Iron works

[The Parksider]

A narrow subject/topic but it only needs one in the know!!

Anyone have any reference sources for the Farnley Iron Works??

Big famous site, but lesser known anywhere for the York Road Ironworks??

Another long shot, but if Grumpytramp ever reappears I'm chasing the location of Gosforth Pit where Leeds had it's biggest mining disaster. This is outlined in the Mining in Middleton Park book
as an event but the pit is just off their maps I think.

The Tithe map has a likely source but it doesn't name mines!

[uncle mick]

Grumpytramp mentions Gosforth Pit here

http://secretleeds.com/viewtopic.php?t=2914&start=50

[LS1]

Have a look at these comments on Leodis...

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

[liits]

The York Road [Pig] Iron Co. is listed in various trade directories but without any other info.
Seems it was located on the land behind Summeries on York Road.

[uncle mick]

1908 Directory & http://tithemaps.leeds.gov.uk/PrintPort ... b=R1&srch=

York Road Iron Co 1908.png (374.46 KiB) Viewed 14818 times

[Brunel]

Farnley Iron Works was founded in 1846. Farnley Iron Works produced more bricks than iron a nd eventually became part of the Leeds Fireclay Co (1889). It produced both household and firebricks.

http://www.penmorfa.com/bricks/farnley-iron.jpg

http://www.penmorfa.com/bricks/Farnley- ... glazed.jpg

http://www.penmorfa.com/bricks/farnley-iron2.jpg

http://www.penmorfa.com/bricks/farnley-iron3.jpg

[Brunel]

Seen at the late, Abbey Light Railway.

METALLIC by I.K.Brunel, on Flickr

[rikj]

Some items in the West Yorkshire Archive Service, Farnley Iron Company is mentioned:

Title: Leeds Fireclay Company Limited, Farnley, records

Reference: WYL922

Description: Including minutes of Board meetings and AGMs 1889-1947, articles of association and records of related companies: Leeds Fireclay (Colonial) Co 1904-1913, Leeds Fireclay Co (Canadian Branch) 1910-1914, Leeds Art Pottery Tile Co 1900-1924, Atlas Brick and Tile Co 1884-1912, Harehills Colliery Co 1900, Farnley Iron Company. Also plans, drawings, photographs, medals, publicity materials, catalogues, accounts and wages records

Date: 1889-1946

[jim]

There is a brief condensed history of Farnley Ironworks and its associated pits and railways in "Industrial Railways and Locomotives of West Yorkshire" (Industrial Railway Society, P58).

Another source is "A Portrait of Farnley" (pale green cover, P25/26, I believe the first of three volumes) which briefly deals with iron working in the area, and with specific details of the type and quality of iron obtained and the products made from it. This gives a further reference to a report of the "Iron and Steel Institute"meeting of 1912 as a source.

I have a number of historical maps of the Ironworks, including a large scale (approx. 90 feet:one inch) plan associated with the disposal of the failed company's assets in 1920. I am unable to load and post them here, but am happy to provide photocopies to serious researchers.

[The Parksider]

A MONSTER thank you to Mick, LS1. liits, Brunel, Rik & Jim......

The Leeds mining industry that mined coal, fireclay, Ironstone and ganister (any more?) spawned many other industries brick, glass, iron, pottery,etc and led to Leeds having a whole host of associated networks of railways and tramlines.

Reading many books on Leeds at times they give the impression Coal was once mined at Middleton and a railway was built to Leeds to sell it and that's that, which it wasn't.

So it's time to build up a proper picture of the Leeds mining industry that I assume made Leeds what it is today.

I'm not into "academic" studies as it's so precise, but a well informed simple narrative with illustrations would be something to add to the local history scene rather than us having to find the facts in private reference collections I wouldn't know how to find.

So thanks for the answers, information etc and I look forward to being cheeky enough to throw a few more questions out there and when I get something down on paper I won't be crediting myself, but the collective genius of the Secret Leeds gang!