Foundry Mill at Seacroft

[The Parksider]

I'm intensly interested in the various conundrums that relate to the Mills and water courses.

In his second book on Roundhay Burt states he walked the Wyke Beck with a historian who felt that the beck would almost certainly have ran more strongly in medieval times and provided power in itself?.

Comments have been made on how the beck was engineered to be straight from easterly road down to past foxwood farm, and sections of walling to make it do just that can still be seen, whilst a weir still stands below the current bridge.

Of Foundry Mill and it's long leat, on the hillside how fascinating, but down in the wykebeck itself it would appear there was once significant engineering for it's water power whether smelting iron, grinding corn or both.

Ellers close remained as a name for a large victorian house well up North Lane away from Easterly road, and the old 6" OS map http://maps.nls.uk/view/102344914 shows a large body of water below that alongside the west bank of the wykebeck. Was that Mathers dam?

[warringtonrhino]

The section of walling which can still be seen, was built in 1931,when the two becks were culverted below Easterly Road when it was extended to Roundhay Road. One photo looking towards Easterly Road shows the work in progress. One photo looking downstream shows that the walling stopped 50 yards down stream. From personal experience and observations in 1950's,I can confirm that the only other walled sections were at the bridges, and opposite the Rein beck junction.

[The Parksider]

The section of walling which can still be seen, was built in 1931,when the two becks were culverted below Easterly Road when it was extended to Roundhay Road. One photo looking towards Easterly Road shows the work in progress. One photo looking downstream shows that the walling stopped 50 yards down stream. From personal experience and observations in 1950's,I can confirm that the only other walled sections were at the bridges, and opposite the Rein beck junction.

Although not fully walled the beck has been engineered as straight and appears that way on maps as far back as I have seen. The lack of trees along the beck there could be charcoal burners and builders taking the timber. On the tithe listings close to the Rein beck was "Coal Pit Close", so a coal mine was there as were the bloomeries lower down.

Foundry Mill aside, the beck was a hive of industrial activities at one time - even harder to decipher exactly what than Foundry Mill I guess!!

The "Weir" stones in the beck by the bridge - what do you make of this structure WR - Brunel posted a picture in the previous thread I can't find!!

The picture of the culverts - is that Easterly Road up the banking to the right? I remember a bridge over the beck coming down wetherby/easterley Road close to there. It was arched over the beck but worn away such that it was a challenge to balance across it. Do you remember it?

I once wondered if it was for carting stone from the quarry at the bottom of Boggart Hill Drive (where I lived) to make Asket Hall?

I can't see it in the picture, It would have been about 1964 when I remember it from, so as your picture is 1931 I'd have expected it to be in the background?

[warringtonrhino]

The section of walling which can still be seen, was built in 1931,when the two becks were culverted below Easterly Road when it was extended to Roundhay Road. One photo looking towards Easterly Road shows the work in progress. One photo looking downstream shows that the walling stopped 50 yards down stream. From personal experience and observations in 1950's,I can confirm that the only other walled sections were at the bridges, and opposite the Rein beck junction.

Although not fully walled the beck has been engineered as straight and appears that way on maps as far back as I have seen. The lack of trees along the beck there could be charcoal burners and builders taking the timber. On the tithe listings close to the Rein beck was "Coal Pit Close", so a coal mine was there as were the bloomeries lower down.

Foundry Mill aside, the beck was a hive of industrial activities at one time - even harder to decipher exactly what than Foundry Mill I guess!!

The "Weir" stones in the beck by the bridge - what do you make of this structure WR - Brunel posted a picture in the previous thread I can't find!!

The picture of the culverts - is that Easterly Road up the banking to the right? I remember a bridge over the beck coming down wetherby/easterley Road close to there. It was arched over the beck but worn away such that it was a challenge to balance across it. Do you remember it?

I once wondered if it was for carting stone from the quarry at the bottom of Boggart Hill Drive (where I lived) to make Asket Hall?

I can't see it in the picture, It would have been about 1964 when I remember it from, so as your picture is 1931 I'd have expected it to be in the background?

Yes the beck was straightened but not fully walled.
The reasons I have been given are, to improve the flow of water when most of it had been diverted into Mather's leat, and it would allow a foot track to the west of the beck.

The lack of buildings, ruins, plans and maps indicating development in the Wyke Beck corridor, suggests that there was no substantial industry. The consensus is that there wasn't a watermill. There may have been bell pit mining and the pits filled when exhausted,as requested, Bloomeries with hand bellows, and charcoal burning. None of these activities would have left empty buildings etc, which is precisley what is (not) there now.

photo 'beck 01' which is looking up the beck towards Easterley Road (not yet built) clearly has no wall.http://secretleeds.com/download/file.ph ... ew&id=9286
Photo 'Beck 02' was taken from the same location across the beck (not seen in the foreground) then allotments, then the fence to Mather's Leat, then a row of trees, and Boggart Hill in the background.
Parksider you may remember the forked oak tree, it was a grade 1 climb, the one that most kids started on, and it is still there!

There were 2 bridges in the field next to Asket Hill.
One was on the track from Wetherby Road to the stone quarry, and in 1700's was extended up to the new Grange Farm.
The other was a utility bridge to allow animals and carts into the meadow below the old stone quarry.

The consensus of opinion on the weirs above Mather's weir, is that they were probably added to regulate the level of water at the bridge, as shown in one of my previous comments.

[The Parksider]

The section of walling which can still be seen, was built in 1931,when the two becks were culverted below Easterly Road when it was extended to Roundhay Road. One photo looking towards Easterly Road shows the work in progress. One photo looking downstream shows that the walling stopped 50 yards down stream. From personal experience and observations in 1950's,I can confirm that the only other walled sections were at the bridges, and opposite the Rein beck junction.

Although not fully walled the beck has been engineered as straight and appears that way on maps as far back as I have seen. The lack of trees along the beck there could be charcoal burners and builders taking the timber. On the tithe listings close to the Rein beck was "Coal Pit Close", so a coal mine was there as were the bloomeries lower down.

Foundry Mill aside, the beck was a hive of industrial activities at one time - even harder to decipher exactly what than Foundry Mill I guess!!

The "Weir" stones in the beck by the bridge - what do you make of this structure WR - Brunel posted a picture in the previous thread I can't find!!

The picture of the culverts - is that Easterly Road up the banking to the right? I remember a bridge over the beck coming down wetherby/easterley Road close to there. It was arched over the beck but worn away such that it was a challenge to balance across it. Do you remember it?

I once wondered if it was for carting stone from the quarry at the bottom of Boggart Hill Drive (where I lived) to make Asket Hall?

I can't see it in the picture, It would have been about 1964 when I remember it from, so as your picture is 1931 I'd have expected it to be in the background?

Yes the beck was straightened but not fully walled.
The reasons I have been given are, to improve the flow of water when most of it had been diverted into Mather's leat, and it would allow a foot track to the west of the beck.

The lack of buildings, ruins, plans and maps indicating development in the Wyke Beck corridor, suggests that there was no substantial industry. The consensus is that there wasn't a watermill. There may have been bell pit mining and the pits filled when exhausted,as requested, Bloomeries with hand bellows, and charcoal burning. None of these activities would have left empty buildings etc, which is precisley what is (not) there now.

photo 'beck 01' which is looking up the beck towards Easterley Road (not yet built) clearly has no wall.http://secretleeds.com/download/file.ph ... ew&id=9286
Photo 'Beck 02' was taken from the same location across the beck (not seen in the foreground) then allotments, then the fence to Mather's Leat, then a row of trees, and Boggart Hill in the background.
Parksider you may remember the forked oak tree, it was a grade 1 climb, the one that most kids started on, and it is still there!

There were 2 bridges in the field next to Asket Hill.
One was on the track from Wetherby Road to the stone quarry, and in 1700's was extended up to the new Grange Farm.
The other was a utility bridge to allow animals and carts into the meadow below the old stone quarry.

The consensus of opinion on the weirs above Mather's weir, is that they were probably added to regulate the level of water at the bridge, as shown in one of my previous comments.

A very big thank you for your fascinating responses........

[The Parksider]

The reasons I have been given are, to improve the flow of water when most of it had been diverted into Mather's leat, and it would allow a foot track to the west of the beck.

The lack of buildings, ruins, plans and maps indicating development in the Wyke Beck corridor, suggests that there was no substantial industry. The consensus is that there wasn't a watermill.
The consensus of opinion on the weirs above Mather's weir, is that they were probably added to regulate the level of water at the bridge, as shown in one of my previous comments.

The weir I refer to is below the Mathers weir just before the existing foot bridge, but it does not change your answer as a regulator for water flow. Indeed it is so low in the water that although I want it to be part of a watermill on the beck it doesn't fit with that. On the pond below Eller Close shown on the first OS map very clearly that would fit with being a body of water to assist Mathers Corn Mill - OK it could fit being a fish pond - but I'd like your opinion on that?

I don't see Eller Close being Easterly Road, and can't see any problem with this body of water being part of the corn mill arrangement - it's almost the first roundhay Park lake!!

Surely a reservoir of water was necessary for adding to the flow of the beck during milling time in dry weather, it would be consistent with the engineering of any beck to power a significant mill in that there can be a series of features along a significant stretch of a watercourse as we see with multi weirs?

[warringtonrhino]

The reasons I have been given are, to improve the flow of water when most of it had been diverted into Mather's leat, and it would allow a foot track to the west of the beck.

The lack of buildings, ruins, plans and maps indicating development in the Wyke Beck corridor, suggests that there was no substantial industry. The consensus is that there wasn't a watermill.
The consensus of opinion on the weirs above Mather's weir, is that they were probably added to regulate the level of water at the bridge, as shown in one of my previous comments.

The weir I refer to is below the Mathers weir just before the existing foot bridge, but it does not change your answer as a regulator for water flow. Indeed it is so low in the water that although I want it to be part of a watermill on the beck it doesn't fit with that. On the pond below Eller Close shown on the first OS map very clearly that would fit with being a body of water to assist Mathers Corn Mill - OK it could fit being a fish pond - but I'd like your opinion on that?

I don't see Eller Close being Easterly Road, and can't see any problem with this body of water being part of the corn mill arrangement - it's almost the first roundhay Park lake!!

Surely a reservoir of water was necessary for adding to the flow of the beck during milling time in dry weather, it would be consistent with the engineering of any beck to power a significant mill in that there can be a series of features along a significant stretch of a watercourse as we see with multi weirs?

I am not sure where the existing footbridge or the weir below Mather's weir are, can you be more specific?
I have attached a pair of overlay plans with the water and roads coloured for the 1577 and 2015 dates. Note that Mather's weir is now under Easterly Road.

[Leodian]

This is a superb thread with fascinating history.

It's further down Wykebeck but I wonder if the Killingbeck Pond (noted on such as an 1893 map in the Old Maps UK website) had any industrial use as it seemed to have had controllable outflows. I wonder if there are still visible remains of such as some of the sluices?

PS. The mentions of Mathers weir in the main thread always makes me think of Mathers Beer .

[warringtonrhino]

This is a superb thread with fascinating history.

It's further down Wykebeck but I wonder if the Killingbeck Pond (noted on such as an 1893 map in the Old Maps UK website) had any industrial use as it seemed to have had controllable outflows. I wonder if there are still visible remains of such as some of the sluices?

PS. The mentions of Mathers weir in the main thread always makes me think of Mathers Beer .

The Killingbeck Pond was part of the White Bridge Mill complex.
Because the railway is the boundary of the area of my book, I have not researched it as much as Foundry Mill.

Several years ago I worked with a land surveyor, to produce a map of Seacroft And Gipton with the original contours valleys and streams. We then generated a series of sections at right angles to Wykebeck 100metres apart. Which we used to calculate the leat route and depth. We also discovered that when the beck was straightened, the earth that was thrown up the west bank, to form a level base for the footpath, created a 'dam' which caused a pond to form north of the Foxwood Farm area.

I always have a bottle of Mathers Beer in the house, the company that supplies it, is in Huddersfield.

[The Parksider]

I am not sure where the existing footbridge or the weir below Mather's weir are, can you be more specific?
I have attached a pair of overlay plans with the water and roads coloured for the 1577 and 2015 dates. Note that Mather's weir is now under Easterly Road.

Love the maps and drawings

Have you found the large pond alongside the Wyke up towards Roundhay and ellers close?

Just want to chuck this back in.....

"grumpytramp wrote:


J W Morkill who gives some really useful information contained in his paper “Manor and Park of Roundhay” He notes that in 1603 the estate of Seacroft was granted by James I to Charles, Earl of Devon at an annual rent of 25s. Seacroft is described in the grant as

Quote:
all that our Manor or Farm of Seacroft within the lordship of Roundhaye, in our county of York, with all its rights, &c. And also all mines of coal lying and being within the wastes of the Lord the King of Wynmore. And also two Water Mills under one roof in Seacroft , in the said county of York, with the Pools, Rivers, Wears, Vivares and Watercourses to the same belonging now or late in the tenure or occupation of Christopher Mather or his assigns, being parcel of the possessions of our Duchy of Lancaster.
Dated 28th February, 1 James I

What is really interesting is the description in the grant two Water Mills under one roof in Seacroft"

Pool and a weir!!