My research on the old station, hidden underground the current Leeds City Rail Station. It is the main focus of my Self-Directed Project, so I would love to be able to take photos of it! However, finding out how to do so is proving to be difficult…
This is an interesting article, even if the video seems to no-longer work. The descriptions of their exploration sound so interesting, and are written in a way that makes you almost able to envisage the tunnels.
I will look at Secret Leeds more from this article, as well as research the work of Jonathan Turner: “Much of this part of the underground is now off-limits for safety reasons, but one person who has seen the subterranean world is professional photographer Jonathan Turner, who travelled the tunnels in 2007.”
A search on Google StreetView uncovered the mysterious blue pillars talked about on the article: “..one on Queen Street, the other on Northern Street, which are obviously air vents for some tunnel.”
Secret Leeds forum telling the story alongside J.Turner’s photographs of exploring the old station
This fascinating reiteration of their exploration makes me want to follow in their footsteps even more!
It is mentioned that the staff of Leeds City Station helped, so this may be who I need to contact. The poster evidences that they were down there to film for Look North – would it be possible for me to find this feature? (2007)
“Many thanks to Ian, Chris, Charlotte, & Jonathan, for hanging around in darkened tunnels for the surprisingly long time it takes to film, refilm, & refilm again the footage necessary to complete a Look North feature which lasts 2mins & 5 seconds (& prompts 1,200 new visits to our site in two hours!).
And special thanks to Christa Ackroyd for saying that there are ‘hundreds of miles of tunnels under Leeds’! Maybe it’s Christa we all need to be talking to!”
The Dark Arches are mentioned a lot, possibly as an entrance point?
http://www.martinhensonphotography.co.uk/dark-arches#photo
http://www.visitleeds.co.uk/thedms.aspx?dms=3&venue=2196414#
I have looked at Jonathan Turner’s website but cannot find his photos on there – perhaps I should ask him how he took the photos, if I can’t contact Secret Leeds. http://www.jonathan-turner.com/index2.php?section=Contact
Regarding Leeds’ first station: Wellington Station “by simong » Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:48 pm: According to Rail Centres: Leeds and Bradford by S. Batty, Wellington Station opened on 1 July 1846. Leodis has 30 June 1846.”
This fellow has a brilliant collection of photographs! https://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/collections/72157600204097545/
I had a tutorial at university, and I talked about my worry about getting to explore the old station with the month I have left before I need to finish my project. This helped me to realise that perhaps it is a project for the future, and to work on one area of Leeds instead, as a kind of step-up to this project!
So, I plan to take more photos of the Templar area in Leeds, which is due to be demolished and replaced by a new shopping area: http://www.victoriagate.co.uk/about/plans/
I have requested further information on Phase 2, so time will tell whether they respond.
