Cockersdale watercourses and mills

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 22 Mar, 2010 8:14 pm

tilly wrote: anthonydna wrote: My Grandparents liked at Moor Top New Farnley, it was always know as Syskes Wood, the air vent is still there I think, as you walk from Roker Lane its on the top path. I can't find the iron spring any more though, Ive looked twice ! Last year i did a walk with my grand daughter starting at Fulneck finish at Fulneck The path takes you over the golf course and up Keeper Lane.This lane is an old packhorse trail i read it was hundreds of years old to get to what i want to say when we got over to Cockersdale at the edge of the Driglington Golf Course we came upon a iron spring it was about four foot wide at the source it was flowing quit fast and we had a bit of a job getting over it.I wonder how many iron springs there are in this area? I feel a need to hear from the ubiquitous never grumpy Grumpytramp here....

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 22 Mar, 2010 8:56 pm

Have inherited a large mounted 1" OS map of Leeds area - no chanc on the scanner so rough atempt at a picture here.Reference to several shafts and Nan Whins wood EDIT: Si just seen your earlier map which looks to be the same but much clearer - my OS though seems to show more air vents.The Sykes family were in residence in several buildings around there and seemingly what was known as Sykes' Farm (possibly the same as parkside), presumably leading to the origin of the name Sykes Wood.

anthonydna · Post by **anthonydna** » Mon 22 Mar, 2010 9:49 pm

I've never heard anyone locally use the name Nan Whins....Anyone else heard the tem Matty Barker used to describe the first hill up Gildersome Lane away from the Woodcock ?

chemimike · Post by **chemimike** » Mon 22 Mar, 2010 9:55 pm

I don't know the area, but have found the discussion very interesting. I do have a question. Is the 1854 OS map mentioned by Parksider the same as the OS map that is listed as 1852 at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapshe ... =406&y=277 ?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Mon 22 Mar, 2010 9:58 pm

chemimike wrote: I don't know the area, but have found the discussion very interesting. I do have a question. Is the 1854 OS map mentioned by Parksider the same as the OS map that is listed as 1852 at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapshe ... =406&y=277 ? Yes it is!!

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 22 Mar, 2010 11:49 pm

The Sykes family were in residence in several buildings around there and seemingly what was known as Sykes' Farm (possibly the same as parkside), presumably leading to the origin of the name Sykes Wood.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Tue 23 Mar, 2010 8:59 am

chameleon wrote: I feel a need to hear from the ubiquitous never grumpy Grumpytramp here.... Can you remember the thread in which the "orange" water emissions werw discussed???

grumpytramp · Post by **grumpytramp** » Tue 23 Mar, 2010 9:50 am

It would be fair to say that this is an area of Leeds I do not really know and its a wee bit of my normal radar [though I might have a few snippets at home of interest]. Only time now to confirm that the orange staining been seen is not "iron springs" but almost certainily pollution from water draining from abandoned mine workings (probably coal from the Better Bed and Black Bed, Ironstone from the Black Bed and Fireclay).To quote directly from my previous post on the subject: Quote: It is the consequence of a phenomenon known as acid mine drainage (AMD) and is affect can be devastating of the freshwater environment. In the simplest terms as mines extended below the water table they pumped water out of the mine to allow the mining operation to continue unimpeded. This has an important impact in coal mines as one of the minerals that is routinely uncovered is iron pyrites in coal, shales and fireclay.Now in contact with the air it will begin to oxidise, as this reaction continues it generates heat and further accelerates the reaction (leading to the ultimate consequence if there is sufficient oxygen, heat and coal in spontaneous combustion). In oxidising the Iron Pyrites is converted to Iron (Fe2) Sulphate which is solvent in water. When the mines are abandoned and the water table rebounds to its natural level, that water dissolves the Iron Sulphide in the first instance Iron (Fe2) Sulphate and then Iron (Fe3) Sulphate. The reaction from Sulphide to Sulphate makes the water become acidic.It is when the water rebounds and there is a drainage route to the surface such as sough, tunnel, shaft etc and the water finds itself at the surface the real problems begin.Acidic water emerges at the surface with consequential damage on the freshwater habitat, then as it becomes more dilute downstream, the pH increases and the water is in contact with oxygen the previously soluble Iron (Fe3) Sulphate oxidises again and forms a precipitate of Iron Hydroxide. That is the horrible orange gunge.The process can occur naturally too and there a host of micro-organisms and bugs that thrive in that environment and will act as catalyst themselves.It is a serious problem in a lot of areas (and it is not just a legacy of coal and iron mining – the problem is in some respect worse in metal mines as a lot of other complex chemical reactions can occur creating complex and serious pollution problems.Orange gunge ends up carpeting the floors of watercourses killing most conventional aquatic life.

Si · Post by Si » Tue 23 Mar, 2010 10:10 am

chameleon wrote: Have inherited a large mounted 1" OS map of Leeds area - no chanc on the scanner so rough atempt at a picture here.Reference to several shafts and Nan Whins wood EDIT: Si just seen your earlier map which looks to be the same but much clearer - my OS though seems to show more air vents. Steve - as well as a couple more air shafts, one word on your map which isn't on mine stands out - "Mine."

Si · Post by Si » Tue 23 Mar, 2010 10:14 am

anthonydna wrote: I've never heard anyone locally use the name Nan Whins....Anyone else heard the tem Matty Barker used to describe the first hill up Gildersome Lane away from the Woodcock ? I've never heard it called Nan Whins Wood either, but it's more prominent on all the maps. Only my 1970s OS map has Sykes Wood marked.I don't know the term Matty Barker, but I have a friend who lives in Gildersome. I'll ask him next time I see him.