Ghostly cavalier near Meanwood beck

Dobs · Post by **Dobs** » Wed 12 Sep, 2012 10:34 am

I’m looking into any battle or skirmish in the area of Hollin Lane or Meanwood because of a certain childhood experience.My sister and I lived in Hollin Lane, Far Headingley as children during the 1960s and shared a bedroom when we were small. Over a family dinner just a few years ago we were reminiscing and I happened to mention the ‘friendly cavalier’ who used to sit on the bottom of my bed, expecting everyone to laugh. But my sister said, ‘Did you see him too?’ This, as you can imagine, got us all thinking! We both experienced the same thing: he would smile at us and neither of us felt at all scared; on the contrary, he was very friendly and we both felt an overwhelming feeling of being safe and cosy. I just used to smile back at him and go back to sleep.Neither of us particularly believed or disbelieved in ghosts until we realised that each of us had independently seen the same apparition. But after researching on the internet and finding out that there WAS a battle or skirmish not too far away in Weetwood valley (a very eerie moment!), we are both now much more open-minded! Hollin Lane leads down to Hollin Drive and Meanwood Beck, so could be in the right sort of area for the skirmish or perhaps for retreating soldiers or cavalry. I don’t know why, but both my sister and I have it in our minds that he was in the cavalry, a horseman. Would this fit? Was cavalry involved in the skirmish/ battle? Did the skirmish move up the valley towards modern-day Weetwood?I would be fascinated to know if anyone else has also seen cavalier (or roundhead) apparitions in the area!Also any more information on the battle/skirmish too would be brilliant, to see if ‘our’ cavalier could really have been part of this event – or was he actually only a figment of two children’s imaginations!

book · Post by **book** » Thu 13 Sep, 2012 7:27 pm

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/e ... .shtmlSome 23 pages here of history of Elmet. Meanwood and Weetwood get a mention so you might find something in it.

Lt · Post by Lt » Mon 05 Nov, 2012 3:00 am

When I was a kid we were broken into and all the stuff dumped in meanwood beck, we had to go fish it out (to this day I wonder why the police didnt escort us while we were fishing stuff out).I didnt like it then and I dont like it now!

James · Post by **James** » Mon 05 Nov, 2012 9:15 am

Dobs wrote: I’m looking into any battle or skirmish in the area of Hollin Lane or Meanwood because of a certain childhood experience. ......after researching on the internet and finding out that there WAS a battle or skirmish not too far away in Weetwood valley (a very eerie moment!), we are both now much more open-minded! According to Wikipedia, a skirmish, between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces, took place in Meanwood, during the English Civil War. It is said that the "Beck ran red", with the blood of the fallen, hence, the place name "Stainbeck".I have read Gardiner's History of the Civil War, which is supposed to be very thorough, but I can't remember any mention of this encounter at Meanwood. I'd need to get hold of all four volumes and search the index to be sure.

James · Post by **James** » Mon 05 Nov, 2012 10:47 am

I guess the most likely explanation is that after the battle of Marston Moor (July, 1644), when what was left of the Royalist army withdrew in a south westerly direction, a party of Cavalier stragglers were caught at Meanwood by Roundheads in pursuit. In the gory encounter which followed, the beck nearby ran with blood and became known thereafter as Stainbeck.My guess is based on my general knowledge of the Civil War and not on accurate information about the facts of this episode. Although 'cavaliers' are usually pictured as mounted on horseback, both sides in the Civil War had cavalry and infantry.