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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 63 NE 3
Type of record:Monument
Name:Lamberhurst (Gloucester) Furnace, Furnace Mill, Lamberhurst

Summary

Site of iron furnace and forge built in 1695. Adapted to cast cannon c.1724. Still standing in 1787. Boring mill shown on 1795 map. The large supply leat to the forge survives.


Grid Reference:TQ 6612 3608
Map Sheet:TQ63NE
Parish:LAMBERHURST, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT

Monument Types

  • FORGE (Post Medieval - 1695 AD to 1735 AD)
  • IRON FURNACE (Post Medieval - 1695 AD to 1734 AD)
  • LEAT (Post Medieval - 1695 AD to 1734 AD)
  • CANNON BORING MILL (Post Medieval - 1724 AD to 1724 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 66133618 - sited from small scale map, Straker's Lat. and Long. are obviously incorrect] An iron furnace, Lamberhurst or Gloucester Furnace - was a forge. First mentioned in 1548. A rough drawing obviously not to scale appears in Swedenborg's work on iron (a) from asketch made in the early 18th century. The furnace was 28 feet high, 4 ft higher than any other in England at that time., 1724. The greatest size inside was 7.5 feet by 8 feet. For cannon the hearth was made 5 feet long and 21 inches wide, for ordinary work 4 feet longand 18 inches wide. The great ditch, about 1300 yards long, was cut across the bend in the River Teise to provide a good head of water without a high bay. The upper portion forms the present bed of the river. The furnace was still standing in 1787. The foundations are no longer visible but there is plenty of furnace slag. Place names. Furnace Wood, Furnace Farm, Furnace Orchard, Furnace Field, Colepan field, Counting House mead, all south of river. On north bank are Floodgate, Shaw, Forge Field, Forge Nick. (1) From the evidence of a map of 1795, (a) it is clear that there were two separate ironworks here. There was a furnace at approx. TQ 66153599 where a heavy concentrationof black earth, slag, brick and shelly limestone mark the site. Only faint traces of the pond-bay survive, and the pond is dry. Of the forge, which was situated at TQ 66113618, nothing remains except the massive leat (the 'Great Ditch') and the site of the pond. Surveyed at 1:2500. (2) A part of the spillway has been dug away for its soil otherwise no change. Survey of 15.2.63 revised. (3) TQ 662360 Lamberhurst, Gloucester, Furnace - a water-powered site. No bay. Water system. Leat 850 metres long from forge site indicatedby dry cannel in Cherry Orchard Field, south of Furnace Mill House andwest of road leading to it, ends at furnace site. Plentiful supply ofwater. Working area. Furnace site probably indicated by glassy slag and roasted ore just inside gateway south of Cherry Orchard Field. Adjoining high ground would convenient as loading platform and probably determined furnace position. No sign of wheelpit; tail-race was probably culverted under road to join nearby forge tail-race stream. No trace remains of boring house site and its curious linear feature shown on 1795 map (see illus) Boring wheel may have been on forge and furnace tail-race stream. Present furnace Mill House believed to date from c.1722. The furnace was built by William Benge in 1695. (4) Significant as the last furnace built in the Weald, now under long grass. (5)


<1> De Ferro 1724 (Swedenborg) (OS Card Reference). SKE39688.

<2> Wealden Iron 1931 46 67 75 78 100 109 141 165 265 269-73 fig (E Straker) (OS Card Reference). SKE51302.

<3> Map of the Furnace Lands Lamberhurst 1795 (T Smith) (OS Card Reference). SKE46541.

<4> F1 AC 15-FEB-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE41807.

<5> F2 ASP 22-OCT-69 (OS Card Reference). SKE43153.

<6> The Iron Industry of the Weald 1985 194 214 224 248 260 340-1 fig 39 (H Cleare and D Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE50399.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 63 NE 3 - February, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3207.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 63 NE 3 - October, 1969 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3208.

<9> English Heritage Monuments Protection Programme, 2000, Iron and Steel Industry site assessment: Lamberhurst (Gloucester) Furnace, Step 3 report - MPP (Unpublished document). SKE6622.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: De Ferro 1724 (Swedenborg).
<2>OS Card Reference: Wealden Iron 1931 46 67 75 78 100 109 141 165 265 269-73 fig (E Straker).
<3>OS Card Reference: Map of the Furnace Lands Lamberhurst 1795 (T Smith).
<4>OS Card Reference: F1 AC 15-FEB-63.
<5>OS Card Reference: F2 ASP 22-OCT-69.
<6>OS Card Reference: The Iron Industry of the Weald 1985 194 214 224 248 260 340-1 fig 39 (H Cleare and D Crossley).
<7>XYBibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 63 NE 3 - February, 1963. [Mapped feature: #11171 Furnace, ]
<8>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 63 NE 3 - October, 1969.
<9>Unpublished document: English Heritage Monuments Protection Programme. 2000. Iron and Steel Industry site assessment: Lamberhurst (Gloucester) Furnace. Step 3 report - MPP.

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