NEWSLETTER 86 AUTUMN 2012

EDITORIAL

Welcome to the Autumn Newsletter and the start of a new lecture season. Details of the programme are included with the Newsletter and can also be found on the Section pages on the YAHS website. I hope you managed to have some dry and sunny days over this rather disappointing summer. I spent three days at the AIA conference in Chelmsford and it was good to catch up with old friends having missed the previous two conferences. I will be producing a report for the next Newsletter but just to add now that the three days of trips were very good with a surprising amount to see in rural Essex and just over the border into Suffolk.

I can report on a number of activities that have taken place over the summer in South Yorkshire; the archaeological team of Arc Heritage completed their archaeological investigations at Rockley Furnace and Engine House and presented their findings to a well attended launch of the report at Wentworth Castle, Stainborough on 17 May. An appropriate venue as the Rockley site was originally part of the Wentworth Estate prior to being purchased by the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society. A few days earlier there had been a similar launch event for the Arc Heritage report on their archaeological survey of the line of the Silkstone Waggonway – an early tramway taking coal from local pits in the Silkstone area to the Barnsley Canal basin at Barnby. Several previously undiscovered stone sleeper blocks and branch lines were discovered. Both investigations were funded by the Industrial Heritage programme of the East Peak Innovation Partnership (EPIP). The renovation of the roof of the nail forge in the village of Hoylandswaine has also been completed thanks to a grant from the AIA and EPIP, the latter also funded the production of interpretation boards and a small illustrated guidebook describing nail making in the village (see News item later). EPIP also funded a water management survey at Wortley Top Forge investigating the condition of the weir, goit and mill pond - the source of power for the three waterwheels. A bid has now been successful to fund an investigation at the site of a tin mill associated with Wortley Forge which was built in 1743 and demolished in 1887. The benefits of the funding available from EPIP have been extremely worthwhile and it is good news that the funding for the EPIP Industrial Heritage programme from English Heritage has recently been extended to November 2013, so it is hoped that further projects can be achieved. (see item below for details of another EPIP project this time in West Yorkshire)

As usual included with the Newsletter are the minutes of the 2012 AGM. If any member has any corrections to the minutes please let me know – contact details are given at the end of the Newsletter.

The News Item section includes details of two articles published by section member Trevor Lyons. Thanks to Trevor for sending me these. I am always pleased to receive and publicise details from members about anything they have published with an industrial history theme. A reminder that if members wish to report on any research they are carrying out, I am happy to give details in the Newsletter. Later in the newsletter there is an interesting article from David George describing his experiences over the years in publishing local history.

Over the past few months progress with the industrial history database has been slow due to members of the group being on holiday or finding it difficult to get everyone together at Claremont. To move things along, a couple of meetings have been arranged mid week in September to test the guidelines and to start adding information to the database. An update will be given to members at the first lecture on 20 October.

A welcome to new members who have joined since the last newsletter: Ms L Brown, Miss P Ford, Mr O Jessop and Mr K Milne. If you have friends or relatives interested in joining the Section membership forms are available from Claremont or on the website at: www.industrialhistory.yas.org.uk/content/membership

I shall be producing the next Newsletter in early January 2013, so please let me have any news items, reports etc. by the end of December. I hope to see you at the first lecture on 20 October.

Margaret Tylee

NEWS FROM CLAREMONT

Unfortunately due to being indisposed I was unable to attend the AGM of the main Society held on Saturday 30 June but I can report that I was re-elected to the Management Board in my absence and am continuing as the Publicity Officer. If any members have points to raise with the Management Board please let me know. The meeting approved the appointment of two new patrons – Sebastian Fattorini and Sir Ian Kershaw and Freda Matthews was awarded Life Membership of the Society in recognition of her continued hard work over many years on behalf of the Society. Once again the Income and Expenditure Account for the year showed an overall loss, this time of just over £101,000; although expenditure was lower than the previous year, the income fell by a greater amount, partly due to a drop in subscription revenue and also from investment income. Maintaining Claremont is a significant cost to the Society, repairs over the past few years have improved conditions but another recent theft of lead from the roof means more expense. Copies of the Society’s Annual Report were sent to main Society members, if Section only members wish to have a copy, please contact Claremont.

Main Society members will have received an appeal from the President, Sylvia Thomas, for help in addressing the Society’s financial position. Specifically, we looking for any member with business experience whose financial advice could assist in ways to re-balance the books. We are also looking for members who have experience of fund raising and have ideas on how we can improve our income stream. If you think you can help in any way please contact Sylvia at Claremont.

It is hoped that the 150th celebration due in 2013 will help raise the profile of the Society, increase membership and inspire benefactors to make donations and leave bequests. Unfortunately, in spite of an enormous amount of hard work by Kirsty McHugh, the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable the Society to employ an Audience Engagement Officer to work on the 150th celebrations and to develop outreach and education programmes for the Society to reach a wider audience was unsuccessful. This means that the work on planning and delivering events for next year will fall to a small team of volunteers and will have to be less extensive than was first envisaged. However there are still plenty of events in the programme, initial details are available in the latest YAHS Diary of 2012- 13 activities; full details will follow at the end of the year. The Section will be having a guided walk in Leeds on Sunday 12 May 2013 (not Saturday 11 May as listed in the Diary).

OTHER NEWS ITEMS

Arc Heritage, the trading name of the York Archaeological Trust, has completed an archaeological survey of Farnley Mill at Farnley Tyas near Huddersfield (GR SE 17661288). The survey was commissioned by the East Peak Innovation Partnership (EPIP) and consisted of desk based research and a survey of the features relating to the 18th century mill and associated cottages. The project also provided volunteer and training opportunities for the Huddersfield & District Archaeological Society. The mill was built as a fulling and scribbling mill in 1794 worked by a steam engine. By the mid 19th century it was used for the manufacture of fancy woollens but by 1886 the business had closed and the machinery and stock were sold and the site abandoned. The survey has revealed that significant remains survive, including standing walls, the wheel pit and setting for the steam engine, the gas holder base associated with a short lived gas works and features of the water management system. For more details on the project and other projects funded by the EPIP Industrial Heritage Programme see www.epip.org.uk and follow the links to Industrial Heritage programme funded projects.

English Heritage has launched a new website making over 15,000 images available from the historic Aerofilms Collection taken between 1919 and 1953. The collection was acquired by English Heritage in 2007 and work has continued since then to restore and conserve the fragile glass negatives and make them digitally available. Industrial and urban landscapes are well represented and by registering, images can be downloaded and additional information about the image added. There are also a number of mystery locations that the digital team have so far been unable to identify, so offers of help are required. For more information and to view the site, go to www.britainfromabove.org.uk. Members who attended the section walk around Wakefield in May 2010 may recall the dreadful condition of the historic grade II listed Wakefield Kirkgate Station. It has been called one of the worst railway stations in Britain. The good news is that at last work is under way to repair the station. The station, dating from 1854, originally had a roof spanning the station, this was removed in the 1970s, but part of the canopy was left to rust away. This will not be repaired due to cost but work will concentrate on the main station buildings. The entrance lobby and subway have been refurbished and there are plans to improve passenger areas with ticket sales, a cafe and exhibition area. Community meeting rooms and office space will also be created. At time of writing the remains of the canopy roof have been removed.

The autumn 2012 Issue of Industrial Archaeology News (No.162) contains two interesting articles by Derek Bayliss. The first discusses the invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley in in 1913. The centenary next year will be marked by a programme of events and the publication of a new book. Brown and Firths’ research laboratory where Brearley made the discovery still exists in Princess Street, Attercliffe and is listed grade II. The cutlery firm Robert F Mosley produced the first commercial stainless steel knives in 1914 and their works are still in use, now called Portland Workssituated near the Sheffield United football ground. The Works house 20 small businesses including the makers of specialist knives, hand tools and school equipment. There are also musicians’ rehearsal rooms where the Sheffield band Def Leppard started (do any members remember them?) The Works were under threat from development into small flats but a campaign was launched to purchase the site through a co-operative. Individuals and organisations can purchase shares and enough has now been raised to go ahead with the purchase. For more details about the works and how you can help financially to help with the restoration visit the website www.portlandworks.co.uk

The second article describes the work to conserve the Hoylandswaine Nail Forge, a grade II listed building donated by the then owner to the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society in 1998 to preserve it for the future. The building consists of three forges where nails were made by hand; each forge contained a hearth, bellows, chimney and study (the small anvil used for nail making). One forge still contains the hearth, bellow and chimney and is believed to be the only remaining domestic nail forge on its original site. On a very wet day at the beginning of July, the conserved nail forge was officially opened by Mark Sissons, President of the AIA, and Hilary Smith the previous owner. The building is not normally open to the public (it is very small) but can be viewed on the annual Heritage Open Days weekend in early September. Copies of the small free guidebook on nail making in the village can be obtained from Derek by writing to 30 Muskoka Avenue, Sheffield S11 7RL enclosing an A5 stamped addressed envelope. Industrial Archaeology News can be found in the YAHS Library.

Section member Trevor Lyons has had two articles published in the SLTC Journal (Journal of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists) Volume 95 (4) July-Aug 2011 and Volume 95 (5) September-October 2011. The articles are entitled “Machinery and Leather Trades’ Engineers to the Early 1880s Parts I and II”. The articles give an overview of the rise of the use of machinery in leather manufacture starting from the earliest development of mechanical aids through to sophisticated processing equipment. Significant British, German and American leather trades’ engineers are identified along with their contributions to machinery development. The importance of the leather manufacturing industry in Leeds is highlighted in part I, and part II focuses on the impact of American engineers and machinery on the trade in Britain. Both articles are well illustrated with black and white illustrations of machinery and contain extensive references. Copies of the articles have been deposited in the YAHS Library.

Following up our February 2012 lecture about bus builders Optare, it was announced in June that they had just launched the first full-sized single deck electric bus. An important factor in the viability of electric buses is the speed of recharging and this can now be done during the lunchtime layover. As a result, orders are increasing. Optare is the only company in Europe making full-sized electric buses.

On 23 June the Holgate Windmill in York was officially opened after a 10 year restoration project. The mill was built by George Waud and was operational by October 1770. It continued operating using windpower until the early 1930s, followed by electric power until ceasing operation in 1933. It became neglected until the Holgate Windmill Preservation Society (HWPS) was formed in 2001 with the aim of its restoration to full working order. The windmill is open to the public on the 1st and 3rd weekend in the month until the end of October and is situated off Acomb Road in Holgate, York. Admission is £3 but you can join the HWPS for £5 a year which will give you free entry plus other benefits. For more details visit the website www.holgatewindmill.org.uk.

HELP WANTED

We have been contacted by Paul Stevenson who is investigating a gas worksbuilt when the house called Bramham Biggin was converted into a school called Bramham College by a Dr Haigh in 1842. The school catered for 150-200 people and Mr Stevenson is interested in finding our more about its sewerage system. He thinks he has found the main sewage pipe and a reservoir possibly used to power a waterwheel or turbine to drive a pump to pump the sewage into a nearby cesspit. In 1869 there was an outbreak of cholera at the school resulting in the deaths of several pupils and Dr Haigh leading to its eventual closure. He is interested in contacting any members with a knowledge of 19th century sewerage systems to discuss his findings and happy to hear from anyone who has further information about the history of the house and school. I have informed him that the Leodis website of images from Leeds Local Studies Library has several images of the house and suggested he contacts West Yorkshire Archive Services. He can be contacted via email at [email protected].

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

2012

29 The North Riding of Yorkshire in an Age of Transition 1700-1820. Day conference September organised by the British Association for Local History and the Northallerton & District Local History Society. Northallerton Forum 10am – 5pm. Topics include corn milling, the linen industry, extractive industries and the alum industry. Cost £12.50 includes refreshments but not lunch which is available at £5.50. Details and booking from John Sheehan T 01609 771878 or website www.northyorkshistory.co.uk

30 In the Footsteps of Foord. A North York Moors National Park Authority event at the September Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-le-Hole. 11am – 12,30pm. Joseph Foord created a network of watercourse across the North York Moors in the mid 19th century, some of which were still in use until the 1960s. This event will hear from experts on how he did this. T 01439 772738 to book.

30 In the Footsteps of Foord. As a follow up to the above event, there will be a guided September walk to visit the remains of Foord’s watercourses. 1.30pm-3.30pm. Booking required as above.

13 October Railways around Frickley. Railway Ramblers 6 mile circular walk led by Mike Warrington. Bring packed lunch. Meet South Elmsall station at 10.50am. Walk will follow part of the Hull & Barnsley line and Frickley Colliery branch. More details from Jane Ellis T 0113 265 9970.

13 October Midgley and Moor. Discover the village and the evidence of extensive quarrying on the edge of the moor. Calderdale Heritage Walk. 3 hours, boots recommended. Meet David Cant at 2.15pm by Midgley Church. £3.

13 October Transport and Trade in the Trent Valley 84th East Midlands Industrial Archaeology Conference held in Retford. Topics include the history of Retford and trade between the East Midland and the Humber by road, river and canal. Details and booking at www.derbyshireas.org.uk/emiac84

29 October Matthew Murray – N. Dowland. East Leeds Historical & Archaeological Society lecture. Methodist Church Hall, Austhorpe Road, Crossgates, Leeds 15. 8pm. Contact Ms J Lawrence email [email protected]

10 Archaeology in York 2012. A day conference covering archaeological work in York November during 2012 from prehistory to the archaeology of the railways in the 19th & 20th centuries. Temple Hall University of York St John. 10am-4.30pm. Cost £15 includes refreshments but not lunch. Booking essential. Contact: [email protected] T 01904 551346. 10 The Business of Running a Canal – evidence from the Peak Forest Canal – Graham November Boyes. The Railway & Canal Historical Society’s Clinker Lecture held at the Manchester Free Trade Hall at 14.15. All welcome to this public lecture.

19 Lead Mining in the Yorkshire Dales – Mike Gill. Ingleborough Archaeology Group November lecture. Ingleton Community Centre 7.30pm. Contact Chris Bonsall email [email protected]

19 The Archaeology of the Newcomen Engine – David Perrett. South Yorkshire Industrial November History Society (SYIHS) lecture. Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield. 7.30pm Non members £2. Contact Derek Bayliss T 0114 2307693.

24 Woodlesford to Leeds. Railway Ramblers 8 mile linear walk led by Douglas Robinson. November Bring a packed lunch. Meet Woodlesford station at 10.08am. Walk will look at various railway remains alongside the line. More details from Jane Ellis T 0113 2659970.

24 West Yorkshire Archaeology Day. Royal Armouries, Leeds 9.30 - 16.35.Presentations November include updates on recent archaeological work in West Yorkshire, the Portable Antiquities Scheme and a demonstration of historic pottery making. Cost £15. Tickets available from Marianne James T 0113 3939824 email [email protected]. Programme and booking online available at www.archaeology.wyjs.org.uk

24 South Yorkshire Archaeology Day. Showroom Cinema, Sheffield. 10am - 4.30pm. Fee November £10, concessions £5. Advance booking recommended. Details from David Marsh T0114 2734223.

26 Industrial Heritage in the East Peak: some recent projects – Tegwen Roberts. SYIHS November Barnsley lecture. Salem Wesleyan Reform Church, Blucher Street, Barnsley. 7pm. Contact Derek Bayliss T 0114 2307693 prior to the meeting.

9 Christmas at Wortley Top Forge. Pre Christmas event with water wheels, steam December engines, forging, stall and music. Forge Lane, Wortley, Sheffield. 11am - 4pm. Admission charge. Details from Derek Bayliss T 0114 2397693.

10 30 Years of the Society’s Field Recording Group – Derek Bayliss. SYIHS lecture. Details December as for 19 November.

12 History of Low Moor Motive Power Depot – Granville Dobson. Bradford Historical & December Antiquarian Society lecture. 10.30am. Bradford Club Piece Hall Yard, Bradford BD1 1PJ.

2013

17 January The Building of the Leeds Liverpool Canal – D.Calverly. Olicana Historical Society lecture. All Saints’ Church House, Church Street, Ilkley. 7.30pm. Non members £2.

21 January Exploring the Industrial Archaeology of the Rother Valley – Graham Hague. SYIHS lecture. Details as for 19 November. 5 February The Leeds Pottery Dig – J.Millard and K.Alldays. Thoresby Society lecture. Friends Meeting House. Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. 7.15pm. Details from Mrs D Taylor c/o Claremont.

18 The Hidden History in the Wood: recent research at Rockley Furnace and Engine February House – Marcus Abbott and Mark Stenton. SYIHS lecture. Details as for 19 November.

FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF

Bridgewater 250: the Archaeology of the World’s first Industrial Canal. Edited by Michael Nevell and Terry Wyke. University of Salford Applied Archaeology Series No. 1. 2012. 128pp. ISBN 978-0-95659047-1-6.

The Bridgewater Canal was opened on 12 July 1761 and although many of the individual contributors to this volume spoke at the conference on the Canal celebrating its 250th anniversary held at Worsley Court House in October 2011, the editors are keen to point out that this volume is not just a set of conference papers. They represent a summary of the archaeological and historical research carried out on the Bridgewater Canal over the past twenty years together with new research carried out for this volume. 10 contributors have produced 12 separate chapters covering various aspects of the canal’s history and archaeology and propose a research strategy for the future. The topics include the history of the canal, recording the barges used on the canal, the aqueducts at Barton, the archaeology at Castlefield, Worsley and Runcorn and the warehouses. Section member David George contributes a chapter describing an industrial heritage trail in Worsley Village and has donated a copy of the book to the YAHS Library.

The book is well illustrated and there is also a useful bibliographical note listing the principal publications concerning the Canal together with unpublished archaeological reports and theses relating to it. Recommended for anyone interested in the Bridgewater Canal and canal development in general.

Margaret Tylee

Industrial Archaeology: a handbook. Marilyn Palmer, Mike Nevell and Mark Sissons. CBA Practical Handbook No. 21. 2012. 304pp, 100figs. ISBN 978-1-902771-92-2. Price £25

The book is the outcome of a series of eleven day schools run between September 2008 and February 2011 by the AIA and the CBA. The main purpose was to train volunteers in the identification of significant features of industrial buildings and to enable them to make informed comment in the planning process. The fact sheets provided for the day schools form the basis for the book together with considerable additional material written by the editors. As well as buildings the book also covers excavated sites and offers a current assessment of the impact of industrial archaeology in Britain.

The first chapter provides an overview of industrial archaeology including its growth and development and protection and adaptive re-use for buildings. Chapters 2-9 cover different subject areas: agriculture, power, extractive industries, manufacture, housing, transport, commercial buildings and utility industries. The format for each chapter is similar with a general introduction followed by a description of each industry, a list of key sites and suggestions for further reading. For example the chapter on manufacturing industries covers engineering, motor vehicle manufacture, aircraft manufacture, glass, leather, textile, hosiery and lace. The final chapter considers the future for the study of industrial archaeology.

For those familiar and knowledgeable about a particular aspect of industrial archaeology, there is probably nothing new but the book does provide an excellent overview of the subject and gives information for further reading in the areas which are perhaps less familiar. I have donated a copy to the YAHS Library so members can refer it themselves.

Margaret Tylee

Rippon Bros, a coachbuilder of renown. Jonathan Wood. Published by James Hinchliffe and Annabel Sleigh, 2012. 462pp, over 300 colour & b/w plates, tables. Price £60. Available via: http://www.ripponbrosbook.co.uk

Until now, little has been written about Rippon Bros, a firm of coachbuilders in Huddersfield; they do not feature in histories of the town. This substantial book describes how the company was established by William Rippon, born in humble circumstances in Wakefield in 1836. It is a rags-to-riches story which would have pleased Samuel Smiles. A groom at the age of 14, William married in 1857, was an engineer by the early 1860s and a coachbuilder at the end of the decade. Noting that Huddersfield was more thriving than Wakefield, William, and his business partner Charles Marsom moved there to establish their coachbuilding business in 1870. By 1878, when Marsom left, the company was thriving and two of William’s sons, William Edward and Joseph had joined their father. William retired, surprisingly early, in 1882 and the business was renamed Rippon Brothers. A third son, George, joined in 1892. In the next generation, Joseph’s son, Reginald, joined the business in 1922, taking over day-to-day running in 1930.

Coachbuilding was traditionally a seasonal business. Carriages were built according to demand in the winter and spring and staff were laid off in the summer. (This practice continued into the 20th century in the motor industry and was a source of labour disputes). Rippon Bros were unusual in retaining staff full time, building carriages in the summer, ready for the winter season. Consequently, although the Rippons disliked unions, their staff considered them good employers. They employed a range of workers including smiths, metalworkers, carriage painters, woodworkers and upholsters.

They became a well-respected regional coachbuilder, with a sound financial base. Coachbuilders often suffered from poor cash flow as clients were slow to pay. The Rippons avoided this by demanding prompt payment and creating a property portfolio to provide other income. Between 1897 and 1914 they expanded into purpose-built premises in Huddersfield and opened showrooms in Bradford and Leeds to access those wealthy markets. They began building motor bodies in 1904 and by 1910 they were building more cars than carriages.

In the early days clients had coachwork built to their requirements by their chosen coachbuilder as most car makers built chassis only. By the 1920s most were building entire cars; only luxury makers supplied chassis for traditional coachbuilding. Rippon bodied many makes, but foremost were Rolls-Royce. The first was built in 1905, gradually increasing to become the majority in the 20s and 30s. Although generally the early 30s was a period of trade depression, Rippon’s Yorkshire clients bought more Rolls-Royces and Bentleys than ever before!

In 1946 Rolls-Royce began building complete cars and this had a significant impact on the remaining coachbuilders. Rippon Bros built only 10 cars after 1945, the last in 1952. They had produced 1800 – 2000 car bodies between 1905 and 1952. However, they continued servicing and selling (in record numbers) Rolls-Royce and Bentley, and Rover etc. Following Reginald Rippon’s death in 1969, Rippon Bros, very much a thriving concern, was acquired by Leeds-based Appleyard in August 1970, 100 years after William started the company.

This well-written book is based on extensive research, using company records at WYAS, contemporary newspapers, information from former employees, Rippon family papers and other archival material. Among the 10 appendices are tables showing volumes of work and sales, costs of various car bodies and Rolls-Royce and Bentley sales over 60 years. Their client list is a roll-call of Yorkshire business-men, and some women, including wool merchants, mill owners, steel makers and confectioners. The work is well illustrated with photographs of work processes, employees and completed cars, many previously unpublished. The author has produced a fitting tribute to a successful Yorkshire enterprise.

Robert Vickers

Confectionery in Yorkshire, through time, Paul Chrystal. Published by Amberley Publishing, 2012. 96pp, 200 colour & b/w plates. ISBN 978-1- 4456-0909-6. Price £14.99.

Yorkshire’s industries were not just coal-mining, woollens and heavy engineering. Probably not so well known, from the 1780s onwards there have been more confectionery companies in Yorkshire than anywhere else in Britain. The author gives a brief history of 32 companies, some being internationally famous such as Mackintosh, Rowntree and Terry. Making good use of illustrations - showcards, adverts and contemporary photographs - he shows how the industry and its processes developed, and how businesses flourish in the 21st century. I had not been aware of the scale of the confectionery industry in Yorkshire. As someone who remembers Needlers chocolates, Doncaster butterscotch and Radiance toffees, I found this an informative, and nostalgic, story.

Robert Vickers

REPORTS OF LECTURES, VISITS AND SHORT ARTICLES

Discovering Sheffield: Industrial History walk in Sheffield

12 May 2012

A group of members and friends met our guides Derek Bayliss and Graham Hague from the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society outside Sheffield Railway Station at 10am. We travelled by bus to Fulwood and walked to the Porter Valley to see for ourselves some of the waterwheel sites referred to in Christine Ball’s lecture to the section in January 2012. The River Porter runs for five miles from the gritstone edge of Sheffield to join the River Sheaf near to Sheffield Railway Station. In a distance of four miles there were 20 watermill sites, the earliest uses being for grinding. After refreshments at the Forge Dam café we viewed our first site – Whiteley Wood Forge. (Fig.1) The Forge Dam was described in 1765 as ’s Dam (note: in South Yorkshire terminology a dam refers to the millpond as well as the wall). Thomas Boulsover, a Sheffield cutler (1705-1788), had made his money through the development of Sheffield Plate, a fusion of silver and copper which had the appearance of pure silver. He had purchased the Whiteley Wood estate in 1752. In the 1800s there were two waterwheels and a steam engine used to power the forge’s hammers. Work ceased in the late 1880s and the dam was used as a boating lake. It was sold to Sheffield Council in 1939 which continued to use it as a boating lake and provided the café and children’s playground. The cafe occupies the site of the tilt forge but we were able to view the remains of a wheel pit and arched tail goit. The dam is no longer in use for boating being badly silted up. A volunteer group, The Friends of the Porter Valley, have plans to de-silt the dam and are currently fund-raising to meet the estimated cost of £360,000. Further downstream was the site of the Whiteley Wood Rolling Mill, later a wire mill, contemporary with the Forge which operated until the 1870s. The Wire Mill Dam and adjacent property were sold to Sheffield Council in 1897. The Dam is in fairly good condition with the head goit restored in 2001. We also saw the monument commemorating Thomas Boulsover which stands in the woods near to the site of the water wheels. The next site was of the Leather or Holme Mill of which there was very little trace, the dam being filled in during 1954. However at the next site there was plenty of activity, this was and we happened to visit on the day of its official opening after restoration. We were too late to see the launch event itself performed by local MP Nick Clegg and other local dignitaries but were able to see the waterwheel turning the grinding machinery and have the process explained by volunteers in Victorian dress. The earliest reference to a wheel on the site dates from 1566; there were a number of owners/tenants and in 1749 the tenant was an Edward Shepherd, who gave his name to the wheel. Owned by Sheffield Council in the 1900s, it was used to grind cutlery and knives until the 1930s and is a scheduled ancient monument and grade II listed (Figs 2 and 3). A conservation project to restore the mill pond, buildings, waterwheel and grinding machinery, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Sheffield City Council and the Friends of the Porter Valley, was completed earlier this year and the site is open to the public at weekends and on Bank Holiday Mondays.

As part of the celebration we were able to see demonstrations of charcoal making, smelting and forging taking place as we walked through the woods to . The Park was opened in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee and contains several listed structures including a statue of Queen Victoria and a Jubilee Monument. The River Porter runs through the park and there were originally three water wheel sites. The dam of Holme Wheel became the Endcliffe Boating Lake when the park opened. The dam of the Endcliffe Wheel became a bathing pool until 1938 and is now filled in. Lunch was taken here and I can recommend the takeaway sandwich shop across the road from the park’s entrance in Hunter’s Bar.

The next two wheels, Upper and Nether Lascar, were drained to provide space for housing between Road and Sharrow Vale Road. We followed the line of the head goit of the Nether Lascar Wheel in the back lane joining Steel Road and Sharrow Vale Road. We then walked to view the exterior of the Sharrow Snuff Mills, there had been a mill on the site since 1581 but the Wilson family started their business in 1737 originally making saws and establishing a mill for grinding snuff in 1763. Steam power was introduced in 1897 and although water power is no longer used, the machinery is still in place. Snuff is still made and can be purchased online at www.sharrowmills.com; the website also has images of the interior of the building. Downstream of , the mills sites have been obliterated and built over; however we followed the direction of the river until we reached the Sheffield General Cemetery opened in 1836 and retaining many of its original buildings which are now listed. The cemetery closed for burials in 1978 and is now a conservation area managed by a trust. The principal entrance is a bridge over the River Porter leading to an impressive gateway with Greek Doric columns. (Fig.4) There are a number of interesting tombs in the cemetery including those of steel manufacturer Mark Firth, the Cole Brothers who founded a Sheffield department store and George Bassett of Bassett’s liquorice allsorts fame. At this point in the walk, I had to leave but the remainder of the party continued back to .

Many thanks to Graham and Derek for a fascinating day and a reminder that the book “Water Power on Sheffield Rivers” published by the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society 2006 is still available.

Margaret Tylee

Fig 1 Whiteley Wood Forge. On the right, the rear of the cafe that occupies the site of the tilt forge. Centre, the remains of the wheel pit and arched tail goit. (photo Robert Vickers)

Fig 2 The newly restored Shepherd Wheel grinding shop. (photo Robert Vickers)

Fig 3

Shepherd Wheel. Waterpowered grinding wheels, driven by leather belts from the water wheel (out of sight) to the right. (photo Robert Vickers)

Fig 4 Sheffield General Cemetery gateway – the group in the distance. (photo Robert Vickers)

Fifty Years of Publishing and Distributing Local History/Archaeology

It all started for me with the formation in 1958 of the Solway Group of teachers and students whose aim was the popularisation of the local history of the Solway and Border Country. We campaigned to save local buildings and monuments, gave slide talks in Carlisle and village halls and wrote articles for the Cumbria Magazine and the magazine of the Cumberland Development Corporation. After two seasons of photo surveys, research and assisting on archaeological digs, our secretary, John Hartley of the Northumbria College of Education was ready to put together our first publication, North Cumberland – a small 20 page guide book selling at one shilling and threepence in old money of which 2000 copies were printed. The front cover had a drawing of the Bewcastle Cross superimposed on a stretch of the Roam Wall. I set out on my James 197 motorcycle with copies loaded on the rear carrier to test the market. Village shops and post offices along the route of the guide were willing to take small quantities, cash to be collected later. Newsagents in towns were another outlet and copies usually sold well at local history meetings. An enlarged version of the guide was published by the Oriel Press, Newcastle in 1971. One of the vacation activities of the Solway Group and the Students’ Association in Carlisle was to provide a guide service to Historic Carlisle for visitors and tourists. A two hour trail of the city was devised by John Watson and others at a time when there were no official guides or Council sponsored tours. We also took visitors further afield to the Eden Valley, Roman Wall and Lake District. Based on this experience the Group published its second guidebook in 1965 Carlisle and the Border County (a second edition came out in 1970). Frank Logan and his Border Publicity Co. undertook the design and printing, the art work for the covers was supplied by a local artist Frank Hurd. It had 44 pages with photos by John Watson and again I think there were about 2000 copies produced. It received good reviews in the local press resulting from our outlets such as Tourist Information Centres, Museums and Libraries where the latter go in for book sales. Your small publication tends to get buried in corners of large bookshops who also expect a large discount and often the local manager does not have the discretion to place orders. After moving to Manchester in 1966, I wrote and distributed a booklet on the Industrial Archaeology of Preston (500 copies). A discount bookseller took my surplus.

Together with Derek Brumhead, I started running Adult Summer Schools from 1975 both in Manchester and at various centres in Cumbria. In 1988 with the assistance of a small travel grant we published Cumbrian Industrial Archaeology, a field guide which included original maps and sketches by Derek and a 7 page bibliography. This was praised by amongst others the late J.D.Marshall and got at least five reviews in periodicals. With a larger catchment area we nevertheless undertook our own distribution as usual and sold 250 copies over an area from Buxton to Whitehaven. For some years Derek had published various editions of a Guided Trail to Castlefield in Manchester, during years when there was nothing else in print about Britain’s first Industrial Heritage Park. In 1998/9 we co- operated on a revised and enlarged edition and by this time there were a few new outlets such as the Museum of Science and Industry and the Castlefield Visitor Centre which helped sell 250 copies. We also issued a Lancaster Industrial Trail and sold these mostly through the Priory Bookshop.

In 1991/2 I enjoyed a sabbatical back in Carlisle prior to early retirement during which I compiled, mostly from old diaries, a personal recollection of youth culture and student life in the 1950s entitled Coming of Age in Carlisle.This time a launch by a TV producer at the Old Town Hall and a radio interview on Radio Cumbria got the thing off to a good start. I included numerous names and old group photos which helped to boost sales. The design and printing was done by the Carlisle Office Services company who also produced posters and flyers which I had not used before. The booklet was well received and resulted in some nostalgic correspondence. I did another study with the same publisher called Industry in Carlisle to mark Industrial Heritage Year. Prices were now £2.50 to £3.30 and I was told that if the price is under £10 it will usually sell. However after printing and distribution costs, don’t expect to make a profit – you are only likely to break even. The writer may however receive more invitations to give talks and fees are more than welcome.

Back in Manchester I was struck by how little information there was on some of the exhibits in the Museum of Science and Industry – the vintage cars in particular. So at the suggestion of Ms J Roberts, the Education Officer, I compiled an A5 booklet An ABC of Manchester Motor Cars with a brief write-up and picture, one to a page including short references. The format was landscape which made it easier to turn to a particular item. The booklet went down well with members of classic car clubs and about 300 were distributed. About the same time I formed a partnership with the late Robina McNeil, County Archaeologist based in the Greater Manchester Archaeology Unit. Robina had planned a series of Archaeological Miscellanies called the Heritage Atlas. No.3 was a discussion of all types of Warehouses entitled Warehouse Album. No.4 was an analysis of Manchester as the Archetype City of the Industrial Revolution. I was to contribute four chapters to these works alongside contributors from Museums and University Archaeology Departments, English Heritage and others. This was my first experience of co-editing other people’s work but I soon picked up the skill which stood me in good stead later when Dr Mike Nevell asked for my help on certain chapters in the CBA’s Handbook of Industrial Archaeology (reviewed above). The approach to distribution of the Heritage Atlas had to be different because we had to get copies on sale across the whole of the Greater Manchester area. This meant targeting the main libraries and tourist information centres as well as the museums. Some of it was done by car but also by train with a heavy briefcase. Invoicing was all handled by the University but I had to issue delivery notes and claim expenses later. We did target a few bookshops including a certain University bookshop which had an archaeology buyer with the power to order for stock. He also took other archaeology publications which I helped to distribute.

My most recent task has been to get copies on sale of the Bridgewater Canal 250th Anniversary book from a limited print run, the book also being available online (reviewed above). Times are now hard. A good deal of persuasion had to be used to get those few libraries which still sell books to take five copies. We have also lost former useful outlets in Manchester such as the HMSO Bookshop, the Travel Bookshop and Gibbs. However using five as a starting point, I have been able to develop ten selling points in the city and one – the Lowry Bookshop- has sold ten copies already. It made me laugh however when the University Bookshop, now devoid of its buyer, said they would take one copy to try!

Publishing is easy but good local writers are few and far between. The hardest part is distribution- it is time consuming and a labour of love. My tips are as follows:

• Time your invoices to suit your client • Never agree to sale or return except in unusual circumstances • Get someone knowledgeable to check your text to avoid unfortunate errors • If editing other writers’ work look for the context and prune excessive examples • Are the picture captions accurate? • Have a book launch with press and TV if at all possible • Take copies to meetings and conferences • Avoid large bookshop chains go for the independents • Keep the price below £5(A5) or £10(A4) • Aim to break even on costs and sales • Satisfaction for the writer and prestige for the Society are the main aims David George

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INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SECTION OFFICERS 2012-2013

Chairman & Newsletter Editor Vice-Chairman & Membership Secretary Lecture Secretary

Margaret Tylee Robert Vickers Jane Ellis