General notes about things on a 1906 Gipton/Roundhay/Seacroft map.

[Leodian]

In an interesting thread 'Foundry Mill at Seacroft' http://secretleeds.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5910 posted by warringtonrhino, Brunel added a 1906 map http://maps.nls.uk/view/100946576. I like looking through old maps like that as it's fascinating finding things in them. For example just above and right of Foundry Mill there is 'Iron Hills' marked. I wonder if iron ore was mined there? A 'Low Moor Colliery Railway' is marked between Gipton Pit and a Stone Works. Is there any trace now of that railway? 'Penny Toll' is marked at what is about the present day roundabout of York Road and the Ring Road (near the present-day bus station). I assume at one time that it was a toll collection point. 'Roman Coins found' is marked right of Lime Pits Wood. I wonder where the coins are now and was lime mined there? A 'Roman Altar found A.D. 1880' is marked near Elmet Hall. I know that altar has been mentioned in the past on SL but I seem to have wrongly recalled its location as I thought it was in a wood on the other side of Wetherby Road. Is there any trace now of the 'Fish Pond' by Seacroft Hall? Was 'Victoria Pit' on the bottom edge near the right corner a coal pit? For a while I was confused by what seemed state 'Muee' by the sports pavilion at Roundhay Park sports ground but I now think it states 'Maze' (more like 'Muze') so it will be the maze that used to be there. I used to get lost in that when I was a child!

[Brunel]

This is also very useful, you can overlay a modern map of your choice.

The "blue dot" is the key, just slide to the left.

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16 ... 3&layers=6

[rikj]

There was certainly a lot of mining in the Iron Hills area. When the new development there was being built in 2008, more than 20 filled shafts were found. I'd also guess that the large grassed areas in the Foundry Mills are due to shallow mine workings.

Given how close the shafts are together, in such a small area, indicates quite old workings.

[The Parksider]

There was certainly a lot of mining in the Iron Hills area. When the new development there was being built in 2008, more than 20 filled shafts were found.
Given how close the shafts are together, in such a small area, indicates quite old workings.

It indicates Bell Pits where they dug down then outward in a circle and stopped before it became unstable then dug another next to it and so on. In the Middleton Park Mining book it shows a 3-d diagram of how this would look so spot on Rik

How old Grumpytramp can tell you, and the Ironstone was likely to be mined and the coal left in because they smelted the iron with Charcoal from the Roundhay Park, Charcoal burners would walk down "Colliers Lane" from their Shadwell homes the term Collier originally being a charcoal burner.

The course of the wykebeck straightens below the hills indicating water power for smelting, and the final proof is on the old map of Roundhay in Stephen Burts book that shows the "Cynder Hills" piles of waste dross from the smelting, that were used for drainage material in the building of King Georges playing fields.

Anyone want to club together to rent a time machine and go have a look?

[The Parksider]

'Roman Coins found' is marked right of Lime Pits Wood. I wonder where the coins are now and was lime mined there?

There is I think Magnesian Limestone up there and they would have quarried it crushed it and burnt it in pits (not mining pits) to drive the oxygen off to use in the fields to condition the soil. It may also have been used in the smelting process....

[The Parksider]

Was 'Victoria Pit' on the bottom edge near the right corner a coal pit?

Coal yes, and I think "Sand pit" is actually Sandbeds coal mine both pits part of the Manston Collieries owned by Lord Gascoigne

[Leodian]

Thanks The Parksider for your help.