Whitecliff Ironworks
Encyclopedia
Whitecliff Ironworks, sometimes referred to as Whitecliff Furnace, at Coleford
, in the Forest of Dean
, Gloucestershire
, England
, are industrial remains associated with the production of iron
, using coke
, in the Forest of Dean.
. With its huge iron-ore reserves and ready supply of timber, the Forest of Dean had been an area of national importance in the production of iron, using charcoal
, for hundreds of years. Despite there also being extensive coal measures, Forest of Dean coal did not produce coke which was ideal for smelting and local ironmasters
were reluctant to invest in the new technology. It was not until the last decade of the 18th century that coke-fired furnaces began to make an appearance in the Forest of Dean, with Cinderford
, Whitecliff and Parkend Ironworks
being built almost simultaneously.
, a noted Scottish
metallurgist
, offering to pay him for his advice on a major rebuilding of the works. Mushet designed and supervised the project, between 1808 and 1810, while at the same time managing the Alfreton Ironworks in Derbyshire
.
Mushet moved to Coleford to take up full-time management of the Whitecliff works in February 1810, after Halford had bought out his partners, and entered into a new partnership with Halford and a man named Spicer; who had been brought in by Halford as a major investor.
After just six months Mushet quickly disengaged himself from the partnership. He was not known to act impulsively, and the reasons for this decision are not fully understood. The Forest of Dean Local History Society attribute it mainly to a difference of opinion with Halford, though letters between the two, from 1810 to 1812, show them as being on good terms after the split. It has also been suggested that Halford, the majority partner, may have suffered a collapse of his other business interests, for it is known that he became bankrupt in 1816. However, Forest of Dean historian, Ian Standing, points out that it was Halford who bought Mushet's shares upon his departure and he attributes the most likely cause to be technical problems due to a 'combination of difficult ore and an expensive and unsuitable coke'.
Whatever the reason, in late 1810, or possibly early 1811, Mushet left Halford to run Whitecliff on his own. The scale of iron making at Whitecliff, after 1810, is unknown, but it had ceased completely by 1816 and possibly as early as 1812. There is no evidence that iron was ever produced again at the site and it seems there was then a period of rapid decline. A large quantity of items 'connected to the blast apparatus' were transferred to Cinderford Ironworks
in 1827. A map dated 1852 shows the structures almost as they appear today although, in the intervening years, it is clear they have been used as a source of building stone.
As part of their centenary celebrations, research into the site was carried out by Samuel Osborn & Company
in the late 1940s, and featured in the Dean Forest Guardian in 1949. Interest in the Whitecliff works continued to grow after it featured in several books during the 1950s and 60s. In August 1968 Whitecliff Furnace finally became the subject of a Building Preservation Order, but it was not until 1981 that preservation work was undertaken.
The remains of Whitecliff Ironworks were bought by the Dean Heritage Museum Trust in 1983.
A £65,000 refurbishment programme commenced in August 2011, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
and Forest of Dean Local Action.
The Whitecliff site is open to the public for viewing only.
Coleford
Coleford may refer to a number of settlements in England:* Coleford, Devon* Coleford, Gloucestershire* Coleford, Somerset...
, in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, are industrial remains associated with the production of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, using coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
, in the Forest of Dean.
Background
The first coke-fired blast furnace was constructed in 1709 at Coalbrookdale in ShropshireShropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. With its huge iron-ore reserves and ready supply of timber, the Forest of Dean had been an area of national importance in the production of iron, using charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, for hundreds of years. Despite there also being extensive coal measures, Forest of Dean coal did not produce coke which was ideal for smelting and local ironmasters
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
were reluctant to invest in the new technology. It was not until the last decade of the 18th century that coke-fired furnaces began to make an appearance in the Forest of Dean, with Cinderford
Cinderford Ironworks
Cinderford Ironworks, also known as Cinderford Furnace, was a coke-fired blast furnace, built in 1795, just west of Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.-Background:...
, Whitecliff and Parkend Ironworks
Parkend Ironworks
Parkend Ironworks, also known as Parkend Furnace, in the village of Parkend, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, was a coke-fired furnace built in 1799...
being built almost simultaneously.
History
In 1798, work commenced on Whitecliff Ironworks; the second coke-fired furnace to be constructed in the Forest of Dean. The main impetus behind its construction came from Shropshire, although the partnership responsible almost certainly included James Teague, an industrious entrepreneur from Coleford. The building phase was badly affected by flooding, but the furnace was 'blown in' in 1801 or 1802. By 1808 most of the original partners had sold their shares and Whitecliff was now owned by Thomas Halford, James Teague, Isaiah Birt and Wickenden. Teague was in charge of the day-to-day running of the site, but Halford, a London stockbroker, was the majority shareholder and the driving force behind all the activities there. Halford was not satisfied with the output the ironworks were achieving and in 1808 he approached David MushetDavid Mushet
David Mushet was a Scottish metallurgist and the youngest son of Margaret Cochran and William Mushet.-Early life:Mushet was born on October 2, 1772, in Dalkeith, near Edinburgh. He was educated at Dalkeith Grammar School....
, a noted Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
metallurgist
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
, offering to pay him for his advice on a major rebuilding of the works. Mushet designed and supervised the project, between 1808 and 1810, while at the same time managing the Alfreton Ironworks in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.
Mushet moved to Coleford to take up full-time management of the Whitecliff works in February 1810, after Halford had bought out his partners, and entered into a new partnership with Halford and a man named Spicer; who had been brought in by Halford as a major investor.
After just six months Mushet quickly disengaged himself from the partnership. He was not known to act impulsively, and the reasons for this decision are not fully understood. The Forest of Dean Local History Society attribute it mainly to a difference of opinion with Halford, though letters between the two, from 1810 to 1812, show them as being on good terms after the split. It has also been suggested that Halford, the majority partner, may have suffered a collapse of his other business interests, for it is known that he became bankrupt in 1816. However, Forest of Dean historian, Ian Standing, points out that it was Halford who bought Mushet's shares upon his departure and he attributes the most likely cause to be technical problems due to a 'combination of difficult ore and an expensive and unsuitable coke'.
Whatever the reason, in late 1810, or possibly early 1811, Mushet left Halford to run Whitecliff on his own. The scale of iron making at Whitecliff, after 1810, is unknown, but it had ceased completely by 1816 and possibly as early as 1812. There is no evidence that iron was ever produced again at the site and it seems there was then a period of rapid decline. A large quantity of items 'connected to the blast apparatus' were transferred to Cinderford Ironworks
Cinderford Ironworks
Cinderford Ironworks, also known as Cinderford Furnace, was a coke-fired blast furnace, built in 1795, just west of Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.-Background:...
in 1827. A map dated 1852 shows the structures almost as they appear today although, in the intervening years, it is clear they have been used as a source of building stone.
As part of their centenary celebrations, research into the site was carried out by Samuel Osborn & Company
Samuel Osborn & Company
Samuel Osborn and Company was a steelmaker and engineering tool manufacturer situated in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.- Early life :Samuel Osborn junior was born in Sheffield in 1826, his father, also named Samuel, was a partner in the firm of Clark and Osborn, makers of pocket knives, razors,...
in the late 1940s, and featured in the Dean Forest Guardian in 1949. Interest in the Whitecliff works continued to grow after it featured in several books during the 1950s and 60s. In August 1968 Whitecliff Furnace finally became the subject of a Building Preservation Order, but it was not until 1981 that preservation work was undertaken.
The remains of Whitecliff Ironworks were bought by the Dean Heritage Museum Trust in 1983.
A £65,000 refurbishment programme commenced in August 2011, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
and Forest of Dean Local Action.
The Whitecliff site is open to the public for viewing only.
See also
- David MushetDavid MushetDavid Mushet was a Scottish metallurgist and the youngest son of Margaret Cochran and William Mushet.-Early life:Mushet was born on October 2, 1772, in Dalkeith, near Edinburgh. He was educated at Dalkeith Grammar School....
- Blast furnaceBlast furnaceA blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
- Cinderford IronworksCinderford IronworksCinderford Ironworks, also known as Cinderford Furnace, was a coke-fired blast furnace, built in 1795, just west of Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.-Background:...
- Parkend IronworksParkend IronworksParkend Ironworks, also known as Parkend Furnace, in the village of Parkend, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, was a coke-fired furnace built in 1799...
- Darkhill IronworksDarkhill IronworksDarkhill Ironworks, and the neighbouring Titanic Steelworks, are internationally important industrial remains associated with the development of the iron and steel industries. Both are scheduled monuments. They are located on the edge of a small hamlet called Gorsty Knoll, just to the west of...
Further reading
- Fred M. Osborn, The Story of the Mushets, London, Thomas Nelson & Sons (1952)
- Ralph Anstis, Man of Iron - Man of Steel, ISBN 095113714X