The Missing Road
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My 1906 Godfrey Map shows Princes avenue with a tramline running through the centre of it.It shows Connaught Road to the west in the same line.Cut to my 1910 Godfrey map which shows (like Brandy's map) Connaught Road and yhrn princes Avenue as an "electric Tramway".My Geographia 30's map shows Princes avenue and names it as such, and shows Connaught Road and does not name it even in the index.So my theory (for disproving) is that like the Middleton Light Railway, princes avenue was originally a dedicated tramway, and if you had a black (or electric blue with shocking pink trim) Model T Ford boneshaker you had to take Connaught Road to the Park. Keep your car off the tramway, it may only get stuck in the lines.Sometime around 1930 they built a road alongside the tramway and dug up Connaught road and the adjacent field walls, and laid more sports pitches on that ground........
- Brunel
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Brunel wrote: Prince's Ave always was a wide road.Seen here when the tram tracks ran in the road, just before the reserved track was constructed.The houses in the background are still there. What date do you have for that picture???and what date do you have for the trams going onto a reserve track constructed alongside???
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Brunel wrote: Prince's Ave always was a wide road.Seen here when the tram tracks ran in the road, just before the reserved track was constructed.The houses in the background are still there. OK forget that last post.According to Dickinson the land between Princes avenue and Old Park Road was sold by the council to private persons for development post 1872.That development of large houses akin to many of those in the area now, never took place, and eventually the council bought the land back and extended the playing fields.Connaught Road was therefore the access road initially built for the building of housing either side of the said road, and in name was probably a later nod to the Prince.Such a road would be a quiet side road, thus making the properties more attractive than if they fronted onto Princes avenue where the rough rabble from inner city Leeds accessed the park.Once that housing project never materialised the road was dug up.There- that sounds a lot better theory based on Dickinson's info and he's good?
- Brunel
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The Parksider wrote: Brunel wrote: Prince's Ave always was a wide road.Seen here when the tram tracks ran in the road, just before the reserved track was constructed.The houses in the background are still there. OK forget that last post.According to Dickinson the land between Princes avenue and Old Park Road was sold by the council to private persons for development post 1872.That development of large houses akin to many of those in the area now, never took place, and eventually the council bought the land back and extended the playing fields.Connaught Road was therefore the access road initially built for the building of housing either side of the said road, and in name was probably a later nod to the Prince.Such a road would be a quiet side road, thus making the properties more attractive than if they fronted onto Princes avenue where the rough rabble from inner city Leeds accessed the park.Once that housing project never materialised the road was dug up.There- that sounds a lot better theory based on Dickinson's info and he's good? Think thats the most probable theory, but I wonder why they were never built. A the time the parcels of land that were sold off they were desperate to get rid of to recoup some of the money the corporation (not council at this point) paid for the Park after obtaining the act of parliament for it's purchase from Barran.The land at the other side of Old Park Road is presumably different as I beleive that Old Park Road marked the easternmost boundry of the park, this of course was built on.WOuld be interested to know seeing as we have got this far on it...
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LS1 wrote: Think thats the most probable theory, but I wonder why they were never built. A the time the parcels of land that were sold off they were desperate to get rid of to recoup some of the money the corporation (not council at this point) paid for the Park after obtaining the act of parliament for it's purchase from Barran.The land at the other side of Old Park Road is presumably different as I beleive that Old Park Road marked the easternmost boundry of the park, this of course was built on.WOuld be interested to know seeing as we have got this far on it... Dickinson states there may have ben problems over covenants which may have been to do with the land being within a bequeathed park.