Cockersdale watercourses and mills

[The Parksider]

jim wrote: Hope this is the right place for this one,but until there's an industrial archaeology section,it'll have to do.Salivating over a recently acquired reproduction 19th map of my boyhood playground Farnley Forge and it's environs,I was idly looking at it's western extremity around Troydale and Cockersdale and noticed an "old mill race" north of Roker Lane Bottom which led to "Farnley Mill (dis)",just south of the much larger Troydale Mill.The use of Farnley Mill is well documented,but what interests me lies further south. FIVE mills are marked in Cockersdale and Troydale on the 1854 OS map Jim - All Corn and woollen. Looks a great walk mate.But what's "Farnley Forge"?????? Where???

[jim]

Thanks Parksider, looks like I've got what I was looking for, don't know the 1854 map, could you tell me what scale it is and if it is accessible or available to buy? As to the "Forge",it is the local name for Farnley Ironworks,reconstituted as Farnley Fireclay in the 1920s,when the bottom had finally fallen out of wrought iron as a large use commodity. I spent my pre-teen years in love with the place and eagerly seek maps and references of it. Got one or two good ones, but still after more. I don't suppose the 1854 OS you mention goes as far as three-quarters to one-and-a-quarter miles due east does it? If it does,it may show early workings on the site. Then again it is possible that the date is just too early. The area is now host to the Whitehall Trading Estate, and some of the buildings are from the period I am interested in, but the context is mostly lost. My thanks for your helpful input, pity it explodes my iron-connection theories!    

[The Parksider]

jim wrote: Thanks Parksider,looks like I've got what I was looking for,don't know the 1854 map,could you tell me what scale it is and if it is accessible or available to buy?As to the "Forge",it is the local name for Farnley Ironworks,reconstituted as Farnley Fireclay in the 1920s,when the bottom had finally fallen out of wrought iron as a large use commodity.I spent my pre-teen years in love with the place and eagerly seek maps and references of it.Got one or two good ones,but still after more.I don't suppose the 1854 OS you mention goes as far as three-quarters to one-and-a-quarter miles due east does it?If it does,it may show early workings on the site.Then again it is possible that the date is just too early.The area is now host to the Whitehall Trading Estate,and some of the buildings are from the period I am interested in,but the context is mostly lost.My thanks for your helpful input,pity it explodes my iron-connection theories!     Jim,Your iron theories are not exploded at all. That in 1854 none of the mills were foundries isn't proof that iron making did not happen in the valley. The local populace needed iron, the coal was there in abundance, iron was probably associated with the seams and so it is very likely an early iron foundry is somewhere. Later as experts say Bradford (Low Moor) will have supplied local wrought iron needs, but iron founding is highly likely.The Mills in existence in 1854 (and 1754 could have been completely different) were..................1. Middle Mill (corn) at the bottom of mill lane2. Lower Mil (woolen) in nan whins wood3. Union bridge Mill (wool) on union bridge Roker Lane4. Farnley Mill (Wool) on the bridge troydale lane5. Hough Mill (corn) off pudsey roadMill races (goits) are in place at the latter two mills.Just a matter of getting to se the sites now. I love such walks but hate landowners and their getoffamoiland attitudes!Hopefully there'll be public footpaths remaining to them all.

[The Parksider]

jim wrote: don't know the 1854 map Google old-maps (do the hyphon) usually comes up first. "online repository of old maps" "start your search" key in TONG and select TONG YORKSHIRE and from there take a nice punt downstream along cockersdale and troydale, but don't fall in the beck Jim....

[Si]

The Parksider wrote: The Mills in existence in 1854 (and 1754 could have been completely different) were..................1. Middle Mill (corn) at the bottom of mill lane2. Lower Mil (woolen) in nan whins wood3. Union bridge Mill (wool) on union bridge Roker Lane4. Farnley Mill (Wool) on the bridge troydale lane5. Hough Mill (corn) off pudsey roadMill races (goits) are in place at the latter two mills.Just a matter of getting to se the sites now. I love such walks but hate landowners and their getoffamoiland attitudes!Hopefully there'll be public footpaths remaining to them all. Fascinating stuff. Great work (as usual) Parksider.If there are middle and lower mills, what happened to Upper Mill I wonder? The modern OS map shows a network of public footpaths in the area. PS You're gonna love this - the farm just east of Sykes/Nan Whins Wood is called Park Side Farm!

[Si]

This is the area from a 1990 OS 1:25000 Pathfinder map (just found it.)It appears to show quite a bit of industrial activity - air shafts, etc. Note the lane to Corn Mill Farm is Mill Lane, and possible man-made earthworks around the beck where the downstream footbridge (FB) is marked (site of Lower Mill?) There's a spring there too (source of orange stuff?) Footpaths are marked along the east bank of the beck (Leeds Country Way), and running down to the site from Tong Lane. The one shown on the 1970s OS map (parallel to the west bank) seems to have disappeared, unless it's that lane under where Nan Whins Wood is written.        

[Si]

The Parksider wrote: jim wrote: don't know the 1854 map Google old-maps (do the hyphon) usually comes up first. "online repository of old maps" "start your search" key in TONG and select TONG YORKSHIRE and from there take a nice punt downstream along cockersdale and troydale, but don't fall in the beck Jim.... This old map shows several coal pits and sandstone quarries close by. Middle Mill (Corn) is at the end of Mill Lane, just below Corn Mill Farm. The next road east, running down from Tong Lane is called Green Lane, but the lane leading to Lower Mill is un-named.Looks like Cockersdale was quite a hive of industry, Jim!    

[chameleon]

The Parksider wrote: Si wrote: The Parksider wrote: Interesting indeed.We have the foundry mill at seacroft that was at various times a corn and an iron mill. We have some older remains of an older iron foundry as well. It will be fascinating if this was replicated in Cockersdale. It looks possible, doesn't it, Parksider?If the "orange" isn't rust, what is it? There was a thread on this where the orange stuff spilled out of a drain into the Wyke Beck at York Road. I think Chameleon and Grumpytramp discussed the orange staining - fascinating stuff - where are you Kam? Just picked-up on this - will start from the begining and chat to \mrs Ctoo - family history stuff seems to tie us back to Tong and in particular to the Sykes of Sykes Farm/Wood.    Some years ago I had the pleasure of working with team of conservationists/Work Experience lads in Black Carr Woods (Damned hardy lot they were) -wonderful place - even coming into winter.

[Si]

I know Black Carr Woods very well, Steve.

[chameleon]

Si wrote: I know Black Carr Woods very well, Steve. I recall there were strange dents in the Landrover, soon found out these each corresponded to strategically placed mature trees at bends in the newly constructed track!