Before the lockdown, HDAS had instigated an archaeological survey of the historic mills in Mytholmbridge. The reports outlining the results of the work, as well as associated materials, have been produced during the intervening months and can all be accessed here:
The reports:
Mytholmbridge Lower Mill Report
Mytholmbridge Corn Mill Report
Anyone who may wish to glance over some of the features, rather than read the full interim report, will find the following display sheets useful. They provide tasters as to the features at Mytholmbridge Lower Mill, should anyone like to visit the campsite in the future.
Maps:
Mytholmbridge Lower Mill 1811 Sketch Map
Mytholmbridge 1888/1893 25 inch map
I lived at Smithy Place from 1937 to 1951 and Hagg Wood was my playground, and I walked there yesterday to see what had changed. Local industry fascinated me and though I recognised many of its features at an early age I found John Cross’ report on Lower Mytholmbridge Mills most interesting. I too heard of the ‘wash pits’ explanation of the lower tail goit, possibly from John Lancaster, a friend and fellow student at Honley Grammar School. The well detail was something new to me, though the pond beyond it is not mentioned in the report, though I seem to recall cast iron pipes leading to or from it, presumably from the mill. It was always full or water and at the time seemed a mystery as to where this originated because the tiny spring seemed inadequate. It was however always full of frogspawn and tiddlers – much more important to a 10-year old. Did you consider this feature?
It’s amazing how some features survive. For example the earthworks of an underground ‘den’ me and Brian excavated in Hagg Wood about 1946-47 still survive!