Description and History of Site:-
Small brick foundry building bearing the faded notice "AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS & MERCHANTS ESTBd 1860". Henry Benson set up a business as a plough maker and wheelwright in 1869 after his father had bought and dismantled a North Cave Plough with the intention of making his own ploughs based on the North Cave example. Templates were made from the original parts at the local Batts Foundry and further afield at Tinsleys (Loftus) and Weighells (Pickering), each embossed with the name "Henry Benson". From these he made castings but adapted the ironwork by designing his own wooden handles from timber felled in the nearby woods.

Further Reading and References:-
"Life and Traditions in the Moorlands of North-East Yorkshire" by Marie Hartley and Joan Ingleby. (J.M Dent 1972).

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Key Words :- Benson ruswarp plough foundry

Viewing the Site :- From the roadside at the south-east end of Ruswarp road bridge

Address :- Sneaton Lane, Ruswarp, Whitby, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- NZ 89056 09047
Co-ordinates :- Lat 54.468989 , Long -0.627411
Local Authority :- Scarborough Borough Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - North Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site disused - but otherwise substantially intact
Site Dates :- 1869 -
Record Date :- 9 November 2020

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Jane Ellis