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Monument details
| HER Number: | TQ 43 NE 1 |
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| Type of record: | Building |
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| Name: | former site of Furnace Mill, Cowden |
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Summary
Furnace Mill, a 16th century building, may have been a boring mill for cannon. This and the pond bay survive.
| Grid Reference: | TQ 45526 39959 |
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| Map Sheet: | TQ43NE |
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| Parish: | COWDEN, SEVENOAKS, KENT |
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Monument Types
Full description
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(TQ 45503993) Furnace Mill (NAT) (1)
An iron furnace at Cowden, mentioned in 1574 and 1588, was situated at Lat 51 deg 8' 20" N., Long 0 deg 4' 50 " E. It was "ruined" before 1664. Apparently the furnace was established by John Tichborne , whose mill was proved in 1556. In 1574 a mill was worked by Michael Weston of Lye and is presumed to be the Cowden Furnace. The garden of the converted 16th century (3) millhouse is full of slag and nearby is the cave from which sandstone for the furnace was quarried (2). Many cannon balls have been dug up and there was a "bear", or mass of iron found, but this has now been removed. About 1850, the Cowden Gun was dug up at Furnace Mill. The pond covers 30 acres (2) or 13 acres (4).
This site is as described by authorities 2-4 except that the cave at TQ45454001 is probably a quarry for material for the pond bay. The furnace site, shown on a plan of Cowden Furnace (1748) at TQ 45493995, is now occupied by a small outbuilding.
Published survey (25" undated) correct (5).
The former mill of old iron works but much altered and restored. Upper part only visible from road where entrance is across a footbridge to first floor. MAin garden front of 2 storeys and attic, 3 windows. High pithced tiled roof. Project gabled centre. One gabled dormer. Weatherboarded 1st floor. Ground floor red brick with diaper of blue headers. Leaded casement windows. Considerable modern right extensions in keeping. C16 timber framed core. (6)
TQ 454400 Cowden Furnace BAy 125 metres in length, 5 metres high pond in water. Water system-present spillway at north end, but map of 1748 (KAO U650/PI) shows spillway at south end, pond of 14 acres, and slucies for two whell pits with tail races.
Working area- The 1748 map shows the furnace at the north end and "boring house" at the south, with "workhouse" between. A surviving building may be the latter. Also depicted is a "Kiln" to the north east of the furnace, possibly where the oare was roasted or common moulds baked.
Three furnaces Scarlets (TQ 44 SW 4), Cowden and Lower Cowden (TQ 44 SE 20) lie from west to east within Cowden parish, on or close to the Kent Water, and are liable to confusion. The only source which clearly shows the three is Staffs RO D593/S/4/28/17 of 1590. Where they are described as "Scarlets", the upper furnace in Cowden and "the furnace in Cowden". (7)
Information from Straker (2) is repeated, but states that the Cowden Cun (?Should that be Gun?) was found about 1860. (8)
Additional Information (9)
<1> OS 6" 1910 (OS Card Reference). SKE48325.
<1> OS Card / NAR index entry, OS 6" 1910 (Bibliographic reference). SKE7702.
<2> OS Card / NAR index entry, Wealden Iron 1931 226-7 (E Straker) (Bibliographic reference). SKE7704.
<3> OS Card / NAR index entry, MLGP Prov List Sevonoaks RD April 1949 39 no 21/22 (Bibliographic reference). SKE7705.
<4> OS Card / NAR index entry, Medieval Eng 1958 237 (M W Beresford & J K St Joseph) (Bibliographic reference). SKE7706.
<5> F1 CFW 18.12.62 (OS Card Reference). SKE42618.
<5> OS Card / NAR index entry, F1 CFW 18.12.62 (Bibliographic reference). SKE7707.
<6> OS Card / NAR index entry, DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks RD Kent 1975 78 (Bibliographic reference). SKE7708.
<7> OS Card / NAR index entry, Iron Ind of the Weald 1985 325 illus (H Cleere & D Crossley) (Bibliographic reference). SKE7709.
<8> OS Card / NAR index entry, Medieval Eng 1979 259 fig 108 (M W Beresford & J K S St Joseph) (Bibliographic reference). SKE7703.
<9> Wardale, C., 1962, Field report for monument TQ 43 NE 1 - December, 1962 (Unpublished document). SKE2639.
Sources and further reading
| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | <1> | OS Card Reference: OS 6" 1910. |
| <1> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. OS 6" 1910. |
| <2> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. Wealden Iron 1931 226-7 (E Straker). |
| <3> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. MLGP Prov List Sevonoaks RD April 1949 39 no 21/22. |
| <4> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. Medieval Eng 1958 237 (M W Beresford & J K St Joseph). |
| <5> | OS Card Reference: F1 CFW 18.12.62. |
| <5> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. F1 CFW 18.12.62. |
| <6> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks RD Kent 1975 78. |
| <7> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. Iron Ind of the Weald 1985 325 illus (H Cleere & D Crossley). |
| <8> | Bibliographic reference: OS Card / NAR index entry. Medieval Eng 1979 259 fig 108 (M W Beresford & J K S St Joseph). |
| <9> | Unpublished document: Wardale, C.. 1962. Field report for monument TQ 43 NE 1 - December, 1962. |
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