SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I was out walking today and saw a triangular shaped coping stone on a garden wall with the name Inch and son, Worley, Leeds. On it.

I can't find any information on Inch and Son but I wonder if part of the stone had been damaged and it actually referred to Ingham and Sons of Wortley.William Ingham (1791-1871) was the owner of Ingham's Brick Works, Wortley, which was absorbed into the Leeds Fire Clay Company by 1916. The company manufactured the white enamelled bricks for the subway under the platforms at Knaresborough Railway Station and I took a photo of this enamel sign at the station a few years ago. The photo makes it look large but it's tiny.

Thats probably correct. It was worn. I will try to take a photo next time I'm out there. Also there was a stone sign of an old Coop across the top of what now is a house in East Ardsley.

Yes, these old stone signs on buildings are fascinating and often missed if you're not looking upwards.I was in Mirfield this afternoon and saw this stone sign on a building where the business still exists, but I can't decide whether the stone sign has been placed there more recently. There's something about the placing of it in the wall which doesn't seem "right". Not particularly for discussion on here since it's outside the Leeds boundary, but it's the first stone sign I've seen that I haven't quite believed!http://snipurl.com/22kd7k1    

I'm sure someone from that area will help if they see the post. What I found intriguing about the triangular shaped brick was that the name of the maker was placed or moulded into the side where it could be seen. I have seen old Normanton bricks with the name on them but when laid the name would not be seen. If these coping stones were in a row with the name of Ingham on them all it would look odd. The one I saw had obviously been a replacement at some time so the name appears on one only.

Tasa - I'll be passing that very spot tomorrow so I'll take a look at that as I do, on first appearence though it does look as if the stone is newer than the brickwork suppounding it but perhaps they simply had the stone cleaned - bit of family pride etc etc

Thanks Big N - I'll be interested to hear your opinion. At first sight I took it to be original as it looks to have the right amount of weathering for the age of most of these signs, which tend to be Victorian or just after (early 1900s), but on passing it on my way back to the railway station I had second thoughts. It may be that it's been moved from its original place on the building and that's why it doesn't look "right".

I have a picture of the Ingham & Son Wortley Leeds coping stone but don't know how to upload it onto here. If anyone is interested i can email them with it. Its too large to upload

Will post link to photo on geograph soon

Tasa - I took a look at that stone yesterday and at first glance I thought it had been recently mounted there due to the newness of the surrounding pointing, however on a second look I realised the whole building has recently been re-pointed and the stonework is relatively clean so I suspect its been sand blasted recently and then re-pointed. Looking at the stone itself it doesnt look that new on close inspection so perhaps its the fact its recently been cleaned that has drawn its attention to you.