Andy Hutchinson ventures into the woods to discover the history of the Seven Arches Aqueduct in Adel.
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00:00 Hi and welcome to another edition of Leeds then and today. I'll start by asking this question.
00:06 Have you ever stumbled across this in Addle?
00:23 The Addle Seven Arches is a Roman-esque aqueduct completed in 1842 to carry water from the Eckup Reservoir to Leeds City Centre.
00:32 Underground pipes and tunnels carried water for most of the six mile route, but at Addle it has to cross the Addle Beck which is why the aqueduct was built.
00:53 The use of this impressive structure in Addle Woods was short lived after the city's demand exceeded the aqueduct's capacity only 24 years after it was opened.
01:13 The aqueduct is a real hidden gem. It's just a real shame that it seems neglected and abandoned with metal railings surrounding it keeping it away from a city and its residents.
01:26 There's a real poignancy, there doesn't seem to be any use for it which is a real shame.
01:41 In the late 90s the listed structure was in danger of collapse. It was successfully sorted using strained cables at a cost of £160,000.
01:51 It was reported that it was leaning at the same angle as the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The scheme was awarded a Historic Bridge Award in the year 2000.
02:05 In the archive there are a selection of postcards, almost like it was a tourist attraction, rather like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
02:19 This impressive structure was only used for 25 years and it seems to have no future. It has just become a redundant relic of the past surrounded in beautiful trees and foliage.
02:35 There's an eerie silence.
02:42 The aqueduct is without doubt really, really impressive and you must cast your mind back to what it was once upon a time.
02:50 In many ways it is one of the seven man-made wonders of Leeds and if you're ever in and around Addlewoods it is worth coming down to take a look.
03:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]