SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

This photo (taken July 26 2012) shows a very short clapper bridge crossing over what may have been an old water channel (if so the water would have run off to the right). The clapper bridge is on a track high up on the Adel side of Scotland Wood someway after the Seven Arches area (coming from Adel) but well before the Scotland Mill site. From an old map (see my next post) the channel at the clapper bridge will be at or very near where its water can have run straight down to the dammed pond in the valley bottom or into the more immediate Mill Stream (I would suspect it may have been the latter). Though the clapper bridge is very obvious the channel is not, as it needed some scrambling about in an overgrown area to take any photos of what remains of the stone lined channel.    

This map is taken from the 1892 1:2,500 map in the Old-Maps UK website. Though I cannot be precise as to where the clapper bridge is it will almost certainly be on the track between a field and the wood high up but level (or thereabouts) with the pond in the valley bottom. Note that the map marks a Mill Stream.

This photo (taken July 26 2012) shows some of what is left of the stonework on the sides of the channel in the wood a little below the clapper bridge (that is seen, but out of focus, in the rear).

This is another view (taken July 26 2012) of some of what remains of the stonework in the channel.

Hi LeodianWe must surely have met as you seem to be 'being' where I am.I think Parksider mentioned something about this.Guesswork is that this (non-working) one is an overflow/release so the millrace can dispell excess water back into the stream below. Hence the beautifully crafted 'waterfall' you show.Downstream is what I assume to be a similar but working version in the Hollies.Below looking upstream from just beyond Hustler's Row.Picture (click to view, top) shows reverse view from above on Millrace footpath. Path continues to Adel Mill Ln.For an even bigger version of these, visit the Aire & Calder Navi overflow down Bullough Ln near Woodlesfordhttp://goo.gl/maps/ubfBPImpressive, I've cycle past en route to Temple Newsam        

Hi Jogon. Your guess that the site may be "an overflow/release so the millrace can dispell excess water back into the stream below" does seem very possible. This photo (taken July 26 2012) shows a view along the track with the clapper bridge. The overgrown area on the left is at the edge of a field and looks like it could have been where water ran from the field into something (it may still do in very wet weather) but I'm unsure if it would have run into the Mill Stream or simply down into the beck. The well constructed brickwork in the channel does imply that it was built for a purpose, not simply just to allow water to drain away, so an overflow/release from the Mill Stream does seem very likley. That would though make the Mill Stream running along the edge of the field but there seems to be no sign of a Mill Stream there (or at least nothing my untrained eye could see!). I am a bit confused with the 1982 map and I wonder if the wood has spread more to the left and higher since then. I hope I'm making some sense!        

Unless I'm actually 'there' I forget where stuff isThis image is, I think, walking in a 7 Arches direction / back to ring rd and not far past that stone thingy you found.Tracing this back from 7 arches, I think that the "path" is the "downhill" wall of the leat. So from this view all to the left is/was the mill race and for most of the walk there is a noticeable dip, and at parts stonework.No uphill wall needed as channel cut into hillside, like the Hollies. Accepting that they may have stone built upper wall, bed and lowerside 'path' would need to be strong to retain and for maintenance route all along.This is like the Madeira Levada's, and the same principle as bocage roads+hedges whereby earth from the cut channel is used to build up the wall/hedge/path    

they were all used to power mills. Not far below the 7 arches there is remnants of an old mill pond, stone work quite obvious still.