EDITORIAL

Writing at the end of another lecture programme, it’s difficult to believe that the year is passing so quickly! Also apologies for the slight delay to sending out the Newsletter – I seem to have been particularly busy since the Section AGM was held on 12 April. I had hoped to send out copies before a holiday in early May but time has overtaken me! The AGM had a reasonable attendance with 14 members – thanks to those who attended. Details of the section officers for 2008-2009 elected at the meeting are given at the end of the Newsletter. There is one change – Robert Vickers expressed an interest in becoming a Vice Chair and to save having an election, Sheila Bye graciously stood down. Many thanks to Sheila for holding this position for several years. I presented the Annual Report which was circulated to those present – if any member would like a copy please let me know and I can send it on either by post or electronically. It was pleasing to note that the individual membership has shown a slight increase to 88 and attendance at the 2007-2008 lectures has also increased averaging just over 27 per lecture. In fact for the talk on Nidderdale Iron we had an audience of 40 – almost standing room only. Thanks were recorded to Jane Ellis for all her hard work in arranging the programme.

There was a lengthy discussion at the meeting about the proposals from the main Society regarding changes to the section membership subscription arrangements. From information contained in the minutes of Council, it appears that there is a suggestion to rationalise the membership arrangements by phasing out section only membership and replacing it with an Associate membership. If this went ahead, there would be a higher fee but members would have access to lending rights to all Library stock and be included in the mailings from Claremont. There were strong feelings expressed about the apparent lack of consultation with the section and the following motion was passed by the meeting:

The Industrial History Section wishes to express disquiet about the lack of consultation and information about the proposals for revised membership arrangements.

I have forwarded this to the main Society’s President and Secretary and have had a response from the Secretary who has pointed out that nothing had been agreed yet by the Management Board; the phasing out of Section only membership was a proposal as part of a wider package. I am hoping to attend the next Council meeting on 31 May so watch this space for further information, so I should be able to keep members informed about developments going forward.

Another decision taken by the AGM was that in future we would ask non-members attending lectures if they would be prepared to make a donation to the section, this was in response to noting that there had been an increase in non members attending lectures this season. As usual the minutes of the meeting will be circulated with the Autumn Newsletter in September. After the meeting several members joined Robert Vickers on a walk looking at industrial sites in Leeds south of the river. I had also hoped to join Robert on his walk around Bradford on May 4th but unfortunately due to my husband having only just been discharged from hospital following an operation, he needed a bit of nursing. I understand that in spite of the inclement weather, eight members enjoyed an interesting walk. Thanks to Robert Vickers for planning and leading the walks.

Only one new member has joined the Section since the last Newsletter – welcome to Mr E Pickles.

Please remember to send me any information about news and events with an industrial theme for inclusion in the next Newsletter by the end of August in time for circulation in early September. I hope you have an enjoyable and interesting summer and that many of you can attend the first lecture of 2008-2009 on 11 October.

Margaret Tylee

NEWS FROM CLAREMONT

At the February meeting of the YAS Council, the recommendations of the Strategy Group were discussed. The recommendation about changed membership arrangements has been referred to above and it was agreed by Council to consider further, but there were a number of other recommendations which were accepted at the meeting. The objective of the recommendations was to be better prepared to take the Society into the future and they were as follows:
• To develop a co-ordinated and consistent image. This would include new leaflets, membership applications forms and a new website design.
• To develop the staffing and volunteer base. To include the employment of someone to oversee volunteers and to establish a volunteer policy.
• To work in partnership with regional bodies.
• To improve and maintain standards in the Library and Archive. To include the computerisation of as much of the catalogue as possible.
• To take advantage of technological developments. To include ensuring Claremont has up to date equipment and the website is kept up to date.
• To maintain Claremont to a high standard.
• To introduce robust management and corporate governance.

Members should note that the new YAS website is now available at www.yas.org.uk with information about the Section including electronic copies of past Newsletters (where these were available). No such good news on the projection front – in fact no news at all because we are still waiting to hear the outcome of the grant application by the main Society. I am hoping that we will have some projection facilities available in time for the start of the new lecture season in October.

 

MEMBERS’ INTERESTS

Graham Collett is researching the railway history of Copmanthorpe, near York as part of a village history project. He would appreciate any information about the history of the station, its rail services, fare structure, railway staff etc. Any plans or photographs of the station would be particularly helpful. He has already done some research at the National Railway Museum, York Central Library and his local library and has located some plans at the National Archives at Kew. He also has plans to visit the North Road Museum Formerly the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, the museum has received a £1.7m refurbishment and has been re-launched as the Head of Steam (!). The museum is devoted to the railway history of the area formerly served by the North Eastern Railway and includes the Ken Hoole Study Centre which houses an extensive collection of documentary material, photographs, plans, books and periodicals. Graham can be contacted at 16 Wilstrop Farm Road, Copmanthorpe, York YO23 3RY or email graham@collettgh.plus.com

At the Members’ Session after the AGM, Alan Longbottom gave an overview of his research into the Goux system of absorbent closets and urinals which received prizes and awards at the Paris Exhibition in 1867. The system was judged to be an improvement on dry earth closets and was in use in Halifax, Bradford and Wakefield. If any members have information about this type of sanitary system please contact Alan at 75 Chatsworth Road, Pudsey LS28 8JX.

NEWS ITEMS

The Section has been invited to co-operate with the West Yorkshire Geodiversity Action Plan being proposed by the West Yorkshire Geology Trust. The aim of the Plan is to safeguard, manage and promote geodiversity in the county by working with various groups and organisations. You might think what has this to do with the Section but Objective 3 of the Plan is to link the geodiversity of West Yorkshire to its industrial heritage. This will involve c-operating with local history and archaeological societies in the interpretation of West Yorkshire’s industrial heritage and develop walks and talks for communities close to mines and quarries to link the extraction industry in West Yorkshire with local geology. Ideas so far include building stone trails and leaflets for town centres. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the launch of the plan but have asked to be kept in touch.

Property development in Leeds continues. Planning applications have been made to build office units at the former Alf Cooke Print Works on Hunslet Road and plans have been drawn up to develop the 5.7 acre Braime factory also on Hunslet Road. The aim is to redevelop the site for residential use with offices, retail and leisure outlets.

Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust has been awarded £595,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to unite the Hawley Collection of hand tools with the Kelham Island Museum by mid to late 2009. The award will enable derelict buildings on the Kelham Island site to be renovated for the collection. The buildings were part of the Russell works where Wheatman & Smith manufactured saws and other tools. The Hawley Collection is housed at Sheffield University where access is limited with most objects in store. It had been collected over a lifetime by Ken Hawley and reflects the story of the tool, cutlery and silver trades of Sheffield. As well as tools, the collection includes photographs and 4,500 trade catalogues as well as cine footage of the tolls being used. Ken Hawley, until recently the Custodian of Wortley Top Forge is reported to be over the moon at the prospect of the new home for the collection.

The National Mining Museum at Caphouse near Wakefield was also awarded money from the Heritage Lottery Fund last year. The £350,000 award is being used to conserve the museum’s collection of coal cutting machinery and to save an unpublished collection of photographs from the Wakefield based mining machinery manufacturer British Jeffrey Diamond. The museum would like to hear from former British Jeffrey Diamond employees or their families to help with the project.

The latest issue of Industrial Heritage magazine has an interesting article about paper manufacture in the Keighley area focusing particularly on the background and history of the businesses which became part of the Wiggins Teape Group. There is also a short item on motor manufacture in South Yorkshire with special reference to the Cheswold car. Copies of the magazine are in the YAS library or an annual subscription costs £12.50 (send to Hudson History, Proctor House, Kirkgate, Settle, North Yorks, BD24 9DZ.

 

FUTURE EVENTS

12-15 June 4th International Early Railways Conference. University College, London. The conference will celebrate the bi-centenary of Trevithick’s demonstration of the first passenger steam locomotive Catch Me Who Can in 1808. Over 20 papers will be presented; a free public lecture will be given by John Liffen of the Science Museum on Searching for Trevithick’s London Railway of 1808 and there will be an accompanying exhibition. Total cost for the conference is £123. Full details available at www.early.railwayhistory.me.uk

14 June Dragline Open Day. St Aidans Opencast Coal Site, Swillington, Leeds LS26 8AL. An opportunity to see the largest preserved walking dragline excavator in Western Europe. 2-4pm. Admission free. Organised by the Friends of St Aidans BE1150 Walking Dragline. For details contact Paul Thompson ? 07889 286634.

18 June 18th National Mills Regeneration Conference. A morning of presentations at the Chevin Hotel, Otley, followed by a visit to the Wharfedale Mills complex, Otley, West Yorkshire. Cost, including lunch is £70 for members of voluntary organisations. For more details and booking ? 0113 2497477 or email conferencesngcs@aol.com. Website www.ngcs.net.

28 June A Day at the Middleton Railway. Meet Brian Slater at 10.15am outside WH Smith in Leeds station to walk following the 1758 course of the Middleton Railway to the present Middleton Railway station for lunch. After lunch a film, visit to the engine house and ride on the railway. Finally a walk along the tramcar route in Middleton Woods before catching a bus back to Leeds station.

11-13 July NAMHO 2008. The National Association of Mining History Organisations conference to be held at the Lady Victoria Colliery, part of the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange. For a programme and booking form see www.namhoconference.org.uk

12 July Swinton to Mexborough by river, canal & railway. A walk as part of the Rotherham Walking Festival. Meet 10.30am at Swinton Railway Station. For details contact Graham Hague ? 0114 2686729.

13-16 July Trade and Industry around the Somerset Moors. A course on the IA of the Somerset Moors and Levels at Dillington House with lectures and field trips. Details from Dillington House, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 9DT. ? 01460 52426; website www.dillington.co.uk

19 July Rotherham Round. Railway Ramblers 11 mile linear walk. Meet at Rotherham station at 9.44am (check summer timetable for any change). Bus to Laughton Common arriving at 10.30, then walking the Sustrans path to Thurcroft Colliery and Thyburgh before catching bus back to Rotherham.

22-28 August AIA Annual Conference. Lackham College, Wiltshire. For more details see below.

7 September Model Engineers Open Day at Wortley Top Forge. Railways, steam engines, refreshments and the Forge. 11am -5pm. For details contact Gordon Parkinson ? 0114 2817991 or Ted Young ? 01226 763896.

13-14 September Dragline Open Days. For details see 14 June above.

27 September Walk around Bradford’s Little Germany led by Chris Hammond. Meet 2pm, Centenary Square, Bradford. An opportunity to see this interesting area if you missed the Section walk on 4 May. For more details contact Valarie Bayliss 0114 230 7693

 

Calderdale Heritage Walks

The 2008 heritage walk programme is now available. The walks are usually around 2 hours and mostly fairly easy walking and will take place whatever the weather. Walks cost £3 and you just need to turn up and pay on the day. There are a few in the programme for which booking is required but not for any that have a mainly industrial theme. The full programme can be found via CdaleHeritageWks@aol.com but the following are a selection which will cover an aspect of industrial history. The programme continues into the autumn and more details will be given in the next newsletter.

26 May Wainstalls. Meet Iain Cameron at 2.15pm by the bus terminus in Wainstalls. The village is 3 miles NW of Halifax centre.
1 June A Hell Hole! – a description of Norwood Green 150 years ago. Meet Mary Twentyman at 2.15pm by the War Memorial on Village Street, Norwood Green.
3 June Sowerby Bridge’s Left Bank. Meet Ed Westbrook at 7.15pm by the statue at the entrance to Sowerby Bridge Canal Basin, off A58.
8 June Cragg Vale. Meet Pam Jordan at 2.15pm at the junction of B6138 Cragg Vale Road and the road to the church. Please - no parking in the village.
29 June Stump Cross & Shibden. Meet Iain Cameron at 2.15pmby Shibden Park’s top car park off Shibden Hall Road, Halifax.
27 July The Fielden Legacy. Meet Ed Westbrook at 2.15pm by the main entrance to Todmorden Town Hall on Halifax Road.
10 August A Look at Luddenden. Meet Liz Watkins at 2.15pm at the War Memorial opposite the Lord Nelson. Please use the New Road car park at the Luddenden Foot end of the village.
31 August Mills, Moravians & More. Meet David Nortcliffe at 2.15pm outside the Punch Bowl Inn on A641 at Bailiff Bridge.
7 September Akroydon. Meet David Nortcliffe at 2.15pm by Col Akroyd’s statue alongside All Soul’s Church, Haley Hill (A647), Halifax.
21 September Wainstalls. Details as for 26 May.

 

AIA Annual Conference, Wiltshire, 22-28 August 2008

This year’s conference will be based at Lackham College, an ex-agricultural college in the grounds of Lackham Manor situated a few miles south of Chippenham. The conference will have a slightly different arrangement this year in that from Friday evening to Sunday lunchtime there will be a programme of papers and presentations, with no field trips. From Sunday afternoon until Thursday there will be the usual combination of field trips and evening lectures. During the week there will be visits to the Kennet & Avon Canal; Wilts and Berks Canal; the Science Museum stores; Swindon & Cricklade Railway; quarry sites at Corsham and Box; Wadworth’s Brewery Centre, the National Monuments Record Centre at Swindon and more!
The cost of the complete residential package (Friday 4pm – Thursday 4pm) is £500, residential weekend package (Friday 4pm – Sunday 2pm) is £180. Cost of the additional programme is charged by the day. Full details and booking forms are available from Margaret Tylee, the conference secretary John McGuiness 01895 255657 or the AIA website www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk.

 

Industrial History Section Lectures 2008-2009

Book the dates in your diary now – fuller details will be in the programme listing circulated with the Autumn Newsletter

2008
11 October Days at the Factories – Professor David Perrett
8 November Aerial Survey and Investigation – Dave MacLeod
6 December Leeds Transport
2009
10 January Lime Burning in the Gritstone Pennines
7 February The Rise & Fall of the Railways of Nidderdale – Chris Henderson
14 March Lead Mining & Smelting in the Grassington area – Brian Mason
4 April AGM + Members’ session

FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF

Huddersfield Narrow Canal: a Towpath Guide. Bob Gough. Published by the Huddersfield Canal Society. 90pp. £4.99

The Huddersfield Canal Society has published a revised and updated version of the canal’s towpath guide first published in 1981, so bearing in mind the developments along the canal in the last 27 years this is long overdue. Produced in A5 spiral bound landscape format it is aimed at all users of the canal, whether boaters or walkers. There are detailed annotated maps on the left hand side of each page with photographs of the route, including archive photographs and accompanying notes. In total there are over 400 colour photographs and information about all aspects of the canal from its industrial history and restoration to the wildlife and natural history that can be seem along the whole length of the canal. It even informs you about the surface condition of the towpath. A must for anyone interested in the canal and its environs.

Available from the Huddersfield Canal society, Transhipment Warehouse, Wool Road, Dobcross, Oldham, OL3 5QR price £4.99, please add £1.50 p&p for each copy ordered.

Murder at Deviation Junction. Andrew Martin. Faber & Faber. 249pp £10.99 ISBN 978-0-571-22965-9

Just for a change a detective story recommended for your holiday reading. Andrew Martin is a freelance journalist who writes about the North, trains, seaside towns and eccentric individuals. This book is the third in a series featuring Jim Stringer, steam railway detective, is set in Cleveland, Yorkshire and Scotland in 1909 and is described as a novel of murder, mystery and steam. As well as a good mystery, there are some fascinating descriptions of iron working and blast furnaces in Middlesbrough and travelling on the train between Whitby and Middlesbrough. No surprise therefore to see acknowledgements to the Cleveland Industrial History Society, the North Eastern Railway Society and the Tom Leonard Mining Museum. The mystery begins with the discovery of a body whilst clearing the line of snow between Whitby and Saltburn and takes the detective to London and Scotland before finally solving the case.

 

REPORTS OF LECTURES, SHORT ARTICLES

 

Reports from 2007/8 Lecture Programme

Child labour in the Upper Calder Valley – Ian Bailey
6 October 2007

As a member of the Midgley History Group, Ian Bailey was well qualified to address the subject. He explained that the literature is generally critical of child labour but a balance is needed - this was the theme of his talk.
In the Upper Calder Valley the period 1780 – 1815 was the golden age of handloom worsted weaving. Weaving took place in the domestic environment, as illustrated at the Colne Valley Museum, Golcar. There was no guild regulation and it was easy to take up the trade. Weaving existed alongside farming in a dual economy. Before textile manufacture went into factories it was expected that children would work at home, without compulsion. As technology changed – the spinning Jenny, the water frame and the spinning mule - factories developed, firstly for cotton, then worsted and then wool. In 1840 there were less than 3,000 worsted power looms; by the 1850s there were over 30,000.

Gradually child abuse in mills became the subject of reform. The first Act regulating child labour was passed in 1819. It applied to cotton mills: no children under 9 were to work and those aged 9-16 were limited to 12 hours a day. The Ten Hours Campaign, led by Richard Oastler of Leeds, pressed for further legislation to reduce child labour further. Not everyone supported a reduction of children’s hours. The Tories proposed regulation, the Whigs, representing factory owners, were opposed. A Parliamentary enquiry into the employment of children in factories, i.e. mills, reported in 1833. Mill owners were asked about working conditions and the reports can be seen in Parliamentary papers. More children under 16 than over worked in mills. A 6-7 year old child earned less than ½d per hour (milk cost 1½d per pint). Children worked 12-14 hour days for 5½-6 days per week. In the Upper Calder Valley 10% of the working population was in mills and of that, 77% were under 14. The resulting 1833 Factory Act covered textile (silk excepted) mills: no children under 9 were to work, those under 13 were to work no more than 9 hours a day or 48 hours a week and under 18s could not work nights. The Ten Hour Campaign achieved its goal with the 1847 Factory Act which limited women and young persons to no more than 10 hours work a day.

Was the legislation effective? Handloom weavers continued to work at home but they needed their children’s income from mill work, so it did not reduce numbers of children in mills. Between 1841 and 1851 the number of handloom weavers halved and family income reduced. It was not until the 1878 Factory Act that no child under 10 was to work and must receive compulsory education, and 10-14 year olds could work only half a day with half a day at school.

Ian explained his research sources: wills, inventories diaries and census returns. For example, the records of Oats Royd Mill, owned by John Murgatroyd in the mid 19th century, have been deposited in Calderdale Archives. The child employment registers show that the mill employed children at a time when income was needed. 38% of the children were under 13 and many of their parents were handloom weavers working at home. There is no record of bad treatment. Censuses show that people migrated to get work. Wages books show that in 1871 six members of the Whittaker family, teenagers or younger, were employed at Murgatroyds. By 1881 over 50% of adults and children in the area worked in the mill but their conditions were regulated.

Ian’s talk generated discussion and questions. He noted that child labour was significant for industrial growth and prosperity. Most mills and factories employed child labour, though a few did not. The fines on mill owners for non-attendance at school paid were to Sunday schools. Girls got higher wages than boys because they had nimble fingers, but men were paid more than women. Later in the 19th century mills increasingly employed adults as machinery and processes became more complex - they wanted to retain people as they gained knowledge.

Robert Vickers

The Church Fenton to Harrogate Railway Branch (1847 – 1966) - Frank Dean
24 November 2007

Frank Dean lives in Church Fenton and worked on the railway for many years, as had his father at Church Fenton. He has appeared on the TV film archive series The way we were and has documented the history of Church Fenton and the railway.

In the 18th century York’s trade was via the Ouse and its connections to the West Riding canals at Selby. Coal from the West Riding took two days to get to Tadcaster by water. After the opening of the Stockton & Darlington in 1825 railways developed at an increasing pace through the 1830s. George Hudson, a York city councillor, wanted to bring railways to York to improve trade. The Derby to Leeds line was under construction and Hudson lobbied for a connection to York. He asked George Stephenson to survey a line from York to Altofts, near Normanton, and by 1839 the line was open. George Townsend Andrews designed York’s first station, inside the walls. It was superseded by the present station in 1877.

Hudson encouraged further railways and a line from Church Fenton to Harrogate was proposed. The initial route was through Grimston Park and Lord Londesborough objected. A second route avoided Grimston Park and an act of 1845 authorised the line. It opened between Church Fenton and Spofforth on 10 August 1847 and to Harrogate on 20 July 1848. The line closed to passengers on 4 January 1964 and to through goods traffic on 2 April 1966, though the last wagons left Tadcaster glass siding ran on 29 November. Frank travelled on the scrap train as the line was taken up and his photographs illustrated the talk.

Andrews designed the stations on the line and there were goods yards at most stations for freight transport to villages and market towns. A number of stations were rebuilt or extended in 1904 including Church Fenton. The 1847 Church Fenton station is now a house. Church Fenton was a significant junction. There was a gas house to provide gas to light the station. Frank’s photographs showed station staff and the Simpson family, many of whom worked on the railway.

From Church Fenton the next station was Stutton. It was not commercially successful and closed in June 1905. Next was Tadcaster, which was a market town with three breweries. George Hudson planned a line direct form Tadcaster to York and in 1849 a viaduct was built over the river Wharfe but with the collapse of Hudson’s business empire no more was built. The breweries required large sidings and at the station there was a glass siding where broken bottles were put in wagons to be taken to Castleford for reuse in glassmaking. The station’s water supply was taken from Wharfe via the Tower Brewery. It was a busy station: in 1910 30,000 tickets were sold. Frank’s photographs of Tadcaster station, level crossing and bridge showed structures that have all completely gone.

Next were Newton Kyme station and level crossing. Here, a spring beneath it rotted the wooden road surface. Adjacent to Thorp Arch station was the World War 2 Royal Ordnance Factory which generated considerable traffic on the line. Its circular railway had four stations and the factory worked three shifts. Wetherby Racecourse station was opened in 1924 and on race days it was busy with trains from Yorkshire cities such as Bradford and Sheffield. It closed in 1958. The first station opened at Wetherby in 1847 station. In 1876 and in 1901 links were made to the Cross Gates and Leeds line and a new station was opened in 1902. One of the Simpsons was the station master. From Wetherby the Harrogate line continued to Spofforth and crossed a viaduct close to the castle reaching Harrogate through the Prospect Hill Tunnel and across the Crimple Viaduct. Photographs showed Harrogate South signal box, an 1870 wooden jib crane in the goods yard and a steam rail car at the station.

Frank presented a good account of the railway’s development and his excellent photographs provided a valuable insight to the social history of railways and a reminder of the infrastructure we have lost.

Robert Vickers

 

The Leeds Locomotive Industry – Don Townsley
8 December 2007

A well attended meeting heard the speaker describe what, in his view, was a neglected industry as far as Leeds was concerned. From the first locomotive built in 1812 to the last in 1995, Leeds railway companies built 18,000 locomotives, of which 11,000 were steam, the longest period of locomotive construction anywhere in the world. Mr Townsley divided the period into two phases, the first from 1812 – 1858 saw locomotives built by private builders, then from 1858 – 1995 built by engine companies. The early builders included Fenton, Murray and Wood and Todd, Kitson and Laird. Famous examples were the engine built by Matthew Murray in 1812 for John Blenkinsop to run on the Middleton Railway, acknowledged as the first place in England where steam locomotives were used and the Lion built by Todd, Kitson & Laird in 1839 and now in Liverpool Museums. Slides were shown of other examples of the output from Leeds railway works in this early period including Fenton, Murray & Jackson’s broad gauge “Argus” built in 1842 and various standard goods engines built by EB Wilson.

After 1858 the industry was concentred on about half a dozen manufacturers and figures showed that 11% of all the steam locomotives built on the UK were built by these Leeds companies – Kitson; Hunslet Engine Company; Manning Wardle; Hudswell Clarke and Fowler. The companies were concentred in an area of Leeds called the Hunslet Triangle, well illustrated by an aerial view taken in 1959.

The speaker then concentrated on the Hunslet Engine Company which was founded by John Towlerton Leather in 1864. Examples were shown of a variety of locomotives built by the company for railways all over the world. In the early part of the 20th century the company was making 150-200 locomotives a year with orders from India, Ceylon, the High Andes, South Africa and Sudan. Diesel locomotives were made for the London, Midland & Scottish railway and during the 2nd World War 377 Austerity class locomotives were made. Locomotives for working in mines were also big business. Other work included rack & pinion locomotives for the Snowdon Mountain Railway, railbuses, underground trains and repair work to collision damaged trains. The last locomotives built were narrow gauge diesels for tunnelling work on the Jubilee Line extension in 1995 and after this the Jack Lane factory closed and was demolished. The Hunslet Engine Company still exists as part of a larger group of companies and owns the intellectual property and design rights from a number of Leeds Locomotive Companies.

A well illustrated talk which included some rare slides of engine manufacture. Mr Townsley has written a book called The Hunslet Engine Works published by Plateway Press in 1998, which is worth tracking down if members would like to read the full story.

Nidderdale Iron – Jim Brophy
12 January 2008

Jim Brophy who has a background in engineering, explained that his interest in the topic arose from attending a WEA class in Nidderdale on general archaeology for 10 years. He was accompanied by one his fellow students Gill Howell who together with Kevin Cale formed the Dacre Pasture Study Group. A packed lecture room heard Jim describe the findings of the team in the area around Dacre in Nidderdale which showed there had been a history of iron working in the area from the Iron Age until the 17th century. After this date, the iron industry developed elsewhere in places such as Middlesbrough, Leeds and Bradford where production could be on a larger scale and cheaper. There was evidence in the fields around Dacre of bloomery furnaces and charcoal clamps and Mr Brophy showed examples of hammer scale and slag found near the site of an Iron Age hut circle and there was also evidence of medieval furnaces. Two bloomery furnaces had been excavated together with an ore roasting hearth. Of particular interest was the water management system – there were at least three miles of stone lined culvert taking water from the Darley Beck to the sites following the contours across Dacre Pastures. The culverts were in remarkably good condition considering they had been untouched since the 1600s. The culverts were opened up in places to gain access to the water which still flowed after over 400 years. No evidence had been found of extensive ponds and it was thought that water had drained from peat bogs which no longer existed.

Evidence from a 1611 map held in the Ingleby collection showed a smelthouse but by 1612 all smelting had ceased.

The talk was well illustrated with slides of the excavations and finds and it was good to hear first hand about some local excavations. The group have produced a book describing their work called “Nidderdale Iron – a forgotten industry” available price £7 (incl p&p) from Jim Brophy, Greenridge, Slingsby Walk, Harrogate HG2 8LL. Cheques made payable to Howber Ltd. I have also found a website which describes the work of the group and includes many of the illustrations shown in the talk at www.communitynature.co.uk/iron.htm

 

The Victorian Railway Station: a new way of travelling – Dr George Sheeran
9 February 2007

Dr Sheeran is based at Bradford University and has written numerous books on buildings and architecture. He observed that urban development increased during the 19th century and the biggest driver was the railways. His talk explained how the complex glass roofed railway station, a defining feature of Victorian towns and cities, developed.

Regular passenger railways developed in the 1830s and the needs of passengers had to be met. The railway station was a type of building never seen before; the first was on the Liverpool to Manchester railway. In the following decades, station design developed rapidly to meet the needs of the growing numbers of passengers. Termini followed a 3-sided plan, giving more space for offices, and were most common in big towns and cities. They had to accommodate ticket offices, booking halls, refreshment and waiting rooms, parcel offices, lamp and telegraph offices. Time keeping was important for the railway timetable and station clocks were prominent. Telegraphs passed on “railway time” and led to the adoption of Greenwich Meantime throughout the country by the 1850s. The big 19th century station was complex because of the need to differentiate by class and gender. There were three classes of society and each required separate facilities. First class ticket holders required 1st class ticket offices, refreshment and waiting rooms. 2nd and 3rd class tickets required parallel facilities. Waiting rooms were often further divided into general and women’s rooms.

George explained that the railways’ understanding of the social needs of passengers and their ability to cater for them was a major achievement. The development of the rural and urban networks speeded travel. Railways made travel socially acceptable and easier. A traveller on a long journey by stage coach or ship had to book each part and inns on the way, separately. The railway company provided for all the passenger’s needs. One ticket covered the whole journey, refreshments were provided at stations and from the 1840s companies had hotels to a consistent and ever higher standard in all major towns.

Passengers needed protection against the weather when getting on/off trains and this was achieved by the station train shed. The concept of the long glass roof spanning a number of platforms was a revolutionary development - where did it come from? Earlier buildings, particularly cathedrals, had large spans but these were achieved by a dome e.g. St Peter’s Rome or St Paul’s London. Early textile mills had large spaces for looms and the cast iron columns supporting the beams provided an open layout, but not on the scale required for a station. Developments in shipbuilding seem to have been the model. The covered slipways built at Portsmouth and Chatham met the need to cover a large space with a clear roof in a single span. Marc Brunel was an engineer at Chatham Dockyard and his son, Isambard Kingdom, built Bath and Bristol stations in 1839/40. But slipway spans were rarely greater than 100 feet and stations soon needed more. Kings Cross had two 105ft spans in 1852, Cannon Street had a single 190ft span in 1864, and St Pancras had 240ft span in 1868, the widest for 20 years. Some stations added to the complexity with curved plans such as Newcastle and York.

Excellent slides illustrated features Dr Sheeran had described: the very early Selby station, which has been preserved; Crown Street Station, Liverpool, with a queen post truss. Cubitt’s design for Kings Cross had cast iron arched ribs to support an all-glazed roof and Adolphus Street station, Bradford, now demolished, was similar. Huddersfield Station, designed like a Palladian house, provided many facilities, including a director’s board room. Wakefield Kirkgate was like a smaller scale classical villa with end pavilions; the etched glass window of the 2nd Class Waiting Room survives. Impressive hotels, such as the Great Northern on Wellington Street, Leeds catered for increasingly international business and merchants built equally impressive warehouses and showrooms near the stations. The talk ended with numerous questions and discussion of the design and materials used in station buildings.

Robert Vickers

 

A Civil Engineering Miscellany – Brian Slater
8 March 2008

Section member Brian Slater is the secretary of the North East Group of the Railway & Canal Historical Society. The Society had acquired 30,000 slides in October 2005 from 88 year old Stanley Tyson who had worked as a trainee civil engineer for the LNER and eventually becoming a tutor in civil engineering at York College of Art & Technology. Brian showed a selection of these slides, many of historical interest. There were too many to describe each individually, starting with the Causey Arch, the first railway arch dating from 1727 and ending with the North Eastern Railway offices in York and London. On the way we saw examples of Stanley Tyson’s love of cast iron including images of Newcastle’s High Level Bridge and Sunderland’s Queen Alexandra Bridge. There were many examples of railway bridges and viaducts reflecting Stanley’s access to railways, these included the viaduct at Tadcaster built over the River Ouse for a Leeds – York railway that was never built; the viaduct at Yarm built in 1849 by Thomas Grainger and John Bourne, the much photographed Forth Bridge and cast iron bridge near Ripon built by Joseph Butler of the Stanningley Ironworks in 1827, now demolished.

There was an interesting sequence of slides showing the construction of a new crossing near Northallerton as part of improvements to traffic during the 2nd World War. Other images were of bridge and viaduct strengthening, necessary as trains became heavier.

Fascinating images, thankfully now preserved, well described by Brian with help from Bill Slatcher.

 

Recording Engineering in Leeds

The Winter issue of Archaeology and Archives in West Yorkshire contained an interesting article detailing some of the work being carried out in excavating and recording the remains of the Leeds engineering industry. The industry had its beginnings in the late 18th/early 19th century producing machinery for the textile industry and expanded into machine tools, steam engines and locomotives as Don Townsley’s talk on 8 December ably described. By the 20th century a whole range of heavy and light engineering was taking place, much to the south of the river. Many factories closed towards the end of the 20th century and pressure increased to develop these sites near to the city centre. This has given the archaeology service the opportunity to investigate the sites through recording and excavation.

The Matthew Murray’s Round Foundry in Water Lane was one of the earliest purpose-built engineering works in the world and the site was seen at first hand as part of the Section walk on 12 April after the AGM. Established by Fenton, Murray and Wood in 1796, many of the original buildings survive and since 2001 the site has been developed with a mix of office and residential accommodation. Recording has revealed evidence relating to the fire-proof construction of mill buildings and excavation has revealed the remains of a boring mill.

Kirkstall Forge was an important engineering site that survived into the 21st century. It dates from the late 1500s and latterly concentrated on the production of line shafting and axles. Following closure in 2002, all the buildings were recorded prior to demolition. These included the remains of two mid 19th century erecting shops and the New Factory built in 1916 to segregate newly employed female machine shop workers. Within the Forge was an 18th century helve hammer powered by a cast iron waterwheel. The Forge was owned by the Beecroft and Butler families for over 400 years until 1974 when it was acquired by GKN Axles who invested in streamlining the production process, but it was still unable to survive.

The Stanningley Ironworks were recorded in 2002 prior to their development for housing. Founded in the 1820s by John Butler & Co. the company was involved in a number of significant engineering works including the construction of the roofs of Huddersfield and York railway stations and the Leeds Corn Exchange. Many of the buildings on site dated from the mid 19th century. The report on the Stanningley Ironworks is available for consultation in the Historic Environment Record which is held and maintained by the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service at the Registry of Deeds, Newstead Road, Wakefield WF1 2DE. The reports on the Round Foundry and Kirkstall Forge will also be available when completed. Access to the Historic Environment Record is by appointment only. Call 01924 306797 to make an appointment.

INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SECTION OFFICERS 2008-2009

Chairman	Vice- Chairmen	Lecture Secretary	Membership Secretary & Newsletter Editor
Margaret Tylee	Bill Slatcher Robert Vickers	Jane Ellis	Margaret Tylee