An early 17th-century blast furnace at Furness Mill Farm, Hunwick, Co Durham
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Published
Sep 15, 2021
Abstract
New documentary evidence is presented which indicates the existence of an early 17th-century blast furnace beside the river Wear, near Hunwick, Co Durham (NZ 1988 3316). The furnace was built in or before 1632 by the Whartons of Gillingwood, North Yorkshire, who are better known for their later involvement in the lead industry. Ironstone was brought to the furnace from surface workings 2km distant, near Constantine Farm. After the death of Thomas Wharton in 1641 the furnace was sold, in 1647, to Thomas Bowes of Streatlam Castle and Charles Vane of Raby Castle. After the Restoration it was briefly used by the Bishop of Durham. In the 1670s or 1680s the furnace was replaced by a fulling mill.
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
Keywords
References
Anon 1878-1897, An account of the strata of Northumberland and Durham as proved by borings and sinkings’, 6 vols (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Anon 1894, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2nd ser, 6, 186.
Arkell W J and Tomkieff S I 1973, English rock terms (Oxford).
Berg T and Berg P 2001, R R Angerstein’s travel diary, 1753-55 (London).
Blackburn A 1994, ‘Mining without laws: origins and practices of the Weardale moormasters’, Bulletin Peak District Mines Historical Society 12(3), 69-75.
Brown P and Linsley S M 1979, ‘Allensford Blast Furnace Excavation Report, Historical Metallurgy 13(1), 42.
Cleere H and Crossley D 1985, The iron industry of the Weald (Leicester).
Cranstone D 2008, ‘Steel in the Derwent Valley; but Enlightenment?’, Historical Metallurgy 42(2), 100-111.
Crossley D 1990, Post-medieval archaeology in Britain (Leicester).
Denton B 1997, Only in heaven: The life and campaigns of Sir Arthur Hesilrige, 1601-1661 (Sheffield).
Fordyce W 1857, The history and antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham, vol 1 (London and Edinburgh).
Hayman R 2005, Ironmaking: the history and archaeology of the iron industry (Stroud).
Historic Manuscripts Commission 13th Report, appx part 2 1893, ‘Thomas Baskerville’s journeys in England temp. Charles II’, in The Manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of Portland preserved at Welbeck Abbey, vol 2 (London), 263-314.
Hodgson J F 1896, ‘The chapel of Auckland Castle’, Archaeologia Aeliana 18, 113-240.
Hutchinson W 1787, The history and antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham, vol 2 (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
King P W 2004, The iron trade in England and Wales 1500-1815: the charcoal iron industry and its transition to coke, unpublished DPhil thesis, Wolverhampton University.
King P W 2005, ‘The production and consumption of bar iron in early modern England and Wales’, Economic History Review 58(1), 1-33.
Kirby D A (ed), 1971 Parliamentary surveys of the Bishopric of Durham, vol 1 (Durham: Surtees Society Publication 183).
Linsley S M 1982, ‘Furnace re-discovered – provisional note’, Industrial Archaeology Review 6(1), 69-72.
Linsley S M and Hetherington R 1978, ‘A seventeenth century blast furnace at Allensford, Northumberland’, Historical Metallurgy 12(1), 1-11.
Ornsby G (ed) 1872, The correspondence of John Cosin, D.D., Lord Bishop of Durham, vol 2 (Durham: Surtees Society Publication 55).
Page W (ed) 1907, The Victoria County History of Durham, vol 2 (London).
Pask B M (ed) 2011, The letters of George Davenport 1651-1677 (Woodbridge: Surtees Society Publication 215).
Riden P 1993, A gazetteer of charcoal-fired blast furnaces in Great Britain in use since 1660 (Cardiff).
Robson D A (ed) 1980, The geology of north east England (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Sainty J C 2004, Receivers of land revenues 1554-1832: A provisional list (London).
Stone P, Millward D, Young B, Merritt, J W, Clarke S M, McCormac M, and Lawrence D J D 2010, British regional geology: northern England, 5th edn (Nottingham).
Surtees H C S 1923, The history of the parishes of Hunwick, Helmington, Witton Park and Etherley (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Surtees H C S 1924, The history of the parish of Witton-le-Wear in the County Palatine of Durham (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Surtees H C S 1926, The history of the parishes of Thornley and Tow Law (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Woodward J 1728-29, An attempt towards a natural history of the fossils of England, 2 vols (London).
Wright J (ed) 1961, The English dialect dictionary, 6 vols (Oxford).
Anon 1894, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2nd ser, 6, 186.
Arkell W J and Tomkieff S I 1973, English rock terms (Oxford).
Berg T and Berg P 2001, R R Angerstein’s travel diary, 1753-55 (London).
Blackburn A 1994, ‘Mining without laws: origins and practices of the Weardale moormasters’, Bulletin Peak District Mines Historical Society 12(3), 69-75.
Brown P and Linsley S M 1979, ‘Allensford Blast Furnace Excavation Report, Historical Metallurgy 13(1), 42.
Cleere H and Crossley D 1985, The iron industry of the Weald (Leicester).
Cranstone D 2008, ‘Steel in the Derwent Valley; but Enlightenment?’, Historical Metallurgy 42(2), 100-111.
Crossley D 1990, Post-medieval archaeology in Britain (Leicester).
Denton B 1997, Only in heaven: The life and campaigns of Sir Arthur Hesilrige, 1601-1661 (Sheffield).
Fordyce W 1857, The history and antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham, vol 1 (London and Edinburgh).
Hayman R 2005, Ironmaking: the history and archaeology of the iron industry (Stroud).
Historic Manuscripts Commission 13th Report, appx part 2 1893, ‘Thomas Baskerville’s journeys in England temp. Charles II’, in The Manuscripts of His Grace the Duke of Portland preserved at Welbeck Abbey, vol 2 (London), 263-314.
Hodgson J F 1896, ‘The chapel of Auckland Castle’, Archaeologia Aeliana 18, 113-240.
Hutchinson W 1787, The history and antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham, vol 2 (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
King P W 2004, The iron trade in England and Wales 1500-1815: the charcoal iron industry and its transition to coke, unpublished DPhil thesis, Wolverhampton University.
King P W 2005, ‘The production and consumption of bar iron in early modern England and Wales’, Economic History Review 58(1), 1-33.
Kirby D A (ed), 1971 Parliamentary surveys of the Bishopric of Durham, vol 1 (Durham: Surtees Society Publication 183).
Linsley S M 1982, ‘Furnace re-discovered – provisional note’, Industrial Archaeology Review 6(1), 69-72.
Linsley S M and Hetherington R 1978, ‘A seventeenth century blast furnace at Allensford, Northumberland’, Historical Metallurgy 12(1), 1-11.
Ornsby G (ed) 1872, The correspondence of John Cosin, D.D., Lord Bishop of Durham, vol 2 (Durham: Surtees Society Publication 55).
Page W (ed) 1907, The Victoria County History of Durham, vol 2 (London).
Pask B M (ed) 2011, The letters of George Davenport 1651-1677 (Woodbridge: Surtees Society Publication 215).
Riden P 1993, A gazetteer of charcoal-fired blast furnaces in Great Britain in use since 1660 (Cardiff).
Robson D A (ed) 1980, The geology of north east England (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Sainty J C 2004, Receivers of land revenues 1554-1832: A provisional list (London).
Stone P, Millward D, Young B, Merritt, J W, Clarke S M, McCormac M, and Lawrence D J D 2010, British regional geology: northern England, 5th edn (Nottingham).
Surtees H C S 1923, The history of the parishes of Hunwick, Helmington, Witton Park and Etherley (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Surtees H C S 1924, The history of the parish of Witton-le-Wear in the County Palatine of Durham (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Surtees H C S 1926, The history of the parishes of Thornley and Tow Law (Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Woodward J 1728-29, An attempt towards a natural history of the fossils of England, 2 vols (London).
Wright J (ed) 1961, The English dialect dictionary, 6 vols (Oxford).
How to Cite
Gates, T. (2021). An early 17th-century blast furnace at Furness Mill Farm, Hunwick, Co Durham. Historical Metallurgy, 49(1), 50-62. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/75
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Gates, T. (2021). An early 17th-century blast furnace at Furness Mill Farm, Hunwick, Co Durham. Historical Metallurgy, 49(1), 50-62. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/75