Many thanks for all your suggestions. 

 

The subsequent land use doesn’t indicate any major, industrial contaminant sources so I am not anticipating any significant contamination issues with this site, but wanted to understand what this feature might be for future reference.

 

Also, many thanks to Drew for the observation about market/vegetable gardens.  I have now accessed a slightly older map of the same area on NLS and found similar-ish markings on a patch of land next to a site on ‘Seed Hill’ (see attached as evidence!) and having ‘got my eye in’ am now starting to see small areas with simpler diagonal and horizontal lines in different orientations which are I would therefore now tend to assume are veg/market gardens or allotments (also attached).

 

I would presume that the most likely contaminants associated with such sites of this era are likely to be arsenic and PAHs from ash and clinker used as soil conditioner and possibly some substances used as pesticides/herbicides.  However given that most of the sites were subsequently covered by terraced houses and other land uses, the 1850s market garden as a source of contamination is not likely to be a major factor.

 

For completeness, other suggestions included historic ridge and furrow type features which enabled some parts of a field to be dried out to enable cultivation of crops, or with agricultural use.  This would also fit with the idea of it being a vegetable garden of some sort and with the thought that it included drainage features.  We are outside of the ‘tusky triangle’ but that does not preclude the idea that they might have been growing rhubarb or other fruits!

 

All interesting stuff (and I did find the ‘Plaid’ comment entertaining this morning).

 

Many thanks again.

 

Best regards,

 

Ann

 

 

 

 

Hello All,

 

I am trying to work out what the attached map symbol means on a map from the 1850s.   The area covered by the chevrons is approximately 150m  NW to SE and 175 NE to SW.

 

I have reviewed NLS, OS, military and many other images of map legends and can not find anything to match. 

 

The area was on a hillside sloping down to a meandering river to the NW.  There is no access road so perhaps it is not a building but a set of drainage features?

 

If anyone can enlighten me that would be great!

 

Many thanks. 

 

Best regards,

 

Ann

 

Ann Barker

Lead Officer Contaminated Land

Environmental Health

 

Tel: 01274 434366 

Email [log in to unmask]

 

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Department of Health and Wellbeing, 5th Floor, Britannia House, Broadway, Bradford, BD1 1HX 

 

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