During his leisure hours he studied measurement in a way of his own; and when certain of the girt and length of any piece of timber, he was able to reduce its true contents to feet and inches; and would bring the dimensions of any building into yards or feet.
Near the time of his finishing this road, the building of a bridge was advertised to be contracted for, at Boroughbridge; and a number of gentlemen met for that purpose at the Crown inn there. Metcalf, amongst others, went also. The masons varied considerably in their estimates. Ostler, the surveyor of the roads, was appointed to survey the bridge; and Metcalf told him that he wished to undertake it, though he had never done any thing of the kind before. On this, the surveyor acquainted the gentlemen with what Metcalf had proposed; when he was sent for, and asked what he knew about a bridge: he told them, that he could readily describe it, if they would take the trouble of writing down his plan, which was as follows: “The span of the arch, 18 feet, being a semi-circle, makes 27: the arch-stones must be a foot deep, which if multiplied by 27, will be 486; and the bases will be 72 feet more.—This for the arch: it will require good backing; for which purpose there are proper stones in the old Roman wall at Aldborough, which may be brought, if you please to give directions to that effect.” The gentlemen were surprised at his readiness, and agreed with him for building the bridge. The persons who had given in their estimates, were much offended; and as the stone was to be procured from Renton, a sale-quarry belonging to one of the masons who were there, he was unwilling to sell any to Metcalf; upon which he went to Farnham, and found good stones, which the lime-burners had left, (being too strong for their purpose,) got them dressed at the place for little money, conveyed them to Boroughbridge, and having men to take them off the carriages, set them, and completed the arch in one day; and finished the whole in a very short period.
Soon after, there was a mile and an half of turnpike-road to be made between Knaresborough-Bridge and Harrogate, which Metcalf also agreed for. Going one day over a place covered with grass, he told his men that he thought it different from the ground adjoining, and would have them try for stone or gravel, which they immediately did, and found an old causeway, supposed to have been made in the time of the Romans, which afforded many materials proper for the purpose of making the road. Between the Forest-Lane head and Knaresborough-Bridge, there was a bog, in a low piece of ground, over which to have passed was the nearest way; and the surveyor thought it impossible to make a road over it: but Metcalf assured him that he could readily accomplish it.—The other then told him, that if so, he should be paid for the same length as if he had gone round. Jack set about it, cast the road up, and covered it with whin, and ling; and made it as good, or better, than any part he had undertaken. He received about four hundred pounds for the road and a small bridge which he had built over a brook called Stanbeck.
There was an old house at Harrogate, with some fields belonging to it, and denominated a messuage, which was of more value, as having common right upon the Forest. It belonged to an old woman, and at her decease to her husband. Metcalf went to the latter, and bought his contingent right in the house and land; and the old woman came to him soon after, to sell her life-estate in it also. They agreed; and including both the net sum amounted to eighty pounds. In about three weeks after this purchase, he sold it for upwards of two hundred pounds.
A road being projected between Harrogate and Harewood-Bridge, six miles in length, a meeting was held, (the late Lord Harewood, then Mr. Lascelles, being one of the party) to contract with any person who might be thought proper to make it. A great number of estimates were delivered, but Metcalf obtained the contract. It was to be completed before the winter set in; and being a stiff-clay soil, it was judged expedient to cast the whole length before they began to stone it: on these accounts he agreed with the gentlemen, that no carriages should pass whilst the road was making; and, by way of prevention, had sluices cut at each end of the lane, and wooden bridges, which he took up occasionally, thrown across, for his own carriages to pass over with the materials. He also hired two houses, at a distance from each other on the road, to entertain strangers who travelled on horseback, and the people employed in the undertaking, as there were not sufficient in the country. The short period he had contracted to complete the work in, obliging him to use the readiest methods, he had a wheel-plough drawn by nine horses through the forest, as the best and most expeditious way to get up the roots of whin and ling, in parts where they were strong; and being obliged to superintend the progress of the work, he obtained leave from the innkeepers at Harrogate to engage a substitute in his absence. He completed his contract in the time allowed, to the satisfaction of the gentlemen trustees, and of the surveyor; and received for the work, twelve hundred pounds.
There then being about a mile and an half of road to be made through part of Chapel-Town to Leeds, Lord Harewood and other gentlemen met at the Bowling-Green in Chapel-Town, to receive estimates;—and Metcalf got the contract. He also widened the arch of Sheepscar-Bridge; and received for that and the road together near four hundred pounds.
Between Skipton and Colne in Lancashire there were four miles of road to be made, and estimates were advertised for. A number of gentlemen met, and Metcalf’s proposals had the preference. The materials were at a greater distance, and more difficult to be procured, than he expected; and a wet season coming on, made this a bad bargain; yet he completed it according to contract.
He next engaged for two miles on the Burnleigh road, which he completed; but was not more a gainer.
He then agreed for two miles of road which lay through Broughton to Martin; and two miles more which lay through Addingham, and over part of Romell’s Moor. The same trustees acted for those roads, as for that of Colne. These he completed, and received one thousand three hundred and fifty pounds from Mr. Ingham of Burnleigh and Mr. Alcock of Skipton.
After this, a meeting was held at Wakefield, to contract for making part of the road between that town and Halifax.—Metcalf engaged for four miles which lay between Mill-Bridge and Belly-Bridge; and finished this also, though it was an extremely wet summer.—He then took three miles more which lay between Belly-Bridge and Halifax, and completed it.—And also agreed for five miles which lay between Wakefield and Checkingley-Beck, near Dewsbury.