Two medieval bloomery sites in Shropshire: the adoption of water power for iron smelting
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Published
Nov 9, 2021
Abstract
Two bloomery sites in Stottesdon, Shropshire, were investigated to assess the local nature of medieval iron smelting and, in particular, the evidence for the use of water power. Topographical and geophysical surveys were followed by limited excavation to evaluate and date the sites, whilst avoiding significant structures. The 13th-century manually-blown bloomery at Ned’s Garden lies on the outcrop of ironstones within the coal measures. In contrast, the iron smelting at Cinder Mill, just off the outcrop of the ironstones, was probably sited to exploit the power of the water of the Fiddle Brook with smelting undertaken from late in the 14th century or early in the 15th, and possibly into the 16th century. The site is probably the ‘bloomsmithy’ recorded in mid-15th-century manorial accounts. The archaeometallurgical residues from the two sites were similar, being relatively iron-poor (46-62wt% FeO), with analyses from each site forming coherent compositional suites. Low-iron slags of the type described here form an important part of the current debate over whether later medieval water-powered furnaces mark a stage in an evolution towards the blast furnace. In this instance, it is argued that the introduction of water power appears to have had little effect on the chemistry of the smelting reaction.
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References
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Bayley J, Crossley D and Ponting M (eds) 2008, Metals and metalworking: A research framework for archaeometallurgy (London: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 6).
Bryant V 2002, ‘The pottery from the Queen Anne House site’, in N Baker (ed), Shrewsbury Abbey, (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Monograph Series 2),
87–112.
Bryant V 2004, ‘Medieval and early post-medieval pottery’, in H Dalwood and R Edwards, Excavations at Deansway, Worcester 1988-89. Romano-British small town to late medieval city
(London: CBA Research Report 139), 281–339.
Bryant V 2008, Report on the pottery and building material from the Ned’s Garden complex, Stottesdon and Billingsley, Shropshire (Report 1645, Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, Worcestershire County Council).
Charlton M F, Crew P, Rehren T and Shennan S J 2010, ‘Explaining the evolution of ironmaking recipes – An example from northwest Wales’, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 29, 352–367.
Clapham A J 2011, Charcoal from Ned’s Garden, Cinder Mill and Little Down Bloomery sites, Shropshire (Report 1860, Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, Worcestershire County
Council).
Crew P 2013, ‘Twenty-five years of bloomery experiments: perspectives and prospects’, In D Dungworth and R Doonan (eds), Accidental and experimental archaeometallurgy (London:
Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 7), 25-50.
Crossley D W 1981, ‘Medieval iron smelting’, in Crossley D W (ed), Medieval industry (London: CBA Research Report 40), 29–41.
Dungworth D 2010, ‘The possible water-powered bloomery at Goscote (Rushall), Walsall, West Midlands’, Historical Metallurgy 44(1), 15–20.
Dyer C 2005, An age of transition? Economy and society in England in the later Middle Ages (Oxford).
Howell R 1995, ‘Ironworking at the medieval borough of Trelech, Gwent’, in P Crew and S Crew (eds), Iron for archaeologists (Abstracts) (Plas Tan Y Bwlch), 25–27.
Howell R 2000. ‘Development by Design: an Investigation of thirteenth-Century Industrialization and Urban Growth at Trelech, Gwent’, Studia Celtica 24, 211–222.
Hurst D, Pearson E and Ratkai S 1997, Evaluation of land at Mill Street Kidderminster (Report 545, Worcestershire County Archaeological Service).
Morton G R and Wingrove J 1969-1970, ‘Metallurgical considerations of early bloomeries in south Staffordshire’, Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society 11, 64–6.
Morton G R and Wingrove J 1972, ‘Constitution of bloomery slags: Part II: Medieval’, Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute 210, 478–488.
Purton R C 1933-4, ‘Stottesdon’, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society 47, 139-49.
Ratkai S 1996, ‘The medieval and post-medieval pottery’, in I M Ferris (ed), ‘Excavations at Bridgnorth Franciscan Friary, Shropshire in 1989’, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society 71, 58-61.
Redknap M and Young T P 1998, ‘The iron industry of south-east Wales in the 13th century’, In N Nayling, The Magor Pill medieval wreck (London: CBA Research Report 115), 112-115.
Rehren T, Charlton M, Chirikure S, Humphris J, Ige A and Velhuijzen H A 2007, ‘Decisions set in slag: the human factor in African iron smelting’, in S La Niece, D Hook and P Craddock (eds), Metals and mines: Studies in archaeometallurgy (London), 211-218.
Sauder L and Williams S 2002, ‘A practical treatise on the smelting and smithing of bloomery iron’, Historical Metallurgy 36(2), 122-131.
Schairer J F and Yagi K 1952, ‘The system FeO-Al2O3-SiO2’, American Journal of Science, The Bowen volume, 471–512.
Taylor S R and McLennan S M 1981, ‘The composition and evolution of the continental crust: rare earth element evidence from sedimentary rocks’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
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Thomas G 2000, A chemical and mineralogical investigation of bloomery iron-making in the Bristol Channel Orefield, UK. Unpublished PhD thesis, Cardiff University.
Thomas G R and Young T P 1999a, ‘Bloomery furnace mass balance and efficiency’, in A M Pollard (ed), Geoarchaeology: exploration, environments, resources (London: Geological Society of London Special Publication 165), 155-164.
Thomas G R and Young T P 1999b, ‘A graphical method to determine furnace efficiency and lining, a contribution to Romano-British bloomery iron-making slags (Bristol Channel Orefield, UK)’, in S M M Young, P D Budd, R A Ixer and A M Pollard (eds), Metals in Antiquity (Oxford: BAR IS 792), 223-226.
Vince A 1977, ‘The medieval and post-medieval ceramic industry in the Malvern region: the study of a ware and its distribution’, in D P S Peacock (ed), Pottery and early commerce, characterisation and trade in Roman and later ceramics (London), 257-305.
Vince A 1984, The medieval ceramic industry of the Severn Valley. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Southampton.
Young T P 1993, ‘Sedimentary Ironstones’, in R A D Pattrick and D Polya (eds), Mineralization in the British Isles (London), 446-489.
Young T P 2007, Topographic and geophysical survey of two bloomery sites near Highley, Shropshire (GeoArch Report 2007/03).
Young T P 2008a, Excavations at Ned’s Garden, Shropshire (NG08): Data Structure Report (GeoArch Report 2008/34).
Young T P 2008b, Excavations at Cinder Mill, Shropshire (FID08): Data Structure Report (GeoArch Report 2008/35).
Young T P 2011, Archaeometallurgical residues from Ned’s Garden & Cindermill, Shropshire (GeoArch Report 2011/10).
Bayley J, Crossley D and Ponting M (eds) 2008, Metals and metalworking: A research framework for archaeometallurgy (London: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 6).
Bryant V 2002, ‘The pottery from the Queen Anne House site’, in N Baker (ed), Shrewsbury Abbey, (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Monograph Series 2),
87–112.
Bryant V 2004, ‘Medieval and early post-medieval pottery’, in H Dalwood and R Edwards, Excavations at Deansway, Worcester 1988-89. Romano-British small town to late medieval city
(London: CBA Research Report 139), 281–339.
Bryant V 2008, Report on the pottery and building material from the Ned’s Garden complex, Stottesdon and Billingsley, Shropshire (Report 1645, Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, Worcestershire County Council).
Charlton M F, Crew P, Rehren T and Shennan S J 2010, ‘Explaining the evolution of ironmaking recipes – An example from northwest Wales’, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 29, 352–367.
Clapham A J 2011, Charcoal from Ned’s Garden, Cinder Mill and Little Down Bloomery sites, Shropshire (Report 1860, Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, Worcestershire County
Council).
Crew P 2013, ‘Twenty-five years of bloomery experiments: perspectives and prospects’, In D Dungworth and R Doonan (eds), Accidental and experimental archaeometallurgy (London:
Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 7), 25-50.
Crossley D W 1981, ‘Medieval iron smelting’, in Crossley D W (ed), Medieval industry (London: CBA Research Report 40), 29–41.
Dungworth D 2010, ‘The possible water-powered bloomery at Goscote (Rushall), Walsall, West Midlands’, Historical Metallurgy 44(1), 15–20.
Dyer C 2005, An age of transition? Economy and society in England in the later Middle Ages (Oxford).
Howell R 1995, ‘Ironworking at the medieval borough of Trelech, Gwent’, in P Crew and S Crew (eds), Iron for archaeologists (Abstracts) (Plas Tan Y Bwlch), 25–27.
Howell R 2000. ‘Development by Design: an Investigation of thirteenth-Century Industrialization and Urban Growth at Trelech, Gwent’, Studia Celtica 24, 211–222.
Hurst D, Pearson E and Ratkai S 1997, Evaluation of land at Mill Street Kidderminster (Report 545, Worcestershire County Archaeological Service).
Morton G R and Wingrove J 1969-1970, ‘Metallurgical considerations of early bloomeries in south Staffordshire’, Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society 11, 64–6.
Morton G R and Wingrove J 1972, ‘Constitution of bloomery slags: Part II: Medieval’, Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute 210, 478–488.
Purton R C 1933-4, ‘Stottesdon’, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society 47, 139-49.
Ratkai S 1996, ‘The medieval and post-medieval pottery’, in I M Ferris (ed), ‘Excavations at Bridgnorth Franciscan Friary, Shropshire in 1989’, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society 71, 58-61.
Redknap M and Young T P 1998, ‘The iron industry of south-east Wales in the 13th century’, In N Nayling, The Magor Pill medieval wreck (London: CBA Research Report 115), 112-115.
Rehren T, Charlton M, Chirikure S, Humphris J, Ige A and Velhuijzen H A 2007, ‘Decisions set in slag: the human factor in African iron smelting’, in S La Niece, D Hook and P Craddock (eds), Metals and mines: Studies in archaeometallurgy (London), 211-218.
Sauder L and Williams S 2002, ‘A practical treatise on the smelting and smithing of bloomery iron’, Historical Metallurgy 36(2), 122-131.
Schairer J F and Yagi K 1952, ‘The system FeO-Al2O3-SiO2’, American Journal of Science, The Bowen volume, 471–512.
Taylor S R and McLennan S M 1981, ‘The composition and evolution of the continental crust: rare earth element evidence from sedimentary rocks’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
Society A301, 381-399.
Thomas G 2000, A chemical and mineralogical investigation of bloomery iron-making in the Bristol Channel Orefield, UK. Unpublished PhD thesis, Cardiff University.
Thomas G R and Young T P 1999a, ‘Bloomery furnace mass balance and efficiency’, in A M Pollard (ed), Geoarchaeology: exploration, environments, resources (London: Geological Society of London Special Publication 165), 155-164.
Thomas G R and Young T P 1999b, ‘A graphical method to determine furnace efficiency and lining, a contribution to Romano-British bloomery iron-making slags (Bristol Channel Orefield, UK)’, in S M M Young, P D Budd, R A Ixer and A M Pollard (eds), Metals in Antiquity (Oxford: BAR IS 792), 223-226.
Vince A 1977, ‘The medieval and post-medieval ceramic industry in the Malvern region: the study of a ware and its distribution’, in D P S Peacock (ed), Pottery and early commerce, characterisation and trade in Roman and later ceramics (London), 257-305.
Vince A 1984, The medieval ceramic industry of the Severn Valley. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Southampton.
Young T P 1993, ‘Sedimentary Ironstones’, in R A D Pattrick and D Polya (eds), Mineralization in the British Isles (London), 446-489.
Young T P 2007, Topographic and geophysical survey of two bloomery sites near Highley, Shropshire (GeoArch Report 2007/03).
Young T P 2008a, Excavations at Ned’s Garden, Shropshire (NG08): Data Structure Report (GeoArch Report 2008/34).
Young T P 2008b, Excavations at Cinder Mill, Shropshire (FID08): Data Structure Report (GeoArch Report 2008/35).
Young T P 2011, Archaeometallurgical residues from Ned’s Garden & Cindermill, Shropshire (GeoArch Report 2011/10).
How to Cite
Two medieval bloomery sites in Shropshire: the adoption of water power for iron smelting. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 46(2), 78-97. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/116
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How to Cite
Two medieval bloomery sites in Shropshire: the adoption of water power for iron smelting. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 46(2), 78-97. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/116