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Monument details
| HER Number: | TQ 73 NW 6 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of Bedgebury forge, Goudhurst |
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Summary
A forge was thought to have been formerly located at Forge Farm, Goudhurst. A pond bay remains at the site and a furnace in this location is mentioned in documentary sources. It is first mentioned in a source from 1574 as "one furnace in Gaudherste". A second reference states that this furnace was "discontinued before 1664, but repaired, stocked upon account of the warre". It is thought that the forge and furnance were part of the same site. No slag or cinder has been found in the area but a 22m long bank may be associated. The present Farm house is thought to be situated on the bay and working area of this water powered forge. Most of the site is thought to have been removed during the construction of a nearby railway bank.
| Grid Reference: | TQ 7279 3586 |
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| Map Sheet: | TQ73NW |
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| Parish: | GOUDHURST, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT |
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Monument Types
- FORGE (Post Medieval - 1574 AD? to 1664 AD? (at some time))
- POND BAY (Post Medieval - 1574 AD? to 1664 AD? (at some time))
Full description
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(TQ 72803586) 51 deg. 5' 40" N. 0 deg. 28' 5" E. Bedgebury Forge, Goudhurst. In 1574 Sir Alexander Culpepper had "one furnace in Gaudherste also Badbridge furnace in Cranbrooke pishe" - inanother list spelt Badbury. In 1664 the furnace was "discontinued before 1664, but repaired, stocked upon account of the warre". The forge was not mentioned at either date, but may have been considered to have been the same establishment. All traces of it havedisappeared. The site is a large hop farm. [For the furnace site, see TQ 73 SW 5] Place names: Forge Farm, Pond Field, Forge Mead, Forge Hop Garden, Little Forge Field. (1) All that survives of Bedgebury Forge is a fragment of the E. end of the pond-bay; surveyed at 1:2500. The hammer could not be sited and no cinder was found. (2) TQ 727357, Bedgebury Forge, Goudhurst, a water-powered site. Bay, mainly destroyed. Possible part survives as 22 metre long bank between disused railway and the stream; faint signs of west end on road leading to Bedgebury Furnace. Present 'Forge Farm' house probably occupies remainder of bay and working area; has pond-like meadow to south (Pond Field at TQ 728355). Remainder of bay and all cinder probably removed to construct nearby railway bank. No references known; all sources mention the furnace. (3)
<1> Wealden Iron 1931 282 (E Straker) (OS Card Reference). SKE51295.
<2> F1 CFW 20.02.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42656.
<3> Iron Ind of the Weald 1985 313-14 (H Cleere & D Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE44513.
<4> Field report for monument TQ 73 NW 6 - February, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3710.
Sources and further reading
| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | <1> | OS Card Reference: Wealden Iron 1931 282 (E Straker). |
| <2> | OS Card Reference: F1 CFW 20.02.63. |
| <3> | OS Card Reference: Iron Ind of the Weald 1985 313-14 (H Cleere & D Crossley). |
| <4>XY | Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 73 NW 6 - February, 1963. [Mapped feature: #18254 forge, ] |
