SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Hi,I'm a newcomer to your site, directed here by one of your members who spoke very highly of your detective skills.I'm from outside of your area, but I've been running my website http://www.hidden-teesside.co.uk/ for about three years which seems to have some common ground with this one.I'm currently writing an article about the Beck Hole Ironworks in North Yorkshire, which was a short-lived concern operated from around 1857 - 1864 by the Whitby Iron CompanyNow here's the Leeds connection, the chairman of the company is William Armitage of the Farnley Ironworks and all the shareholders are from the Leeds area, including George Skirrow Beecroft who happens to be the MP for Leeds at the time too.Back to North Yorkshire and in 1858/59 they are building a pair of blast furnaces of which virtually no record exist, just a few brief press cuttings, but no pictures or records from the company.I've looked into the Mineral Statistic and spotted that in 1857 Farnley Ironworks jumps from having 2 blast furnaces to 4.I'm hoping its not too much of a leap of faith to think that two linked companies building new furnaces just a couple of years apart might have been very similar in design.In fact after problems in 1861 the local newspaper reported that men from Leeds were brought in to sort out the furnaces.Does anyone out there know if any furnaces were built at Farnley in the late 1850s ?My dream is a diagram or photo of either site, but absolutely anything will add to a very enigmatic story.Thanks in advanceChris Twigg    

Hi Chris.Good to see you made it.I'm sure some of these very knowledgeable 'Secret Leeds'ers' can help     

I'm afraid I can't help with your query, but I've been to Beck Hole. ISTR that there are the remains of a steep rope controlled track incline there, like the one discussed recently on another thread about the Old Pool Bank quarry.I remember the Beck Hole pub. It had an old glass-fronted painting as a pub sign, and there was a separate sweety shop built into it between the bars. I think they play quoits in the village.    

Yes, thats the place.The incline was used from 1836-1865 and was the site of numerous bad acccidents.The pub is great and worth the trip alone.