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Site Name:
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Crowborough (Grubsbars) Forge |
OS Reference:
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TQ 4989 3260
Click here to view on Where's The Path |
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Parish:
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Withyham |
Former Parish:
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Hundred:
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Hartfield |
District:
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Wealden |
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County:
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East Sussex |
River Basin:
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Medway |
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Site Type:
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Forge |
Period:
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Modern |
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Century:
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16 |
Geology:
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Ashdown Beds |
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Geology notes:
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Earliest known date:
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1593 |
Latest known date:
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1593 |
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Dating evidence:
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The alternative name of Grubsbars for this site is found in a Star Chamber case of 1593, when it was in the hands of William Bassett of Withyham, who probably worked it with Oldlands furnace (TNA STAC 5/B90/39 13 Feb 35 Eliz 1; Awty 1983a: 33 8).
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Site Description:
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Bay: L 120m H 2m/3m Breached by stream 35m from original W end. 6m of W end destroyed. Gap 4m from E end, on W side of which bay projects to N. Section at stream breach shows that bay has twice been raised.
Water system: Pond dry. Spillway at extreme E end of bay with dry ditch towards existing stream.
Working area: In locality of stream breach. Preserved in stream bed imediately downstream of the bay is the circular wooden base of an anvil block with associated planking; just downstream near right-hand bank is an apparent iron plate. Small amount of forge cinder in stream.
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Scheduled Monument Number:
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1002208 (ES 469) |
HER Reference:
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MES5103 (ANA) |
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Bay Height (m.):
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3 |
Bay Length (m.):
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120 |
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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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No |
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Excavation Details:
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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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anon.. (1973) Inventory of Iron Sites visited by WIRG. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. 1st series, 6. pp. 17-31
(for this site see page(s) 29)
Cleere, H. F. and Crossley, D. W.. (1995) The iron industry of the Weald. Merton Priory Press. Cardiff
(for this site see page(s) 326)
Awty, B. G.. (1989) A new forgemaster, William Bassett, and an old name, Grubsbars, for Crowborough forge. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. 2nd series, 9. pp. 33-38
anon.. (1976) Inventory of Sites visited by WIRG. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. 1st series, 9. pp. 2-18
(for this site see page(s) 7-8)
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Persons with known connections to this site:
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Bassett, William - Lessee/ironmaster in 1593
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Documents:
(click to download)
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Images:
(click on a thumbnail to view)
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