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View Full Version : Archived: Kirkstall Forge - Leeds - January 2011



MJS
15-01-2011, 07:29 PM
The last site of the night after doing a couple of rooftops (one rooftop with kebab!) avec the Cloughster and the Fowle

Kirkstall was historically an important centre of industry. Kirkstall Forge lays claim to being the longest continually used industrial site in Britain founded in the 13th century by the Cistercian Monks of the abbey, and a number of printers. The earliest known activity on the site was a medieval Mill Race which supplied the corn mill at Kirkstall Abbey. Iron production took place at the forge from the 1580s onwards. During the late 18th century the reconstruction of the upper and lower forges allowed 'shovel and spade production' to commence. A railway was built at the forge in 1830 and sustained growth at the plant. The Great War brought about large scale growth at the plant, providing axles for military vehicles, by 1930 most lorries and buses made in the UK had a Kirkstall back axle casing. In 2002 the owners of the site, the Dana Corporation announced the closure of the works, shifting production to India and Spain.

(wikipedia)


KIRKSTIZZLE FORGINGTONS


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Apart from being slightly unnerved by the police helicopter which was searching the adjacent site with is spotlight, this was a really good explore, even though it's a fairly small site. Be nice to go back at some point without the whirly bird putting me off!


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