SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

BarFly wrote: I was at the Comet central stores. We went in The Packhorse or The Weatsheaf pretty mich every lunch and often after work.There aren't enough real pubs out there and every time one closes a pint spills in heaven. Nice line and sentiment Barfly. They must be drowning up there these days.

Leeds Hippo wrote: Good grief! - I thought this would be listed - it appears on maps dating back to the early 1800's. No, not a listed building - if it had been listed it would have mysteriously caught fire after being closed for some months and then required immediate and total demolition on "safety grounds".

RaveydaveyIt did catch fire. The pub was badly damaged inside. But I did see on a Pubco website (who shall remain nameless, but who's empty/abandoned pubs seem to catch fire) of a planned refurb at a cost of £300,000, but you could also buy the building/ land for £170,000. After reading that you knew that it's days were numbered.Great pub in it's day.

Pack Horse.........yes,the Stones bitter would make yr head thump.Have amusing tale to tell bout this boozer.......Years ago I worked for a company nearby and on bank holidays we would run a skeleton staff.All the reps would "volunteer" because they knew snr.managers would be on holiday and we could all drive to the pub and have a good session.Well we were all getting stuck into a few beers when who walks in with wife and daughter ?Yes,one of the "on holiday"senior managers.His face was a picture....surprise,anger,disbelief and more.Well he goes up to the nearest one of us and "attempts" to mitigate things by asking him if he would like a drink.Said employee thinks a minute and comes out with a classic..."Better not Mike,I've had 4 pints already !"Think everybody spat their beer out trying to stifle howls of laughter.....Story still makes me smile today...........

Myself and a workmate who started at the same time as me were discussing which of our current routes had lost the most pubs since we started nine years ago. Lost as in either flattened or being used as something else now and not just boarded up.The Packhorse is number nine to go on the 229 route from Leeds to Huddersfield, but isn't the highest - that honour goes to the 268 Bradford - Dewsbury which has lost 13 including four on the same road in bradford and a further four in Heckmondwyke.It's enough to drive you to drink - if there was anywhere left to go these days.

BIG N wrote: Myself and a workmate who started at the same time as me were discussing which of our current routes had lost the most pubs since we started nine years ago. Lost as in either flattened or being used as something else now and not just boarded up.The Packhorse is number nine to go on the 229 route from Leeds to Huddersfield, but isn't the highest - that honour goes to the 268 Bradford - Dewsbury which has lost 13 including four on the same road in bradford and a further four in Heckmondwyke.It's enough to drive you to drink - if there was anywhere left to go these days. How very true big N..............sad to say.

BIG N wrote: The Packhorse is number nine to go on the 229 route from Leeds to Huddersfield, but isn't the highest - that honour goes to the 268 Bradford - Dewsbury which has lost 13 including four on the same road in bradford and a further four in Heckmondwyke. Very brief item which would have particularly interested you BIG N - I say brief because I appreciate we mustn't wander from the topic.However when the old Pontefract family bus company South Yorkshire Road Transport was bought by Caldaire (West Riding/Yorkshire) many amazing things happened at once. Perhaps the most inexplicable was the transfer from the Pool to Dewsbury of one of our blue Olympian/NCME double deckers which, even more amazingly spent weeks on the 268 - I have a lovely picture of it emerging from Bradford Interchange with no destination in the glass, but only an enormous "268." I'm sure you would have loved a go in that - if you'd like a copy of the picture do get in touch and I'll send you one - or as an E mail attachment if you like.

Devastated to hear about the demise of the pub where I spent my youth. Tony and Julie were the managers in 1976 to early 77 when I was in most lunchtimes (worked at Schweppes and came up via a swift one at the Wheatsheaf) and EVERY evening. I would be waiting for the doors to open at 5.30 and be last out at 10.40. Still two separate rooms then and only keg beer. Five pints of 'blue' (Bass light Mild) for a pound and Brew Ten only a few pence more. 20 Park Drive still only 45p. Anyone got a picture of the demolition ?

I used to work on the other side of the road from the Pack Horse in the late seventies.I was told that the first Pack Horse had stables and the horses were changed here so they were fresh for the long haul to the top of Gelderd Road.I was also told they had a Cock Fighting Ring in days gone by but i dont know if this is true or not .

The closure will drive a bit more trade down to Elland Road, the pub always seemed to do well on match days. A lot of people parked up on the road side and had a pint before the game, pity it's gone.