I did read,and contribute, to the thread.
I have not got any exact dates for the mill., that is why I am looking for building plans etc.
Using all the maps and plans that I have, together with descriptions etc and numerous field trips to the site and other water mills
I have almost worked out how the leat worked.
Foundry Mill at Seacroft
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The Parksider
- Posts: 1581
- Joined: Sat 10 Nov, 2007 3:55 am
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
Do keep us all informed, any new thoughts??warringtonrhino wrote:I did read,and contribute, to the thread.
I have not got any exact dates for the mill., that is why I am looking for building plans etc.
Using all the maps and plans that I have, together with descriptions etc and numerous field trips to the site and other water mills
I have almost worked out how the leat worked.
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grumpytramp
- Posts: 331
- Joined: Mon 24 Sep, 2007 6:28 pm
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
Good on you Warringtonrhino; a history of Seacroft will be a fantastic subject to explore ........ its connections with the ancient kingdom of Elmet, Doomsday Book, civil war skirmishes, coal/iron mining and how an ancient village was subsumed into an entirely new urban suburb 
Are you an exile from that parish?
Anyway to the business at hand.
https://collections.royalsociety.org/DS ... roft%27%29
The Royal Society hold 17 drawings which relate to the Seacroft Furnace , see
https://goo.gl/ge7y1g
There is a facsimile of one of them in an article about John Smeaton in the Publications of the Thoresby Society [John Smeaton, by CA Lupton, Publications of the Thoresby Society, Miscellany Vol 15, Part 3; 1973] See
This illustrates neatly the arrangement of the two waterwheels [the boring and the blowing wheels] and the ‘fire engine’ to the main blast furnace.
The spur for the works at Foundry Mill was the probably the demand for iron in part to furnish the Royal Navy and imperial armies with military equipment (particularly cannons) and the advent of the industrial revolution crystallised by the increasingly widespread use of coke in iron production (pioneered of course by Abraham Darby at Coalbrookdale)
The Seacroft Furnace was probably commissioned in 1780 but was not on the site of previous bloomeries but on the site of a preexisting corn mill. In 1827 John Farey in discussing John Smeaton’s Fire-engine and Blowing machine for an Iron Furnace in his work “A Treatise on the Steam Engine, Historical, Practical and Descriptive” describes:
“Mr Smeaton designed a small fire-engine and blowing machine for an iron furnace, which was erected at Seacroft in Yorkshire in 1779. There was an old-corn mill , on the site of the works, which had a small supply of water in the winter but in dry seasons and in summer the water failed in great part”
As can be seen in the adverts posted by Uncle Mick, the venture was not at all successful and the mill was quickly converted back to its original use by at least 1815.
John Farey usefully adds some background to its short life
”The engine and machine performed very well. The author has a sketch which was taken by his father who saw it work in 1782; but the works was not successful for owing to the bad quality in the coals and iron ore they could never make good iron until they procured coals from another district. The works were carried on for some years with coals brought from a distance of 100 miles but the expense proved so great, that it was at length given up”
History has shown that there was nothing wrong with ironstone being wrought (demonstrated by the extensive workings of the Low Moor and York Road Iron & Coal company in the second half of the century to the immediate south and west of Seacroft). The difficulty was probable that the local coals wouldn’t form a decent coke (not every coal is suitable for the production of coke)
Are you an exile from that parish?
Anyway to the business at hand.
I believe that there are a number of plans which relate to John Smeaton’s original design work for the Foundry in 1779 which are held in the archives of the Royal Society such as:warringtonrhino wrote:Does anyone know where I will find drawings, plans or descriptions of the old corn mill which was at Foundry lane in Seacroft.
I have OS maps which only show the outline of the building, photos from Leodis of the derelict building, and a description with drawings by E Kilburn Scott of the water wheel.
https://collections.royalsociety.org/DS ... roft%27%29
The Royal Society hold 17 drawings which relate to the Seacroft Furnace , see
https://goo.gl/ge7y1g
There is a facsimile of one of them in an article about John Smeaton in the Publications of the Thoresby Society [John Smeaton, by CA Lupton, Publications of the Thoresby Society, Miscellany Vol 15, Part 3; 1973] See
- Seacroft Mill.jpg (122.23 KiB) Viewed 3085 times
While there was unquestionably pig iron being produced in Seacroft throughout the Eighteenth century (for example in the work “The Interest of Great Britain in Supplying herself with Iron impartially considered” records that the works at Seacroft produced 300 tonnes of pig iron in 1736). These works remained traditional bloomeries relying on charcoal for fuelThe Parksider wrote:What do you have for the Mill in terms of building date and who was behind it?
The spur for the works at Foundry Mill was the probably the demand for iron in part to furnish the Royal Navy and imperial armies with military equipment (particularly cannons) and the advent of the industrial revolution crystallised by the increasingly widespread use of coke in iron production (pioneered of course by Abraham Darby at Coalbrookdale)
The Seacroft Furnace was probably commissioned in 1780 but was not on the site of previous bloomeries but on the site of a preexisting corn mill. In 1827 John Farey in discussing John Smeaton’s Fire-engine and Blowing machine for an Iron Furnace in his work “A Treatise on the Steam Engine, Historical, Practical and Descriptive” describes:
“Mr Smeaton designed a small fire-engine and blowing machine for an iron furnace, which was erected at Seacroft in Yorkshire in 1779. There was an old-corn mill , on the site of the works, which had a small supply of water in the winter but in dry seasons and in summer the water failed in great part”
As can be seen in the adverts posted by Uncle Mick, the venture was not at all successful and the mill was quickly converted back to its original use by at least 1815.
John Farey usefully adds some background to its short life
”The engine and machine performed very well. The author has a sketch which was taken by his father who saw it work in 1782; but the works was not successful for owing to the bad quality in the coals and iron ore they could never make good iron until they procured coals from another district. The works were carried on for some years with coals brought from a distance of 100 miles but the expense proved so great, that it was at length given up”
History has shown that there was nothing wrong with ironstone being wrought (demonstrated by the extensive workings of the Low Moor and York Road Iron & Coal company in the second half of the century to the immediate south and west of Seacroft). The difficulty was probable that the local coals wouldn’t form a decent coke (not every coal is suitable for the production of coke)
Last edited by grumpytramp on Sun 29 Nov, 2015 8:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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warringtonrhino
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Sat 18 Feb, 2012 2:31 pm
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
Yes I did live in Seacroft for 50 years, which is why I am trying to produce a history.
Its not exactly Seacroft, its the area I was allowed to play as a child.
Anyway here are some of my notes and preliminary sketches of Mathers leat.
GENERAL NOTES
EASTFIELD END
The leat was at 188’ which was 2 foot above the level of Wyke Beck at Eastfield
To achieve the 188 foot level the beck was dammed with a 2 foot weir.
Raising the level of the water at Eastfield flooded the cart track over the beck, it became a ford.
CENTRAL SECTION
Railway lines need to be straight so cuttings and viaducts are required
This is not the case with a watercourse, which can follow a contour to minimise the work required.
The leat followed the 188 foot contour, which is why it is not in a straight line.
Where streams cross the line of the leat, the ground level would be lower than the 188 foot contour.
A small dam on the inlet side of the leat would raise the level and allow the water to flow into the leat.
A 188 foot level weir on the outlet side would allow water to continue its course down to the Wyke Beck.
The leat is effectively a long pool of water 2 feet deep.
THE MILL END
The water is still at the 188 foot level.
When the mill is not being used, the surplus water will flow over a 188 foot level weir, down to the Wyke Beck.
When the mill is working, a sluice gate is opened and the water flows down hill towards the mill race.
Its not exactly Seacroft, its the area I was allowed to play as a child.
Anyway here are some of my notes and preliminary sketches of Mathers leat.
GENERAL NOTES
EASTFIELD END
The leat was at 188’ which was 2 foot above the level of Wyke Beck at Eastfield
To achieve the 188 foot level the beck was dammed with a 2 foot weir.
Raising the level of the water at Eastfield flooded the cart track over the beck, it became a ford.
CENTRAL SECTION
Railway lines need to be straight so cuttings and viaducts are required
This is not the case with a watercourse, which can follow a contour to minimise the work required.
The leat followed the 188 foot contour, which is why it is not in a straight line.
Where streams cross the line of the leat, the ground level would be lower than the 188 foot contour.
A small dam on the inlet side of the leat would raise the level and allow the water to flow into the leat.
A 188 foot level weir on the outlet side would allow water to continue its course down to the Wyke Beck.
The leat is effectively a long pool of water 2 feet deep.
THE MILL END
The water is still at the 188 foot level.
When the mill is not being used, the surplus water will flow over a 188 foot level weir, down to the Wyke Beck.
When the mill is working, a sluice gate is opened and the water flows down hill towards the mill race.
- Attachments
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- weir.jpg (103.07 KiB) Viewed 3086 times
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- the mill end.jpg (108.53 KiB) Viewed 3086 times
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- stream crossing leat.jpg (99.34 KiB) Viewed 3086 times
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Leodian
- Posts: 6485
- Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
This is a fascinating thread. Thanks to all who have contributed and particularly to warringtonrhino for the superb research. 
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.
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warringtonrhino
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Sat 18 Feb, 2012 2:31 pm
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
grumpytramp wrote:Good on you Warringtonrhino; a history of Seacroft will be a fantastic subject to explore ........ its connections with the ancient kingdom of Elmet, Doomsday Book, civil war skirmishes, coal/iron mining and how an ancient village was subsumed into an entirely new urban suburb
Are you an exile from that parish?
Anyway to the business at hand.
I believe that there are a number of plans which relate to John Smeaton’s original design work for the Foundry in 1779 which are held in the archives of the Royal Society such as:warringtonrhino wrote:Does anyone know where I will find drawings, plans or descriptions of the old corn mill which was at Foundry lane in Seacroft.
I have OS maps which only show the outline of the building, photos from Leodis of the derelict building, and a description with drawings by E Kilburn Scott of the water wheel.
https://collections.royalsociety.org/DS ... roft%27%29
The Royal Society hold 17 drawings which relate to the Seacroft Furnace , see
https://goo.gl/ge7y1g
There is a facsimile of one of them in an article about John Smeaton in the Publications of the Thoresby Society [John Smeaton, by CA Lupton, Publications of the Thoresby Society, Miscellany Vol 15, Part 3; 1973] See
How can I get the 17 drawings, they might have clues to help my research?
This illustrates neatly the arrangement of the two waterwheels [the boring and the blowing wheels] and the ‘fire engine’ to the main blast furnace.
While there was unquestionably pig iron being produced in Seacroft throughout the Eighteenth century (for example in the work “The Interest of Great Britain in Supplying herself with Iron impartially considered” records that the works at Seacroft produced 300 tonnes of pig iron in 1736). These works remained traditional bloomeries relying on charcoal for fuelThe Parksider wrote:What do you have for the Mill in terms of building date and who was behind it?
The spur for the works at Foundry Mill was the probably the demand for iron in part to furnish the Royal Navy and imperial armies with military equipment (particularly cannons) and the advent of the industrial revolution crystallised by the increasingly widespread use of coke in iron production (pioneered of course by Abraham Darby at Coalbrookdale)
The Seacroft Furnace was probably commissioned in 1780 but was not on the site of previous bloomeries but on the site of a preexisting corn mill. In 1827 John Farey in discussing John Smeaton’s Fire-engine and Blowing machine for an Iron Furnace in his work “A Treatise on the Steam Engine, Historical, Practical and Descriptive” describes:
“Mr Smeaton designed a small fire-engine and blowing machine for an iron furnace, which was erected at Seacroft in Yorkshire in 1779. There was an old-corn mill , on the site of the works, which had a small supply of water in the winter but in dry seasons and in summer the water failed in great part”
As can be seen in the adverts posted by Uncle Mick, the venture was not at all successful and the mill was quickly converted back to its original use by at least 1815.
John Farey usefully adds some background to its short life
”The engine and machine performed very well. The author has a sketch which was taken by his father who saw it work in 1782; but the works was not successful for owing to the bad quality in the coals and iron ore they could never make good iron until they procured coals from another district. The works were carried on for some years with coals brought from a distance of 100 miles but the expense proved so great, that it was at length given up”
History has shown that there was nothing wrong with ironstone being wrought (demonstrated by the extensive workings of the Low Moor and York Road Iron & Coal company in the second half of the century to the immediate south and west of Seacroft). The difficulty was probable that the local coals wouldn’t form a decent coke (not every coal is suitable for the production of coke)
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Brunel
- Posts: 1174
- Joined: Thu 20 Mar, 2008 12:34 pm
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
This is the 1947 map of the area, scroll in and drag the map about, for the area of interest.
http://maps.nls.uk/view/100946570
http://maps.nls.uk/view/100946570
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warringtonrhino
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Sat 18 Feb, 2012 2:31 pm
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
UPDATE
Leeds Highways, Flood Risk Management - who have archives of old drain/culvert plans and details, have confirmed that my details of Mathers Leat are likely to be accurate. -See previous post.
I have contacted the Royal Society to purchase the John Smeaton drawings of the Foundry Mill
and have completed a site section
HELP REQUIRED
I have prepared a draft history and would appreciate any corrections, revisions and additions
particularly when the foundry started and finished.
1160 Monks of Kirkstall granted the right to operate bloomeries in Seacroft
Iron ore from bell pits, Charcoal in burners from the woodlands
1185 The first corn mill was built.
The site was selected at the southern edge of the village on a stream which ran from Swarcliffe to Wyke Beck. The stream was in a deep narrow valley which could be easily dammed to create a series of mill ponds. The dams would include a sluice which would control the flow of water. From the lowest pond, the stream was diverted into a mill race, towards the mill. In relatively flat areas the timber waterwheel was undershot and the mill building was stone with heavy timber beams to support the milling machinery.
1577 New corn mill built. The population had increased
1577 Surface water previously adequate was not sufficient for a larger mill.
Elizabeth I gave permission for Christopher Mather to make a leat from Ellers Close in Roundhay (where Easterly Road now crosses the Wykebeck) to the mill in Seacroft. This was in return for his (first) draining the colliery and watercourses (in the Killingbeck area) It took the water from Wyke Beck at the bottom of Asket Hill and from the streams which flowed from the Rein and above Fox Wood. It ran along the 188ft contour, which took it towards Asket Crescent, across the lower school playing fields, along Brooklands Drive, over South Parkway, and via Moresdale Lane to the Foundry Mill. In the late 1940’s the leat was filled in to make way for the new Seacroft housing estates, and its water rediverted into the old stream which for 4000 years had taken only the surplus and flood waters.The Foundry Mill was extended
1603 coal mined in Whinmoor.
1620 Seacroft Hall built.
1701 James Nelthorpe became owner of the corn mill.
1736 Iron was being produced in Seacroft.
1762-8 New mill building.
1770 Seacroft Hall sold.
1779 John Smeaton designed a steam engine and overshot wheel for the Seacroft Iron Foundry. The wheel was 30ft diameter and drove the coke furnaces, In dry weather the steam engine pumped water from the the mill ponds.
1780 A furnace was in the mill.
1783 John Smeaton designed a corn mill at Wyke beck it had a 30ft diameter undershot wheel.It was still being used 1912, when the pond was drained to make way for the new roads and housing
1783 John Smeaton designed a water wheel for the mill.
1792 To be sold by Auction, the Iron Foundry situated at Seacroft with the engine, water-wheel, warehouses, shops, two houses, six cottages and 13 acres of land.
1810>Coal mines established in Seacroft, Manston and Crossgates.
1815 Foundry Mill was a corn mill.
1880>Coal mines closed in Seacroft, Manston and Crossgates.
1903 Leeds City Corporation purchased the 5 acre Seacroft Hall estate.
1912 The mill ponds were drained
1930>Council houses built on iron hill and the Seacroft Hall estate.
1931 Easterly Road was extended to Wetherby Road The north end of the leat was destroyed and the water redirected down Wyke Beck.
1938 Seacroft Foundry was demolished.
1939 Coucil houses built on the site of the corn mill.
1940 Leat filled to make way for the Seacroft Housing Estates.
1954 Seacroft Hall demolished.
Leeds Highways, Flood Risk Management - who have archives of old drain/culvert plans and details, have confirmed that my details of Mathers Leat are likely to be accurate. -See previous post.
I have contacted the Royal Society to purchase the John Smeaton drawings of the Foundry Mill
and have completed a site section
HELP REQUIRED
I have prepared a draft history and would appreciate any corrections, revisions and additions
particularly when the foundry started and finished.
1160 Monks of Kirkstall granted the right to operate bloomeries in Seacroft
Iron ore from bell pits, Charcoal in burners from the woodlands
1185 The first corn mill was built.
The site was selected at the southern edge of the village on a stream which ran from Swarcliffe to Wyke Beck. The stream was in a deep narrow valley which could be easily dammed to create a series of mill ponds. The dams would include a sluice which would control the flow of water. From the lowest pond, the stream was diverted into a mill race, towards the mill. In relatively flat areas the timber waterwheel was undershot and the mill building was stone with heavy timber beams to support the milling machinery.
1577 New corn mill built. The population had increased
1577 Surface water previously adequate was not sufficient for a larger mill.
Elizabeth I gave permission for Christopher Mather to make a leat from Ellers Close in Roundhay (where Easterly Road now crosses the Wykebeck) to the mill in Seacroft. This was in return for his (first) draining the colliery and watercourses (in the Killingbeck area) It took the water from Wyke Beck at the bottom of Asket Hill and from the streams which flowed from the Rein and above Fox Wood. It ran along the 188ft contour, which took it towards Asket Crescent, across the lower school playing fields, along Brooklands Drive, over South Parkway, and via Moresdale Lane to the Foundry Mill. In the late 1940’s the leat was filled in to make way for the new Seacroft housing estates, and its water rediverted into the old stream which for 4000 years had taken only the surplus and flood waters.The Foundry Mill was extended
1603 coal mined in Whinmoor.
1620 Seacroft Hall built.
1701 James Nelthorpe became owner of the corn mill.
1736 Iron was being produced in Seacroft.
1762-8 New mill building.
1770 Seacroft Hall sold.
1779 John Smeaton designed a steam engine and overshot wheel for the Seacroft Iron Foundry. The wheel was 30ft diameter and drove the coke furnaces, In dry weather the steam engine pumped water from the the mill ponds.
1780 A furnace was in the mill.
1783 John Smeaton designed a corn mill at Wyke beck it had a 30ft diameter undershot wheel.It was still being used 1912, when the pond was drained to make way for the new roads and housing
1783 John Smeaton designed a water wheel for the mill.
1792 To be sold by Auction, the Iron Foundry situated at Seacroft with the engine, water-wheel, warehouses, shops, two houses, six cottages and 13 acres of land.
1810>Coal mines established in Seacroft, Manston and Crossgates.
1815 Foundry Mill was a corn mill.
1880>Coal mines closed in Seacroft, Manston and Crossgates.
1903 Leeds City Corporation purchased the 5 acre Seacroft Hall estate.
1912 The mill ponds were drained
1930>Council houses built on iron hill and the Seacroft Hall estate.
1931 Easterly Road was extended to Wetherby Road The north end of the leat was destroyed and the water redirected down Wyke Beck.
1938 Seacroft Foundry was demolished.
1939 Coucil houses built on the site of the corn mill.
1940 Leat filled to make way for the Seacroft Housing Estates.
1954 Seacroft Hall demolished.
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- Section with levels.JPG (405.44 KiB) Viewed 3007 times
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- North Parkway section .jpg (153.39 KiB) Viewed 3007 times
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Loiner in Cyprus
- Posts: 233
- Joined: Thu 08 Nov, 2007 3:04 pm
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
Very interesting thread. Eagerly awaiting the next update
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warringtonrhino
- Posts: 478
- Joined: Sat 18 Feb, 2012 2:31 pm
Re: Foundry Mill at Seacroft
ANY COMMENTS PLEASE
I have drawn the plan of Foundry Mill based on John Smeaton’s plans and details from The Royal Society.
The Stack had a charcoal fire at the bottom and iron ore was loaded into the top
It is where iron was produced.
The Blowing House is where the circular action of the waterwheel was converted into vertical motion with cylinders producing a draught for the furnace.
(I don’t have details of the machinery)
The Engine House had a boiler and cylinder with a pump which lifted water back up to the mill race.
It appears that water from both water wheels was collected in a sump with an underground outfall to the steam which ran back to Wyke Beck. The machinery in this room recycled some of the water.
The Casting Foundry was where the iron was cast into ingots and bars.
(I don’t have any details of the equipment)
The Boring House had machinery which produced large diameter holes in iron.
The iron was mounted on a trolley which was slowly dragged towards a revolving cutter.
The cutters were powered by the water wheel via reduction gears.
This process would produce pipes cylinders and cannons.
On Smeaton’s plan there is no evidence that corn was milled unless the early mill with an undershot wheel was still in use elsewhere.
On Smeaton’s plans there are two water wheels, but all commentaries regarding the mill, only mention a single wheel and when the mill was demolished there was only one wheel.
Were the plans, which are based on dimensioned scale drawings, only half built?
Significantly the Smeaton plan, does not match the outline shown on any OS map.
Option 1
The building was built complete as shown on Smeaton’s plans.
When the ironwork ceased, the Boring House was demolished and the water wheel removed from the site. The building was remodelled to suit corn milling requirements.
Option 2
The foundry was not completed as Smeaton’s plans, the Boring House and waterwheel were not built. When ironworking ceased the building was remodelled to suit corn milling requirements.
I have drawn the plan of Foundry Mill based on John Smeaton’s plans and details from The Royal Society.
The Stack had a charcoal fire at the bottom and iron ore was loaded into the top
It is where iron was produced.
The Blowing House is where the circular action of the waterwheel was converted into vertical motion with cylinders producing a draught for the furnace.
(I don’t have details of the machinery)
The Engine House had a boiler and cylinder with a pump which lifted water back up to the mill race.
It appears that water from both water wheels was collected in a sump with an underground outfall to the steam which ran back to Wyke Beck. The machinery in this room recycled some of the water.
The Casting Foundry was where the iron was cast into ingots and bars.
(I don’t have any details of the equipment)
The Boring House had machinery which produced large diameter holes in iron.
The iron was mounted on a trolley which was slowly dragged towards a revolving cutter.
The cutters were powered by the water wheel via reduction gears.
This process would produce pipes cylinders and cannons.
On Smeaton’s plan there is no evidence that corn was milled unless the early mill with an undershot wheel was still in use elsewhere.
On Smeaton’s plans there are two water wheels, but all commentaries regarding the mill, only mention a single wheel and when the mill was demolished there was only one wheel.
Were the plans, which are based on dimensioned scale drawings, only half built?
Significantly the Smeaton plan, does not match the outline shown on any OS map.
Option 1
The building was built complete as shown on Smeaton’s plans.
When the ironwork ceased, the Boring House was demolished and the water wheel removed from the site. The building was remodelled to suit corn milling requirements.
Option 2
The foundry was not completed as Smeaton’s plans, the Boring House and waterwheel were not built. When ironworking ceased the building was remodelled to suit corn milling requirements.
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- building plan.JPG (587.11 KiB) Viewed 2961 times