SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Outside the derelict Golden Lion me and my dog had a great new find.A brick embossed as:-FARNLEY IRON CO. LTD        LEEDSIt was well worn. There was a better condition half brick embossed as:-         RON.CO.LTD                EDSSo another one to add to the catalogue.

Is that the one next to living world? I saw a faded melbourne brewery sign there other day as well

Hi i just found a whitaker leeds brick in good condition when i was walking in bramley falls wood if your interested? i dont know much about bricks if its rare or not but saw it and thought of this thread

whitecoatboy wrote: Hi i just found a whitaker leeds brick in good condition when i was walking in bramley falls wood if your interested? i dont know much about bricks if its rare or not but saw it and thought of this thread Hi, horribly late in replying, but if the timing is wrong the content may be interesting.I found a brick on Otley chevin marked BWS and another BWS at Nethersprings Horsforth. Turns out this was Whittakers marking (Benjamin Whittaker (& sons?) at their pool bank and Horsforth works which fits the location finds. The latter was between hawksworth estate and the railway, and pics are on leodis.I can't trace the pool bank works (anyone??) and wonder if bricks came in by rail.Whittaker changed the markings to HORSFORTH at horsforth and lots of examples are to be found. By 1923 he'd opened at Bramley, swinnow lane, kirkstall over the canal to wyther lane and Holbeck. His Holbeck output incs bricks marked Whittaker and Whittaker Elland Road.Never seen a "Kirkstall" brick and unsure of his Bramley markings. By 1929 Jabez Woolley whose markings started as B.W & S (I dont know why again) had bought Bramley Brickworks and was marking bricks "Wooley Bramley". I think Wooley had had the armley brick works where Marston Radiators was/is.In a wall in cookridge l also pulled out a couple of "LPBCo." bricks and found it odd they were in the area, but it turns out Whittaker owned them too, albeit the works were on Dolly Lane/cross stamford street. On the maps there are two distinct brickworks but unsure if both were LPBC.So anyone with Leeds Gazettes and the inclination - any listings of Leeds brickworks, dates and owners?? Anyone wandering around Leeds if you spot an old brick let me know the name?

Horsforth, woodside dyeworks....

Another...

I've seen a few 'Leeds' bricks in Woodside Quarry as for several years the owners of the quarry allowed tipping of demolition waste so there are the remains of quite a few demolished old Leeds buildings in there including some interesting tiled remains which I was told by someone have come from the old Westgate baths. This hardly seems likely as that place must have been demolished in the 1970s. Maybe you could do an offshoot of this thread entitled 'Leeds Grates' as there are many manhole covers / grates around with differing Leeds City Council logos on them, or simply the words 'Property of Leeds City Council' as a deterrence to scrap metal thieves.

sparky415 wrote: Another... Sparky,I am soooo grateful for you taking and posting the pictures, when I retire I'll learn to do it myself and try to return a few favours.Armitage are a very old and long established company I understand sold out in recent years to Marshalls building supplies. Me and the dog went through the brickpile at the old works and pulled a "coronation" brick out - cracking find. Because we were a couple of miles from home I left in on the short driveway to the works on low lane, and did take some time to go back for it in the car - and it was gone!!Thanks again for your interest, the industrial remains from the station down to the Aire are a fantastic walk.......

jonleeds wrote: I've seen a few 'Leeds' bricks in Woodside Quarry as for several years the owners of the quarry allowed tipping of demolition waste so there are the remains of quite a few demolished old Leeds buildings in there including some interesting tiled remains which I was told by someone have come from the old Westgate baths. This hardly seems likely as that place must have been demolished in the 1970s. Maybe you could do an offshoot of this thread entitled 'Leeds Grates' as there are many manhole covers / grates around with differing Leeds City Council logos on them, or simply the words 'Property of Leeds City Council' as a deterrence to scrap metal thieves. Thanks Jon, I'll have another dig round the quarry, we (me & dog - an honorary brick club member) haven't been there since a guy with two pit bulls allowed them to attack and kill a Labrador which was in the YEP.I forgot to say LPBC was the "Leeds Patent Brick Company". The Leeds Fireclay Company was extensive, and IIRC included burmantofts. In roundhay Park I found a light coloured "L.B.C" Leeds brick company.Gazeteers may be able to sort these names against addresses, or I will if I can get to the Library. But the brick industry was seemingly massive in Leeds....

The Parksider wrote: I forgot to say LPBC was the "Leeds Patent Brick Company". The Leeds Fireclay Company was extensive, and IIRC included burmantofts. In roundhay Park I found a light coloured "L.B.C" Leeds brick company.Gazeteers may be able to sort these names against addresses, or I will if I can get to the Library. But the brick industry was seemingly massive in Leeds.... I seem to remember finding some of these bricks in Roundhay Park also. I think they may have been left over from when the sewers and drainage systems were run through the park. If I remember rightly it was a white glazed one and was around the gorge area, quite far in.