The Tailrace from the Water Wheel

Photograph of the end of the Hebden waterwheel tailrace Smithy Hill - the spoil heap from the horselevel The exit from the trailrace The line of the underground trailrace Water from the level, having flowed down the bank to the right The wheel pit is below these trees

This picture shows the exit to the tailrace, some ten metres from Hebden Beck. The tailrace follows an underground route from the wheel pit, which is located beneath the trees emerging from behind the left slope of Smithy Hill, for some 60 metres. This longer route to the beck was probably used as the bottom of the pit must be close to or below the level of the beck at its nearest point. Hovering your mouse above the photograph in the appropriate places will allow you to identify the features in question.

The water visible at the exit of the tailrace is not from the wheelpit, but from the stream which emerges from the level, and follows a route down the spoil heap on the right. Click the bottom of the image to see a larger version.