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Site Name:
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Scarlets Furnace |
OS Reference:
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TQ 4429 4006
Click here to view on Where's The Path |
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Parish:
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Cowden |
Former Parish:
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Hundred:
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Westerham and Edenbridge |
District:
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Sevenoaks |
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County:
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Kent |
River Basin:
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Medway |
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Site Type:
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Gunfoundry, Boring Mill, Furnace |
Period:
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Modern |
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Century:
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18, 17, 16 |
Geology:
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Wadhurst Clay |
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Geology notes:
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Earliest known date:
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1588 |
Latest known date:
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1708 |
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Dating evidence:
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References to the upper Cowden furnace refer to Scarlets. In 1588 John Knight occupied a furnace in Cowden making only sows. In 1590 Thomas Burre (possibly Burgh, and pronounced 'borough') was recorded as working the 'Upper' furnace, but Francis Johnson (not Knight as stated in Cleere & Crossley) entered into a bond as the occupier of Scarlets (Staffs. RO D593/S/4/28/17). In 1618, John Knight left this furnace to his son Jonas (TNA PROB 11/133/85); however, in 1633, the furnace was property of Richard Knight, John's brother, who left it to his son, John (TNA PROB 11/164/615). A 1641 map of John Knight's Basing estate shows the furnace pond, furnace and boring mill (ESRO, ACC 9638/1). In 1644 the furnace passed to his son, Richard, a minor (Attree 1912:137), who later worked the furnace with Robert James. During this period John Browne worked at Cowden: from 1638-41 he was partner of Henry Cruttenden (Hereford Archives and Records Centre E12/VI/B); he is mentioned in 1651 and 1655 (ibid. 5307, 5312) and had equipment there in 1664 (KHLC 1295/62). Scarlets was recorded as active in the list of 1664, making guns or shot in the Dutch wars, while the lower furnace was described as ruined, which seems to conflict with the reference to Browne's equipment, stock at both furnaces being noted in the Foley accounts in 1655 (HARC E 12/VI/2/4967. On his death in 1682 Richard Knight handed over the furnace to his partner Robert James for his lifetime, when ownership would pass to his daughter Sarah. James died in 1695 and his probate inventory lists stock and equipment at the furnace (TNA, PROB 4/16759; Hodgkinson 2023). It is possible that his son Thomas continued to operate the works as cannon were cast by someone of that name in 1703-8 (TNA, WO 47/22 p.121). In 1695 government shells were cast at Scarlets for William Benge (TNA WO 51/50 f. 130v and 46 f. 171r; 50 f. 130v; Brown 1993, 28). In 1703, Leonard Gale married Richard Knight's daughter Sarah; however, his presence in Cowden had been noted in 1686 (Turner 1868, 114). It had ceased working before his death in 1750.
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Site Description:
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Bay: L 70m H 1.5m/3m When breached by flood in 1968 section showed original bank of clay, raised by soil containing glassy slag. Pond side was revetted by wall 0.6mm thick with lower courses of stone and upper of brick.
Water system: Pond now in water (restored in 1977). Modern spillway at S end with bank protecting working area. The flood breach revealed two wooden tunnels through bay, with control gates, which may refer to later corn mill as may the wheelpit which they serve. In 1641 the pond was 8 acres in extent.
Working area: No evidence for forge operation has been found (cf. Straker).
Re-use: Corn mill.
The 1641 map of the Basing estate (ESRO, ACC 9638/1) shows the furnace and boring mill on separate watercourses issuing from the pond bay and converging a short distance downstream. The site of the later corn mill is likely to have originally been the site of the boring mill.
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Scheduled Monument Number:
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HER Reference:
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TQ 44 SW 4 |
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Bay Height (m.):
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3 |
Bay Length (m.):
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70 |
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Classis Britannica tiles:
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No |
Samian pottery:
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No |
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Cylindrical slag plugs:
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No |
Two-finery forge:
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No |
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Excavation?:
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Yes |
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Excavation Details:
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Excavation near N end revealed furnace site, wheelpit and gun casting pit. (Adams 1976, 23; Crossley 1979:239-49).
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Description of site vegetation:
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Slag Heap Area (m. sq) :
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Slag heap grade (Hodgkinson 1999):
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Persons Involved in Discovery:
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References:
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Hodgkinson, J. S.. (2014) Cowden Furnaces in the late-16th Century - Some further comments. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 34. pp. 60-2
Adams, R.. (1976) Scarlets Furnace: a note. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. First series, 9. pp. 23
Cattell, C. S.. (1971) An Evaluation of the Loseley List of Ironworks within the Weald in the Year 1588. Archaeologia Cantiana. 86. pp. 85-92
Hodgkinson, J. S.. (2023) Some probate inventories mentioning ironworks. Wealden Iron, Second series. 43. pp. 47-61
(for this site see page(s) 52-54)
Straker, E. (1931) Wealden Iron. Bell. London
(for this site see page(s) 224-5)
Cleere, H. F. and Crossley, D. W.. (1995) The iron industry of the Weald. Merton Priory Press. Cardiff
(for this site see page(s) 354-5)
Crossley, D. W.. (1979) A gun-casting furnace at Scarlets, Cowden, Kent. Post-Medieval Archaeology. 13. pp. 239-249
Hodgkinson, J. S.. (2004) Ironworks in Late-16th Century Kent. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 24. pp. 6-16
(for this site see page(s) 11, 12, 13)
Brown, R. R.. (1993) Notes on Wealden furnaces in the records of the Board of Ordnance, 1660-1700. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 13. pp. 20-30
(for this site see page(s) 28)
Turner, E.. (1868) Ancient Parochial Account Book of Cowden. Sussex Archaeological Collections. 20. pp. 90-119
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Persons with known connections to this site:
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Benge, William - cast shot or shells in 1692-5
Botting, Edmund - Supplied iron ore in 1646
Browne, George - ?Lessee/ironmaster 1655-64
Burre, Thomas - Co-owner in 1588
Cruttenden, Henry - Co-lessee 1651-64
Cryppyn, Stephen - iron worker in 1560 and 63
Daniell, Edward - ironworker in 1692
Daniell, Edward - founder bef 1657- aft 1692
Daniell, Robert - ?ironworker in 1581
Dench, John - ironworker in 1692
Gale, Leonard - Co-owner 1703-?
James, Robert - Lessee/ironmaster 1662-95
James, Thomas - Lessee/ironmaster 1695-after 1708
Johnson, Francis - Lessee/ironmaster in 1590
Knight, John - Owner bef 1588-1611
Knight, John - Owner/ironmaster aft 1627-1644
Knight, John - Owner aft 1611-1618
Knight, Jonas - Owner 1618- bef 1633
Knight, Richard - Owner aft 1627-1633
Knight, Richard - Owner 1644-81
Knight, Sarah - Owner 1681-1703
Littleton, James - Tenant/ironmaster in 1665
Pooly, John - ironworker in 1692
Rey, Reynold - iron worker 1544-72
Standen, Elias - ironworker in 1692
Standen, Elias - ironworker in 1692
Turner, George - Supplied iron ore in 1646
Turner, William - pot founder before 1679
Underhill, George - Supplied iron ore in 1646
Vynall, Elizabeth - De facto owner 1644-57
Washer, Mathew - iron worker in 1572
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Documents:
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Images:
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