Eastmoor reformatory for Boys - Adel - Jun 22

[Bikin Glynn]

East Moor Reformatory

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Havent posted for a while so heres one!

The complex first opened in 1857 as the Leeds Reformatory for Boys. Up to the mid-C19, children who committed crimes were commonly sent to adult prisons as there was no separate provision. Philanthropic Societies and private founders set up some voluntary reformatories for young people in the early C19, but it was not until the Youthful Offenders Acts of 1854 that state registered institutions were established and pre-existing private reformatories were brought under state certification. Reformatories were distinguished from Industrial Schools by taking young people who had actually committed offences, as opposed to those who were merely destitute or neglected and in danger of falling into crime. By the end of 1857 there were 47 reformatory schools in England. Most of these occupied domestic buildings such as a farmhouse with land, or a detached house and garden. At least 14 were in new premises and four are known to have been built on a quadrangular plan. By 1876 the number of schools had risen to 53, but fell to 41 by 1894. The system was superseded by the Borstal system in the early C20 and many reformatories later became approved schools.

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(Borstals were run by the prison service and dealt with older boys, approved schools/community homes were run by the local authority and dealt with a younger client group.)
The Adel Reformatory was founded in 1857 by the Leeds Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders, on a site deliberately chosen to be removed from the temptations of the city. William Watson Hewitson of Kitson and Hewitson, locomotive builders and general engineers, was one of the founding members and also the designer of the earliest part of the building, the south-west range. There were around 50 boys at the school in 1858. The south-east range and headmaster’s house was added in 1860, when the attic floor of the initial range was converted to dormitories. The workshops of the north-east range, built by the boys in 1859, were rebuilt in 1881 after a fire, and a separate chapel to the south was added in 1882, designed by an unknown architect but apparently designed to function also as a lecture room and subsequently as a gym. There was no priest and the chapel was never consecrated. Surrounding land within the grounds was cultivated for crops and garden produce. The land was bought by Leeds City Council for £3,500 in 1875, having been leased to the Society by the (unknown) owner previously.

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The buildings continued in use as an approved school named Eastmoor School from 1933 and then a community home when it was taken over by Leeds CC on 1st April 1973. It was then known as Eastmoor CHE, that is Community Home with Education. A number of separate houses were constructed around the core site from the 1950s onwards, but there has been little change to the C19 buildings externally. It closed in 1990 although the Secure Unit, which is a separate enterprise is still running. The site was leased to Leeds Metropolitan University from the late 1990s when the surrounding houses were used for student accommodation who left when a new campus opened in Headingley in 2003. In 1993 a secure unit for young offenders was built on part of the site, formerly open land also owned by Leeds City Council. It has been unused since c.2004 and has been marketed for housing development.

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Popped in here early in the morn after a stop over at leeds & it had more to offer than expected including this beautiful fella I unfortunately disturbed.

Finally a sneak look into the church turned gym

Thanks For Looking​

 

[AlexUrbex1]

It doesn't matter how great your picture are, the owl was always going to be my top one. Awesome!

 

[Bikin Glynn]

It doesn't matter how great your picture are, the owl was always going to be my top one. Awesome!

Thanks dude, one of my other hobbies is wildlife photography so I often combine the two

 

[Speed]

How is this still here! Eternal derp!

 

[Bikin Glynn]

How is this still here! Eternal derp!

Who knows but it is & hasn't changed for years

 

[HughieD]

That's a nice bit of school derpage mate. Nively captured, and you were in your element with that owl!

 

[Wally_urbex]

Quite nice that is mate. Great capture of the owl

 

[Bikin Glynn]

That's a nice bit of school derpage mate. Nively captured, and you were in your element with that owl!

Thanks s mate, it was a nice way to spend a few hours.

Quite nice that is mate. Great capture of the owl

Thanks dude

 

[Calamity Jane]

Thats pretty cool report. The history is great. Its got a farm look in places and school look in others. Got to agree the owl steals the show though. I live next to woodlands and love the wildlife that creeps into my garden.

 

[Ferox]

Nice to see this one again mate. Also surprised it's still there. Nicley covered

 

[___]

i actually went there today thinking it was open, obviously the other buildings nearby have been rebuilt to a school but the one next to the chapel seems to have some construction workers inside working on it, went inside cos they’ve installed a legit door that was open looked at like one room until I saw a group of guys with high vis jackets and hard hats looking around, they said it’s being surveyed so we just left to avoid trouble. anyone else coming here in the future as of 26 November 2022 might find it demolished

 

[Bikin Glynn]

i actually went there today thinking it was open, obviously the other buildings nearby have been rebuilt to a school but the one next to the chapel seems to have some construction workers inside working on it, went inside cos they’ve installed a legit door that was open looked at like one room until I saw a group of guys with high vis jackets and hard hats looking around, they said it’s being surveyed so we just left to avoid trouble. anyone else coming here in the future as of 26 November 2022 might find it demolished

Crikey I'm surprised as it seems to of been unchanged forever.
That said its a bit weird nestled in next to brand new school & housing u would think it would b prime building land

 

[Novice Explorer]

i actually went there today thinking it was open, obviously the other buildings nearby have been rebuilt to a school but the one next to the chapel seems to have some construction workers inside working on it, went inside cos they’ve installed a legit door that was open looked at like one room until I saw a group of guys with high vis jackets and hard hats looking around, they said it’s being surveyed so we just left to avoid trouble. anyone else coming here in the future as of 26 November 2022 might find it demolished

Thankfully it will not be knocked down!! It's a listed building. Its been made into a old people's home and houses surrounding! I can guarantee I bet I have the last ever pictured of this place! I went in December and they now have diggers etc in place. All locked up now even after the diggers where in there was still 2 ways in but not now! Here are the new plans for it

 

[FizzLo]

East Moor Reformatory

​

Havent posted for a while so heres one!

The complex first opened in 1857 as the Leeds Reformatory for Boys. Up to the mid-C19, children who committed crimes were commonly sent to adult prisons as there was no separate provision. Philanthropic Societies and private founders set up some voluntary reformatories for young people in the early C19, but it was not until the Youthful Offenders Acts of 1854 that state registered institutions were established and pre-existing private reformatories were brought under state certification. Reformatories were distinguished from Industrial Schools by taking young people who had actually committed offences, as opposed to those who were merely destitute or neglected and in danger of falling into crime. By the end of 1857 there were 47 reformatory schools in England. Most of these occupied domestic buildings such as a farmhouse with land, or a detached house and garden. At least 14 were in new premises and four are known to have been built on a quadrangular plan. By 1876 the number of schools had risen to 53, but fell to 41 by 1894. The system was superseded by the Borstal system in the early C20 and many reformatories later became approved schools.

​

(Borstals were run by the prison service and dealt with older boys, approved schools/community homes were run by the local authority and dealt with a younger client group.)
The Adel Reformatory was founded in 1857 by the Leeds Society for the Reformation of Juvenile Offenders, on a site deliberately chosen to be removed from the temptations of the city. William Watson Hewitson of Kitson and Hewitson, locomotive builders and general engineers, was one of the founding members and also the designer of the earliest part of the building, the south-west range. There were around 50 boys at the school in 1858. The south-east range and headmaster’s house was added in 1860, when the attic floor of the initial range was converted to dormitories. The workshops of the north-east range, built by the boys in 1859, were rebuilt in 1881 after a fire, and a separate chapel to the south was added in 1882, designed by an unknown architect but apparently designed to function also as a lecture room and subsequently as a gym. There was no priest and the chapel was never consecrated. Surrounding land within the grounds was cultivated for crops and garden produce. The land was bought by Leeds City Council for £3,500 in 1875, having been leased to the Society by the (unknown) owner previously.

​

The buildings continued in use as an approved school named Eastmoor School from 1933 and then a community home when it was taken over by Leeds CC on 1st April 1973. It was then known as Eastmoor CHE, that is Community Home with Education. A number of separate houses were constructed around the core site from the 1950s onwards, but there has been little change to the C19 buildings externally. It closed in 1990 although the Secure Unit, which is a separate enterprise is still running. The site was leased to Leeds Metropolitan University from the late 1990s when the surrounding houses were used for student accommodation who left when a new campus opened in Headingley in 2003. In 1993 a secure unit for young offenders was built on part of the site, formerly open land also owned by Leeds City Council. It has been unused since c.2004 and has been marketed for housing development.

​

Popped in here early in the morn after a stop over at leeds & it had more to offer than expected including this beautiful fella I unfortunately disturbed.

Finally a sneak look into the church turned gym

Thanks For Looking​

Is it still standing? In 2002 it was used as overflow accommodation for The University of Leeds and I lived there. I was in one of the side buildings. Half of the main building was used for dorms, the rest was left and boarded up. Of course, being inquisitive students left in the middle of nowhere with no adults on site, we prized the boarding off and went to investigate. I remember the empty swimming pool and the courtyard well.
It was a strange experience living there, absolute nightmare trying to get back with your shopping and even worse trying to get to lectures in the morning. We also didn't have showers, just a bath with the mixer that always popped off if you wanted anything more than a trickle of water, and the toilet may as well have been outside.

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Always love hearing from.people who lived or worked at a place.
No idea if it's still there myself I'm.a long way from there.