a long blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Station.

Posted: Fri 26 Jan, 2018 10:21 pm
by Leodian
jim wrote:Lots of past posts on this subject. Try "Leeds Station's Lost World" Pages 13-15 (and later) for starters.
This is a link to that thread:- http://secretleeds.com/viewtopic.php?t=2322

Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Posted: Fri 26 Jan, 2018 10:27 pm
by Leodian
Thanks buffaloskinner for the information and the photo :).

I've long thought that guided tourist trips to some or even all of the publicly hidden parts under the train station would be popular. Perhaps security reasons will however rule that out of happening but I still live in hope!

Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Posted: Sat 27 Jan, 2018 12:51 pm
by tilly
Hi Leodian that would be a good idea but Elf and Safety would find a reason to put a stop to it.

Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Posted: Fri 30 Mar, 2018 8:33 pm
by Leodian
Work has ended at the at the long blocked-off Monk Pit Lock where some water from the River Aire used to run off underground before joining the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. This zoomed-in photo, which I took on March 29 2018, shows a better view now that the work platform is no longer there (as seen in the first photo in this thread).
BlockedMonkPitLockViewMarch292018..jpg
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Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Posted: Sat 31 Mar, 2018 2:13 pm
by tyke bhoy
Excellent work as ever Leodian. However I am at a loss as to what work has been carried out that required the platform unless it was completed before the first photo.

Re: Currently exposed start of a long time blocked-off water channel that ran from the River Aire under Leeds Rail Stati

Posted: Sun 01 Apr, 2018 7:16 pm
by Leodian
tyke bhoy wrote:Excellent work as ever Leodian. However I am at a loss as to what work has been carried out that required the platform unless it was completed before the first photo.
Hi tyke bhoy :).

I would guess you're right in that the work to remove the thick plant growth by the river bank had been mainly (if not wholly) done before I took the photos in the first post in this thread. I do not know when the platform was removed after those photos.