# Another empty village in Leeds?



## rikj

Surely not? The original Empty Village thread was meant as a bit of fun, but I see it's still getting mileage here and elsewhere. Never mind, here's another curious place.

It's on the cusp between empty/abandoned and derelict. No real security yet, not even boarded up or fenced. If this doesn't count as derelict then admin please remove. I thought it would be interesting to see how this place deteriorates from now on. The only way is down.

Still, enjoy it while you can, especially if you like that real "Marie Celeste" feeling. Only one or two broken windows, only one piece of graffiti. Litter? Heaven Forbid!

The site isn't huge, but it's not small either. A few empty grand Victorian villas set around grassland. Here's looking across the site;








You can just walk in and around, though there are dire warnings about cameras. Given the age of the place there are some nice buildings and details.






I lost count, but there are maybe 4, 5 or 6 of these houses, all empty.






This next one is my favourite, and I think the favourite of the odd stone thrower. Who could resist lobbing a rock at that conservatory eh?






Anyhow, after the old houses it gets a bit strange, these modern blocks are just abandoned. At the moment just one broken window with the curtains blowing in the breeze.






If you visit, then be sure to take some sandwiches and a flask to spend a while sitting in the grounds. Nothing to hear except the birds and the distant hum of commuters, blissfully unaware of what's over the wall, should they care to stop and look.






So, lets see what happens to this place. I can't see it lasting untouched for long. Soon it will be coach tours and light shows. Get in while you can.






Quite a few more pics if they are of any interest.


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## boxerheaven

looks interesting would like to see more pictures please. is this what you do for a job finding empty villages


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## Manix

I dont get it..there is so much damage to the bulidings and the concrete yet the grass has still be neatly cut?


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## no1rich

Nice find.... You got a flashearth link!!!


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## borntobemild

What a find!!

It would be a real shame if these buildings were knocked down. Considering they are empty and fairly unprotected I'm surprised there isn't more damage done.

I lived in N Leeds when i was young, and there were many old houses like these in the more affluent areas (Roundhay, Horsforth, Shadwell), that were demolished. 

They were simply too big to be family homes. Developers would buy them, let them deteriorate and then knock them down and build flats. I suspect that's how that modern block of flats came to be there.

It would be interesting to know who owns them and what their intentions are.


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## smileysal

you kept us all guessing last time you put up an abandoned village lmao. took us months to work out where the place was lol. 

Is this one part of Leeds Uni? sort of looks like uni type buildings, especially the modern ish part. 

Cheers,

 Sal


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## rikj

A lot of this place is for the chop, so I don't think much money is being wasted on care and maintenance. A shame as I believe some of the houses may go. I thought it would be interesting to see how it declines from here on.

I guess the sequence will be, increased vandalism, probably a rave from the crusties, increased security, fences up, more vandalism, trashed, demolished.

Some more pics as requested.





















And finally,


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## smileysal

I love that house in the 3rd pic on the first set of pics. And on the second set, the 3rd one down again, it looks like some kind of dining room? 

Do you have a flashearth link to this one? im sure ive seen it before, but unsure when or where ive seen something similar to this.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## communist daughter

beautiful! Im going to have to try and research this, it looks amazing. ace pics btw!


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## communist daughter

and lol @ coach tours and light shows. I didnt like the fuss that got made over eastmoor, lots of people ruined that place by turning into a tourist attraction and public joke. I hope you dont divulge the location of this place so only people with a bit of itelligence and respect can find and see it.


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## Dirus_Strictus

The original layout is classic Victorian 'Preparatory School', Head Master's house and houses for each year, with resident house Master. Modern dorms etc add to cover later expansion or slight change of use? I know of five such Victorian establishments in Yorks/Notts. All are now none existent in their original form. Two closed in the 1920s and were eventually swallowed up in their respective expanding suburbs. One lasted until the 1950s, but only by selling half of the properties - which were demolished in 1936. The other two became training colleges, with modern buildings. In both cases most of the original buildings came down, or were drastically altered. Both establishments are now used for other commercial purposes.

As for the Leeds Reformatory site. If you make out that the site is a secret or something mysterious, it is only human nature for people to seek it out. If the proper use had been included in the original report, I doubt it would have caused such interest. 

Personally if I see a good report, with representative pictures that allow one to 'see' the location/buildings, then I have no desire to go clambering around inside - unless the structure is really special - and I do not consider this particular site that special. It was far more rewarding to meet - whilst walking the dog - the people who have worked and lived on the site for 30 years. Their memories and pictures were far more telling, than a scramble through the dereliction. Each to their own, but I get more out of archive searches, maps, talking to old residents etc to find the history and true facts of a particular building/site, than an interior explore.


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## robmiller

alrite man, we are A level photogrpahy students and hav been takin photos around adel and yorkshow ground we are realy interested in going to this place and would apreciate it if you could email me a google earth lnik or jus a ruff set of directions to where it is 
cheers man 
josh


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## Gangeox

robmiller said:


> alrite man, we are A level photogrpahy students and hav been takin photos around adel and yorkshow ground we are realy interested in going to this place and would apreciate it if you could email me a google earth lnik or jus a ruff set of directions to where it is
> cheers man
> josh



I cant see him doing that anytime soon


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## The_Revolution

tsk; students of today.

A bit of research and you'll find it


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## night crawler

Reminds me of Carmel college. Nice find though.


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## channonwindmill

Really lovely houses, would be a great shame if they were demolished.


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## Dieter_Schmidt

Looks like the weekend homes of cityfolks, who only visit in the summer, but still pay for the gardener.

Just a guess. Dunno about the blocks.


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## The_Revolution

I think Sal and Dirus_Strictus are both right when it comes to its former uses.


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## daddybear

it really makes me angry:icon_evil to see old properties just left empty like that when there is a huge problem with affordable housing in this country surely our so called joke of a government could put families in need or homeless pepole in there especially in city areas like leeds.


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## freebird

smileysal said:


> Is this one part of Leeds Uni? sort of looks like uni type buildings, especially the modern ish part.
> Sal



Just what I was thinking when I started scanning through the pics! Nice discovery! Have to start thinking/ looking now!


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## Captain-Slow

This place reminds me of the long demolished Emmanuelle Grammar School in Swansea.


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## spacepunk

'tis a good find.
Mucho respect for the images.


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## sheep21

lovely find there, and in such good nick too!

Any shots of the interiors of the old buildings? If they are powder blue, custard yellow or light pink painted on the walls I think we would know pretty fast there previous use!


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## Dirus_Strictus

daddybear said:


> it really makes me angry:icon_evil to see old properties just left empty like that when there is a huge problem with affordable housing in this country surely our so called joke of a government could put families in need or homeless pepole in there especially in city areas like leeds.



Whilst I agree in principle with your comments/concerns, not all sites are suitable for this use. If the sites are within the city transport boundary, then I fully agree with you. The trouble is many of these sites are not now readily accessible by public transport, or are not near shops and other needed services. By their very nature, needy families and the homeless tend not to be in the car owning classes. It is also worth remembering that to be truly affordable, maintenance as well as rent must be added into the equation. If this is not done, all you get is a vast amount of slowly decaying housing stock. Sadly a typical catch 22 situation.


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## inveigh

Now this looks like my cup of tea. Not been chaved thank goodness. I am on the trail now!


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## senorsenor28

Ah yes, this would be the Tetley Hall Residence of Leeds University in Headingley. I walked past it the other day. was all locked up. I'm not sure what they're going to do with the site as the Victorian Houses aren't listed although I would have thought that someone would buy them and make them into flats.


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## rikj

There's a planning application in for the site, but I can't see much happening in the current climate. I think the gist of it is knocking down the modern block and replacing it with housing. From memory the houses were marked for conversion, maybe a couple demolished.

All the plans were on display a while ago at a public meeting. Nice, as there were detailed plans of all the existing buildings. As might be expected there was general opposition to the scheme on the grounds of too high and too intense.

Just checked and not surprisingly the application was approved, developer is Pickard Properties.


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## Leedsgirl

I walked past here yesterday but it's all locked up. There was lights on in the old houses though


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