Leeds, Roundhay Park and Osmondthorpe Junction Railway

grumpytramp · Post by **grumpytramp** » Mon 16 Feb, 2009 7:24 pm

Here is a wee bit of an intriguehttp://www.opsi.gov.uk/chron-tables/local/chron069see at item c.xv reference to the Leeds, Roundhay Park and Osmondthorpe Junction Railway parliamentary act of 1874 and its repeal in 1877 with the Leeds, Roundhay and Osmondthorpe Junction Rly.(Abandonment) 1877 Act. [it is probably no coincidence that, I think, Roundhay Park was opened to the public in 1872]I suppose that this was a scheme granted parliamentary approval before being abandonded some time later. I cannot find any other accessable information on the web about the scheme. Looking at the local OS maps the logical route would have been a junction on the Leeds & Selby line at Osmondthorpe before running up the Wyke Beck Valley and terminating at the Lido by Wetherby Road ??Anybody know anything?

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Mon 16 Feb, 2009 9:18 pm

I've never heard of this before.As you say, the obvious route would be to follow the Wykebeck Valley which would have been a relatively straightforward route with only a gentle uphill gradient.Very few houses would have been in that area at the time, so it would seem quite a straightforward venture.I'd guess that with the trams presumably operating to Princes Avenue, it was decided that a railway was unlikely to make much money?

Hector · Post by **Hector** » Mon 16 Feb, 2009 9:36 pm

I came across this some years ago when I was researching the history of Osmondthorpe. The following comments are from memory. The idea for the railway came about because of the popularity of the recently opned Roundhay Park and the inability of the horse drawn trams to cope with the numbers visiting.The railway was to be a loop line and there were to be station in the Templar Street area of town and ne line was also to run through Gipton. The scheme failed to get off the ground as it was felt that the winter months would not provide enough passengers to make it financially viable.I assume that the line would have run off the existing Leeds Selby line somewhere near Halton Dial and as indicated by others would then have run along what is now Wykebeck Valley Road (this road did not come into existence until the 1930s).

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 16 Feb, 2009 9:59 pm

One of the arguments from the 'Roundhay Aristocracy' in their petition to Government against a Public Park being created at Roundhay, was of its inaccessibility to the lesser classes and the strain to be put upon the roads which were not in the upkeep of the Council (reference: Steven Burt).I wonder if there is some connection with this proposal here? (Hector, hmmm, did you once appear in a pinstripe suit perhaps?)

Brunel · Post by **Brunel** » Mon 16 Feb, 2009 10:45 pm

Two copies of the route map are in the National Archive.http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cata ... 008-08-08I have a very poor copy of the route map, can't remember where I copied it from.... as usual.

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Tue 17 Feb, 2009 12:19 pm

There was an article in the Leeds Mercury about this on 6 December 1873 - there is a description of the route, but no map. Sorry, can't enlarge it any further without distorting the image.

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Tue 17 Feb, 2009 1:18 pm

I seem to remember having loads of plans for this but without the maps. Cant remember exactly what it is but I got it cheap so was thinking of donating to the library or something. It was part of the application to parliament so detailed all the routes and stuff

grumpytramp · Post by **grumpytramp** » Tue 17 Feb, 2009 1:18 pm

TasaThank you very much for that ......... thats really starts to paint a picture!GPS Is the Leeds Mercury available as an online resourse?

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Tue 17 Feb, 2009 1:56 pm

grumpytramp wrote: TasaThank you very much for that ......... thats really starts to paint a picture!GPS Is the Leeds Mercury available as an online resourse? Glad to be of help! The source I use is 19th Century British Library Newspapers, which is a fully searchable database of 48 national and local newspapers. I access it through a licence supplied at work (higher education institution), otherwise you have to be in a British Library building to access the database.I think the Central Library has the Leeds Mercury on microfilm, but you have to know what you're looking for, otherwise you're in for a long search.I must say, I find it invaluable to get to the facts, and as you say, it really brings history to life. I can also use my staff login to access it at home, so it passes many an evening!

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Tue 17 Feb, 2009 2:07 pm

For completeness, here's the article from 10 February 1877, when it was agreed to wind the scheme up. Again, sorry for the small font size - there's a strict limit to the filesize you can post on here!