Adel & Scotland
Woods
Adel Wood is an area of woodland in North Leeds, it nestles in-between Alwoodley and Adel. The further you go through the woods, you then enter Scotland Wood.
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Scotland Wood has the ruins of an old mill, the wool mill called Scotland Mill was built in 1785, this was leased to John Marshall who ran it as a flax mill. John moved out of the mill when his business became so successful, that he needed more space. Scotland Mill eventually closed for good after a fire in 1906.
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There is also an aqueduct within the woods called Seven Arches Aqueduct, which was built in 1842 to pipe water from Eccup Reservoir to Leeds homes. This is now a Grade 2 Listed Structure.
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There is also a drinking fountain called the Slabbering Baby, spring water from the ground came through the babies mouth into a bowl below. It was built by Ben Verity, a highly skilled stone mason, and the Husband of Mrs Francis Verity. Mrs Verity ran a Tea Shop opposite the Slabbering Baby. The only building that remains to this day is an old toilet block which is now disused. Before Mrs Verity's Tea Shop there was another Flax Mill.
The Slabbering Baby
I have not put a date to this walk, as it is a walk I do more often than any other, due to its location to where I live.
Adel woods is quite near to me (walking distance), if you park your car in the car park for the recreation ground opposite the parade of shops on King Lane by The Avenue, then follow the cycle/footpath to Buck Stone Road. Once at Buck Stone Road, go right along the pavement, where the road bears sharp left, on the right you will see a chained large metal gate (for vehicle access). To the left of this gate is a gap to the path leading into the woods (Crag Lane). After a short distance you approach another locked metal gate, just before this to the right is a path going down to a stream called Nanny Beck, there is a small wooden bridge over the stream, the path continues to the back of Alwoodley Cricket Club Pavilion. To the left of the metal gate is the remains of a kissing gate, go through the gate, and continue along the wide path. Just beyond the kissing gate you will see an interpretation board, there are a number of these along the walk. I also noticed some flyers for a group of volunteers, who look after Adel Woods, they are called Friends of Adel Woods.
Friends Of Adel Woods Flier
After a short distance, you arrive at a clearing with a walker’s route direction post. To the left you will see The Slabbering Baby (link). Here there are 4 tracks to choose from, to the left before The Slabbering Baby, is a track I have not yet followed this, then there is the main track which continues straight on, then there is a track going to the right down to another small wooden bridge over the stream. Between this track and the main track is another track, if you follow this one, you will soon come to a derelict building (Verity’s Tea Shop Toilet Block) on the left. It is now covered in graffiti, and the doorway and windows have been bricked up, although someone has managed to knock through a few bricks in one of the windows (loads of rubbish and graffiti is all that can be seen). If you continue along this path for a very short distance, you arrive at some steppingstones over the stream. I believe this track eventually leads to the seven arches aqueduct and Conduit Façade. If you continue on the track that leads down to the little bridge, cross the bridge, then continue up the steps, at the top, to the left is a small pond, there are a number of tracks leading from the pond, not sure where they lead (something to investigate at another time).
The disused toilet block
Back at the clearing, with The Slabbering Baby to your left, continue along the main track. The track is still quite wide, and it undulates up and down, but nothing taxing. After a short distance the track forks left and slight right, with the main track to the left, this track climbs gently up hill, but is quite rock strewn, I took the track to the right, which is narrower and slopping downhill, with the stream to your right. The further you go along this track the closer to the stream you get, and you are more or less at the same level as the stream, which makes the area a lot boggier, and the track gets quite muddy in places (so it pays to wear decent walking boots, even on short walks). The stream is a lot wider along this stretch. Eventually this track meets up with the main track. Once back on the main track it is a short walk down to the Seven Arches Aqueduct and Conduit Façade (this was built in 1841-42 for the Leeds Corporation Waterworks to supply water from Eccup reservoir to Leeds City Centre).
Seven Arches Aqueduct
If you go under the 1st main arch (actually the 2nd arch), you will see a finger post on the left pointing along a track, marked Scotland Wood and the Ring Road. Follow the track which goes across the front of the aqueduct, this goes uphill, at the top of the hill, the path continues towards the Ring Road, with the woodland to your left, and open fields to your right.
Finger post for Scotland Wood
I didn’t do this part of the walk today; I did this a few years ago with a local walking group. When you reach the Ring Road, there is an underpass, go through this then turn left at the other side of the Ring Road, follow the path until you reach Parkside Road, turn left, and follow the road until the road heads uphill, there is a track to the right if you follow this track, it takes you to a bridge over a weir. Once across the bridge, if you head straight up the hill, it brings you into the wooded area known as The Hollies.
Someones dad remembered
Back to today’s walk….
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On my return journey from the aqueduct, I stayed on the main track. As I mentioned earlier, it is very rock strewn (so a good portion of this walk is no good for wheelchairs or buggies), but there is very little to no mud on this higher track.
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This walk from Buck Stone Road to the aqueduct and back isn’t very long at just around 1.8 miles, but it’s great to get out of the house, even if it’s only for an hour or so.