An at least 121 year old bench mark on Mill Hill Chapel.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 04 Oct, 2012 3:51 pm

I took this photo yesterday (Oct 3 2012) of a bench mark in the rear of Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel on Lower Basinghall Street. It was so faint I was surprised that I spotted it! An 1850 1:1,056 map in the Old-Maps UK website does not mark a bench mark (BM) there but it does mark some elsewhere, so this BM may not have been there in at least 1850. It is however marked on a 1:500 1891 map in the Old-Maps UK website, so this BM was there by at least then. Assuming that it is the original BM (which I suspect it is) then it could be the oldest surviving BM in Leeds, but in any event it must be one of the oldest.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Thu 04 Oct, 2012 3:59 pm

Did these denote height above a certain water level? Or just builders marks.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 04 Oct, 2012 4:14 pm

Jogon wrote: Did these denote height above a certain water level? Or just builders marks. Hi Jogon. They are height marks that also have their height (above sea level I think) noted on larger scale maps and are part of the Ordnance Survey. There should an old one on Trinity Church but I never been able to spot it. I like BMs. It's great fun to spot one then find it is recorded on old maps.

liits · Post by **liits** » Thu 04 Oct, 2012 4:41 pm

Leodian wrote: Jogon wrote: Did these denote height above a certain water level? Or just builders marks. Hi Jogon. They are height marks that also have their height (above sea level I think) noted on larger scale maps and are part of the Ordnance Survey. There should an old one on Trinity Church but I never been able to spot it. I like BMs. It's great fun to spot one then find it is recorded on old maps. The Trinity Church benchmark is a “Bolt” benchmark ie. it has a lead / copper stud at the head of the arrow. Its also quite high up, being about 5 feet above the level of the pavemement on the Trinity Street side of the building.http://tiny.cc/0esnlw

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 04 Oct, 2012 6:55 pm

liits wrote: Leodian wrote: Jogon wrote: Did these denote height above a certain water level? Or just builders marks. Hi Jogon. They are height marks that also have their height (above sea level I think) noted on larger scale maps and are part of the Ordnance Survey. There should an old one on Trinity Church but I never been able to spot it. I like BMs. It's great fun to spot one then find it is recorded on old maps. The Trinity Church benchmark is a “Bolt” benchmark ie. it has a lead / copper stud at the head of the arrow. Its also quite high up, being about 5 feet above the level of the pavemement on the Trinity Street side of the building.http://tiny.cc/0esnlw Thanks liits. I now know where to look (hoping that it has not been damaged during the ongoing Trinity Project work). You have great sets of images of bench marks. Very highly more than I've probably ever seen, never mind taken photos of.

headingleylad · Post by **headingleylad** » Thu 04 Oct, 2012 11:21 pm

The height is above sea level at Newlyn in Cornwall. There is a mark on the Harbour wall which shows the mean sea level.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Fri 05 Oct, 2012 10:57 am

Giles Map 1815 had elevations in Feet + Inches but above Leeds Water I think. Found it, 77.11 at Burley Bar Stone Leo, hope I'm not wandering off thread?

liits · Post by **liits** » Fri 05 Oct, 2012 2:18 pm

Jogon wrote: Giles Map 1815 had elevations in Feet + Inches but above Leeds Water I think. Found it, 77.11 at Burley Bar Stone Leo, hope I'm not wandering off thread? They're all all referenced from Newlyn.http://www.pol.ac.uk/ntslf/tgi/ntobs.html

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Fri 05 Oct, 2012 2:37 pm

Sure I read Giles (pre 1815) took it's own 'Leeds-centred' readings from a Leeds data point. Figures are on the map.Predates Newlyn?Think it was the Sorocold Water Works, East Side of Leeds Bridge.(can't find the article now, will try leodis discover leeds) Giles shows 14' 3.5" on Leeds Bridge, 26' (?) at Trinity Church, Boar Lane. So these seem to be "above river/Sorocold Weir".

Si · Post by Si » Fri 05 Oct, 2012 3:23 pm

liits wrote: The Trinity Church benchmark is a “Bolt” benchmark ie. it has a lead / copper stud at the head of the arrow. This put me in mind of those "bolts", or studs, which are sometimes seen as a series in line, embedded in the pavement. IIRC, there are some on the pavement of Albion Street in the vicinity of Tiger Tiger. As the building overhangs the pavement, I wondered if they show a boundary edge, or something similar.Anyone know for sure?