kirkstall abey tunnels

Places to explore
Post Reply
Corinthians Jon
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu 01 Mar, 2007 7:22 pm

Post by Corinthians Jon »

I heard that there was a tunnel that run from the abey all the way up to horsforth town street. sure i heard it on look north or radio leeds. just wondered if anyone else knew anything about it

tyke29
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat 03 Mar, 2007 6:32 pm

Post by tyke29 »

40 years ago I used to work at a firm called P X Fox on Hawksworth Road Horsforth. I believe it is a hydraulics company now. In the woods next to the works was the entrance to a culvert or tunnel. It was stone built tall and narrow and obviously very old. Being tall and narrow it was the wrong shape to be a drainage culvert and was rumoured to be the tunnel to the abbey. The works were reputed to be built on the site of a water mill operated by the monks so who knows, another rumour? The tunnel was blocked some 6 to 10 feet in. Wouldn't it be nice to know the truth.
If iver tha does owt fer nowt allus do it fer thissen

FLITZ
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun 04 Mar, 2007 3:48 pm

Post by FLITZ »

There are numerous stories about tunnels and pits and the various bits and pieces concerned with the abbey, however there was one story I picked up from a leeds history forum, this concerned a young man that had travelled down this said culvert and had made it into the abbey grounds only to be pulled out by abbey staff and police from an area not open to the public after shouting for an hour.

FLITZ
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun 04 Mar, 2007 3:48 pm

Post by FLITZ »

Just to add a bit of spice to this according to a previous land lord the pub called the Hark to rover was built upon an abbey burial site.

Loinerpete
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed 21 Feb, 2007 7:55 am

Post by Loinerpete »

tyke29 wrote: 40 years ago I used to work at a firm called P X Fox on Hawksworth Road Horsforth. I believe it is a hydraulics company now. In the woods next to the works was the entrance to a culvert or tunnel. It was stone built tall and narrow and obviously very old. Being tall and narrow it was the wrong shape to be a drainage culvert and was rumoured to be the tunnel to the abbey. The works were reputed to be built on the site of a water mill operated by the monks so who knows, another rumour? The tunnel was blocked some 6 to 10 feet in. Wouldn't it be nice to know the truth. My late Aunt worked at Fox`s in the 60`s, she told me of a tunnel entrance, it must still be there, the Fox`s building is still there.

tyke29
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat 03 Mar, 2007 6:32 pm

Post by tyke29 »

Yes Fox's building is still there but they have built an extension on the side closest to the tunnel mouth. I would think that the foundations are pretty close to the line of the tunnel. might have done some damage.
If iver tha does owt fer nowt allus do it fer thissen

Foustace
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon 19 Mar, 2007 1:16 pm

Post by Foustace »

i think the idea of the tunnel being in a pub cellar is more logical...didnt the monks used to be brewers?

Post Reply