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Old Tram Lines, Belle Isle Road

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Description:
4th October 2009. View of road works on Belle Isle Road. The work has exposed the old tram lines which have been disused since the 1950s. Belle Isle Circus used to be the site of the tram terminus.

User Comments:

Name:

Tom Queenan

Comment:

Belle Isle Circus was not the tram terminus. The trams carried on the full length of Belle Isle Rd. and on to Middleton.

Date:

06-Nov-2009

Email:

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Name:

Peter jackson

Comment:

Belle Isle Circus was infact the tram terminus up until approx 1946/47, it was then extended to join with the Middleton route which went through Middleton Woods.When it was extended the 26 tram stopped at the junction with Middleton Road, tram 27 stopped where there is now a rounderbout close to the Omnibus Pub,the other tram which I think was the 26 circular went up belle Isle, to Middleton Woods,down past Parkside along Hunslet Moor then turned right onto Dewsbury Road on its way to leeds. A lovely ride.

Date:

08-Nov-2009

Email:

petermj67@hotmail.co.uk

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Name:

Graham A. Schofield

Comment:

My comment here, originates because of the slight confusion in the original Leodis description, which mentioned a 'Train Terminus'. However it is still relevant as it complements and adds to the information in the two existing comments by Tom Queenan, and Peter Jackson. The information contained within the square brackets is based on that supplied to me recently by Tram Aficionado, David Johnson:- [[[ This particular tramcar-route originally terminated at Balm Road, near the junction with Moor Road. It was then extended in stages until the start of W.W.2. It is believed that it had reached somewhere near to the Grey Goose public house when war came. During the early Post-War period the extension work was re-started and took the track to a new terminus where Belle Isle Road met the Ring Road. The final phase was when further extensions of the Middleton and Belle Isle lines met to make a circular tram-route in 1949. A point to note here is that this was the last ever tramcar route development anywhere in the U.K., until Manchester built their new system in the 1990's. ( I think that that says a lot about the then Leeds City Council, in as much as it shows their then faith in the tram-car system. - - - My words. ) When this final extension was up and running , all trams travelling from town to what had been the Belle Isle Terminus, bore the route title "27 BELLE ISLE", while those that carried on around and then down into town through Middleton Woods, bore the legend, 26 MIDDLETON CIRCULAR". A further point of historical note here, is that both the Middleton and Belle Isle routes closed on Saturday the 28th of March 1959.]]] This was during the final act of the Tragedy known as 'The Dissolution of the Leeds Tram-car System'. To put it in the nicest possible way - "The late 1950's to the early 1960's was a period of bloody-minded and blinkered thinking within the corridors of power. As of course were the mid-1960's."

Date:

12-Nov-2009

Email:

GrahamScho@AOL.com

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Name:

Peter Jackson

Comment:

Re the comment that the route was extended in stages up to somewhere near the Grey Goose at the outbreak of war. My family moved to Belle Isle Road in June 1940, my Aunt who is still alive says when visiting our family she had to walk from Belle Isle Circus to our house as the trams stopped there,I was born in 1941 and I remember a static circular water tank situated in the centre deviding the 2 roads just past Windmill Road which was yards from our house and this was in the mid 40s,it would have been physically impossible to run trams because of it. There is no way it terminated at the Grey Goose ( which was even built not built ) when war broke out.

Date:

13-Nov-2009

Email:

petermj67@hotmail.co.uk

________________________________________________________________________________

Name:

Graham A. Schofield

Comment:

Many thanks to Peter Jackson for putting a little more flesh onto the old bones of history. His comment prompted me to try and find more details. I have managed to find only a few:- Work did carry on at Belle Isle after the War started, and on July 22nd 1940, a 1300 yards extension was opened. The work is described as an "Introduction of Reserved Track" from Balm Road to Belle Isle Circus, starting beyond the railway bridge. After this date, all further development was suspended until the War was over. Not knowing this area in the War period I am at a loss in understanding the geographics here. Where was the railway bridge and the 'Grey Goose' in relation to the 1300 yards extension? Perhaps Peter could paint a more detailed picture. [ NB:- The information above is from the book, "LEEDS-A HISTORY OF ITS TRAMWAYS" by Noel Proudstock.]

Date:

04-Dec-2009

Email:

GrahamScho@AOL.com

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Name:

Peter Jackson

Comment:

re above comments Have emailed you Graham but thought I'd add to the site. The bridge was a little way up from Balm Road, just before it was the CWS butter factory with the CWS brush factory before that. The Grey Goose was built approx mid 50s and is on the right going up Belle Isle Road, just beyond the junction where Middleton Road meets Belle Isle Road

Date:

10-Dec-2009

Email:

petermj67@hotmail.co.uk

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Name:

Dave Milbourne

Comment:

While reading the description and the very interesting posts from Tom, Peter and Graham, I am holding in my hand a photograph of a Tram travelling down Belle Isle Road towards Leeds. The photo belongs to my wife and it is the only photo she has of her Grandfather. He is standing just below where the Grey Goose public house would later be built close to the area that would be Aberfield Gardens. Just behind him is the Tram. Further up Belle isle Road at the junction where the road forks are two horse and traps following each other down the road. The Belle Isle WMC was built at this junction. We do not know the date the photo was taken but niether the Grey Goose or the Belle Isle club are built.

Date:

31-Mar-2012

Email:

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Name:

Peter Jackson

Comment:

Hi Dave Without seeing the photo its hard to establish any age, but do know the Belle Isle club was in existence in the early forties, but then it was a wooden structure,much later replaced by a brick building only to be damaged by fire approx 2005 then completely rebuilt as it stands today. Would be really interesting to see your photo, do get it on Leodis.

Date:

02-May-2012

Email:

petermj67@hotmail.co.uk

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Name:

Graham A. Schofield

Comment:

With reference to Dave Milbourne's comment:- Dave, your wife's photograph of her grandfather and the tram could provide clues and information as to the queries raised here. As Peter Jackson suggests, would it be possible to have the picture scanned, and e-mailed to Leodis, so that they could install the image onto the web-site? Whatever it shows, could jog a few memories.

Date:

17-Oct-2012

Email:

GrahamScho@AOL.com

________________________________________________________________________________

Name:

Dave Milbourne

Comment:

Leodis have now included the photo on the site, ID 2012112_174137. I would be interested if anyone could date the photo and/or confirm if the Grey Goose public house has been built or not.

Date:

05-Nov-2012

Email:

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________________________________________________________________________________

Name:

Dave Milbourne

Comment:

With reference to the comments from Peter and Graham the photo I refer to in my comments is now on Leodis. ID 2012112_174137.

Date:

12-Nov-2012

Email:

Not displayed

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