SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Can any of our more mature contributors remember years ago the old slaughterhouse just above the Central Bus station. I seem to remember cattle being drovered from the marshalling yard at Marsh Lane to the slaughterhouse accompanied by half a dozen or maybe less drovers with long sticks to guide the animals to their doom. Occasionally one of the bullocks would escape from the herd and run amuck in the town ! Me and my mother had to dive into a shop doorway once as one of these animals tore up the road onto Boar lane chased by 2 drovers. Happy days! But not for the bullocks!

Sounds like a load of bullocks !!

Cant remember anything in Leeds as I was a Child and Children should be seen not heard.I do remember it in 1967 in Spain when the same thing happened and a bull on its way to slaughter got free and ran into a china shop - kid you not, and was shot by the Police.#That was before Animal protection.

Armley Lass 47 wrote: Cant remember anything in Leeds as I was a Child and Children should be seen not heard.I do remember it in 1967 in Spain when the same thing happened and a bull on its way to slaughter got free and ran into a china shop - kid you not, and was shot by the Police.#That was before Animal protection. Now that sounds like bullocks!Do they have animal protection in Spain? A bull in a china shop Eh!Anyone for potted meat!LOL    

There are references to slaughtering cattle in Leeds in Alan Bennet's last book.I remember the cattle market being at the point where Gelderd Road and Whitehall Road meet.

stutterdog wrote: Can any of our more mature contributors remember years ago the old slaughterhouse just above the Central Bus station. I seem to remember cattle being drovered from the marshalling yard at Marsh Lane to the slaughterhouse accompanied by half a dozen or maybe less drovers with long sticks to guide the animals to their doom. Occasionally one of the bullocks would escape from the herd and run amuck in the town ! Me and my mother had to dive into a shop doorway once as one of these animals tore up the road onto Boar lane chased by 2 drovers. Happy days! But not for the bullocks! The abattoir waswere the multistory car park is just above the bus tation. Dirty red brick building wood double half-louvred doors along the side against the road, often open allowing a good view (and smell) of procedings within.Much mentioned here in past threads.

stutterdog wrote: Can any of our more mature contributors remember years ago the old slaughterhouse just above the Central Bus station. I seem to remember cattle being drovered from the marshalling yard at Marsh Lane to the slaughterhouse accompanied by half a dozen or maybe less drovers with long sticks to guide the animals to their doom. Occasionally one of the bullocks would escape from the herd and run amuck in the town ! Me and my mother had to dive into a shop doorway once as one of these animals tore up the road onto Boar lane chased by 2 drovers. Happy days! But not for the bullocks! Hi stutterdog I can remember the old slaughterhouse it stood were the car park is at the side of the out door market.I remember all the doors had slats in the panels you could look through to see inside you could see the cows and sheep on hooks after being slaughtered.I also remember at times bullocks ran amock in fact at one time one had to be shot in the street i think when they got near the slaughterhouse they could smell death and this spooked them.I think they also came from the Hunslet goods yard were Crown Point stands now.

tilly wrote: stutterdog wrote: Can any of our more mature contributors remember years ago the old slaughterhouse just above the Central Bus station. I seem to remember cattle being drovered from the marshalling yard at Marsh Lane to the slaughterhouse accompanied by half a dozen or maybe less drovers with long sticks to guide the animals to their doom. Occasionally one of the bullocks would escape from the herd and run amuck in the town ! Me and my mother had to dive into a shop doorway once as one of these animals tore up the road onto Boar lane chased by 2 drovers. Happy days! But not for the bullocks! Hi stutterdog I can remember the old slaughterhouse it stood were the car park is at the side of the out door market.I remember all the doors had slats in the panels you could look through to see inside you could see the cows and sheep on hooks after being slaughtered.I also remember at times bullocks ran amock in fact at one time one had to be shot in the street i think when they got near the slaughterhouse they could smell death and this spooked them.I think they also came from the Hunslet goods yard were Crown Point stands now. Yes, I remember looking though the slatted panels in the doors and the horrible smells and sounds that eminated from within. I dont remember the front of it being so imposing though, looks very gothic!

I must say i had to look twice at the photograph i dont remember it looking like that but then im going back fifty years ago.    

I can vaguely remember the slaughterhouse and the doors with the slats. Weren’t the doors the same colour green as the doors of the electricity sub-stations?For a short time I worked in Cross Green, across the road from the abattoir and remember on several occasions beasts escaping and getting onto the football field beside Cattons. This would have been 1980.