sammydoublewhammy
30-10-2011, 09:20 AM
The Meanwood Beck is a stream in West Yorkshire, which flows through Adel, Meanwood and Sheepscar into the River Aire in central Leeds. In older texts it was sometimes referred to as the Sheepscar Beck, however that term has fallen out of use. The beck was a source of water for the village of Headingley and two of its earliest bridges led straight to it. The beck has shrunk considerably over the years as water is collected in the many drains in the centre of one of Britain's largest cities. It provides water and drainage for Meanwood Valley Urban Farm.
In the 16th to 18th centuries it provided power for corn mills. In the 19th century it supplied water for a chemical works and tanneries.It suffered a serious pollution incident on 29 March 1999 when an oil tank at the University of Leeds' Bodington Hall was overfilled and 10,000 litres of oil flowed into the Beck. It is also a habitat for the indigenous European crayfish, which is currently threatened in the UK by a plague carried by the Signal Crayfish introduced from America.
The photos here are from two separate trips down this week. The beck starts out open and eventually as it draws closer to the city centre it gets culverted over. Passing under the bus station and heading towards its eventual outfall into the river aire next to the royal armouries and Clarence dock. The name of the drain comes from the Archimedes' screw which features in the drain system.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6099/6271797361_f81d79687d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271797361/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6272332018_e974719f49_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6272332018/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6115/6271803087_965dd8ecf1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271803087/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6237/6271805911_ca197fca86_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271805911/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6228/6272334608_695c269502_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6272334608/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6271801653_7e684de96e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271801653/)
Thanks for looking
In the 16th to 18th centuries it provided power for corn mills. In the 19th century it supplied water for a chemical works and tanneries.It suffered a serious pollution incident on 29 March 1999 when an oil tank at the University of Leeds' Bodington Hall was overfilled and 10,000 litres of oil flowed into the Beck. It is also a habitat for the indigenous European crayfish, which is currently threatened in the UK by a plague carried by the Signal Crayfish introduced from America.
The photos here are from two separate trips down this week. The beck starts out open and eventually as it draws closer to the city centre it gets culverted over. Passing under the bus station and heading towards its eventual outfall into the river aire next to the royal armouries and Clarence dock. The name of the drain comes from the Archimedes' screw which features in the drain system.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6099/6271797361_f81d79687d_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271797361/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6272332018_e974719f49_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6272332018/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6115/6271803087_965dd8ecf1_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271803087/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6237/6271805911_ca197fca86_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271805911/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6228/6272334608_695c269502_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6272334608/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6271801653_7e684de96e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/59483528@N04/6271801653/)
Thanks for looking