Kirkstall Forge Forge Buildings With Helve Hammers, Slitting Mill Machinery
KIRKSTALL FORGE FORGE BUILDINGS WITH HELVE HAMMERS, SLITTING MILL MACHINERY, ABBEY ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1256648
- Date first listed:
- 26-Sept-1963
- List Entry Name:
- Kirkstall Forge Forge Buildings With Helve Hammers, Slitting Mill Machinery
- Statutory Address:
- KIRKSTALL FORGE FORGE BUILDINGS WITH HELVE HAMMERS, SLITTING MILL MACHINERY, ABBEY ROAD
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-09-11
- Reference:
- IOE01/04313/20
- Rights:
- © Mr David Karran. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1256648
- Date first listed:
- 26-Sept-1963
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 11-Sept-1996
- List Entry Name:
- Kirkstall Forge Forge Buildings With Helve Hammers, Slitting Mill Machinery
- Statutory Address 1:
- KIRKSTALL FORGE FORGE BUILDINGS WITH HELVE HAMMERS, SLITTING MILL MACHINERY, ABBEY ROAD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- KIRKSTALL FORGE FORGE BUILDINGS WITH HELVE HAMMERS, SLITTING MILL MACHINERY, ABBEY ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Leeds (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SE 25028 36512
Details
LEEDS
SE2536 ABBEY ROAD, Kirkstall 714-1/18/889 (South side) 26/09/63 Kirkstall Forge: forge buildings with helve-hammers, slitting mill machinery (Formerly Listed as: ABBEY ROAD, Kirkstall (South side) Forge Buildings cont'ning Helve-Hammers, Slitting Mill etc...at Kirkstall Forge)
GV II
Forge complex, remains. Buildings probably late C18 for the Beecroft and Butler families, machinery possibly earlier. Earliest remains with helve-hammer in roofless building of coursed squared gritstone with round-arched openings and standing over the former mill goit. The later wheel and hammer are housed in the attached block to NE: round-arched and flat-headed openings, roofed over with corrugated asbestos. This building also contains 2 c1850s drop-forge stamps, steam driven to Naylor's Patent, one larger than the other. HISTORICAL NOTE: a bloomery to transform iron ore to wrought-iron was established by John, Lord Savile c1590. In 1618 the complex, with water courses, was leased out and by 1690 the new weir was built at Newlay and the improved forge was part of the Spencer group of iron works. In 1779 control passed to the Beecroft and Butler families and extensive building work undertaken, including slitting mills, workshops, cottages, chapel, shop, brewhouse; small items were made for the urban market, from shovels to pudding dishes. Steam power was introduced 1835-45 and larger objects were made, steam engines, cranes, pumps etc. The Beecroft and Butler involvement came to an end in 1878. The forge continued making railway lines and axles and in the C20 a change was made to motor vehicle axles. In 1974 the firm was taken over by GKN Axles. (Brears P: The Leeds Heritage Trail: 1993-).
Listing NGR: SE2502836512
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 464679
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Brears, P, The Leeds Heritage Trail, (1993)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 24-Jun-2026 at 09:37:25.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.