Cockersdale watercourses and mills

jim · Post by **jim** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 4:39 pm

Tilly,good to hear from you, but I'm afraid my customary over-enthusiastic verbosity may have caused confusion (oh lor,He's off again!).I believe the mills you refer to are by your description alongside Pudsey Beck which runs from due west of the Tong Lane/Roker Lane junction.The specific sites I am interested in are alongside Tong Beck in Cockersdale which runs from due south of the road junction,thereto connect with Tong Beck to run through Troydale,around the "nose" of Post Hill and eventually becoming successively Wortley Beck and Hol Beck before flowing into the Aire opposite where the old Co-op coal wharfs were at Victoria Road Bridge. I realise I may have misunderstood you, but in any case it's all interesting stuff!

Si · Post by Si » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 4:42 pm

It's probably a mill-race - a man-made water course designed to keep a head of water for the wheel, Tillydowner. However, I think the pictured mill is further upstream towards Drig.I've spoken to my mother, and she remembers walking up Cockersdale Beck, and says there were "lots of large rocks" (mill foundations?) and the water was very orange, due to the iron. She was told it was good to drink.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 5:15 pm

jim wrote: Tilly,good to hear from you,but I'm afraid my customary over-enthusiastic verbosity may have caused confusion (oh lor,He's off again!).I believe the mills you refer to are by your description alongside Pudsey Beck which runs from due west of the Tong Lane/Roker Lane junction.The specific sites I am interested in are alongside Tong Beck in Cockersdale which runs from due south of the road junction,thereto connect with Tong Beck to run through Troydale,around the "nose" of Post Hill and eventually becoming successively Wortley Beck and Hol Beck before flowing into the Aire opposite where the old Co-op coal wharfs were at Victoria Road Bridge. I realise I may have misunderstood you,but in any case it's all interesting stuff! 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. There's a thread on the Foundry Mill at seacoft and associated threads. In one thread the "orange" water is explained and IIRC it's not iron causing the orange stain??? (Help chameleon)Great thread so far and I'll have to have a look meself!!

Si · Post by Si » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 5:25 pm

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?

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 9:23 pm

Hi jim you will be pleased to know i think i know the part you mean you say you went through Nan Whins Wood is it not Sykes Wood you go through that is the wood at the bottom of Roker Lane The path from there goes along the east side of the beck until you get to a metal bridge this takes you over the beck to the west bank.This is the only way you can walk the beck as the east bank is impassable about six hundred yards from this bridge.How do i know this well i have spent a hell of a lot of hours with a metal detector all along this valley

Si · Post by Si » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 9:25 pm

Did you find anything mill-related, Tillydowner?

jim · Post by **jim** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 9:48 pm

Thanks for that,Tilly, Sykes's Wood is a name I remember well now you have jogged my memory. It is many years since I was there and the footpaths may have changed sides-I seem to remember the two main paths as on the east,one at beck level and one part way up the bank towards Back Lane. Anyway, what I need to know now is first how many mills were there in the series,and secondly what were they all individually driving?Were they concerned with agriculture,with the woollen industry,or with metal working and associated industries. Or,come to think of it,were they in mixed use? I guess I always want more!

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 9:53 pm

Si wrote: Did you find anything mill-related, Tillydowner? Hi Si I have seen signs of industry on parts of the beck some people could walk the path and see nothing.I have always been interested in this sort of thing its funny but i even look at the land you can spot signs of were some sort of work has gone on even though it has gone back to farm land.Has jim says a lot as gone on along the becks in the valleys in this area i have even found signs of a rail track in the valley bottom at Keeper Lane this would be were the path crosses the beck then goes over the golf course.It could have been something to do with the mines that were along the side of the valley before you say it i dont mean the famous Pudsey Treacle Mines. lol

jim · Post by **jim** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 10:11 pm

Good one Tilly, this was a site I was thinking of asking about later. The railway/wagonway/tramway or what ever it was came from the Bowling Ironworks in Bradford,crossed Sticker Lane and Cutler Heights Lane then passing beneath the (probably later) GN line from Laisterdyke to Wakefield and so on to the area you describe. It then rose up across the hillside to cross Tong lane in the vicinity of Mill Lane and probably finished in or near a quarry overlooking Cockersdale. Note that again there is an iron connection. Maybe there is some tie-up with the mills, but that's a long shot. More help please!

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 11:25 pm

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?