Old Cumbria Gazetteer |
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| forge, Levens | ||
| civil parish:- | Levens (formerly Westmorland) | |
| county:- | Cumbria | |
| locality type:- | forge | |
| locality type:- | water mill | |
| locality type:- | mill | |
| locality type:- | corn mill (once) | |
| coordinates:- | SD50758657 (?) | |
| 1Km square:- | SD5086 | |
| 10Km square:- | SD58 | |
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| evidence:- | old painting:- |
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| source data:- | Painting, watercolour, water mill on the River Kent, by Paul Sandby, forge, Levens,
Westmorland, 1760s-70s click to enlargePR0826.jpg summertime; view of a small forge standing in centre of composition on a grassy islet formed by the convergence of a shallow hillside stream and the River Kent. Composition is framed to left by a tall tree. item:- Tullie House Museum : 1905.10A.4 Image © Tullie House Museum |
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| evidence:- | descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821) |
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| source data:- | Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by
William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in
London, 1778 to 1821. goto sourcePage 185:- "... If you ride down the west side of the river from the bridge, as far as the forge, to see the water-fall of the whole river, let it be remembered, that the stream is much impaired in beauty since the forge was erected. ..." goto sourceAddendum; Mr Gray's Journal, 1769 Page 215:- "..." "After dinner I went along the Millthorp turnpike, four miles to see the falls, or force of the river Kent; ... the roar of the waters, and the thumping of huge hammers at an iron forge not far distant, made it a singular walk; ... I went on down to the forge, and saw the demons at work by the light of their own fires; the iron is brought in pigs to Millthorp, by sea, from Scotland, &c. and is here beat into bars and plates. ..." |
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| notes:- |
There was a corn mill here from the 14th century. Thomas Holme and others erected
a forge to work wrought iron, mid 18th century. Thomas Gray wrote, 1769:- |
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| "[... The stream is much impaired in beauty since the forge was erected. I went on
down to the forge (... and saw the demons at work by the light of their own fires.
The iron is brought in pigs to Millthrop by sea from Scotland, etc., and is here beaten
into bars and plates ...]" |
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| Somervell, John: 1930: Water Power Mills of South Westmorland |
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