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Site Name:
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Gosden Furnace |
OS Reference:
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TQ 2290 2510
Click here to view on Where's The Path |
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Parish:
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Lower Beeding |
Former Parish:
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Hundred:
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Burbeach |
District:
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Horsham |
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County:
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West Sussex |
River Basin:
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Adur |
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Site Type:
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Furnace |
Period:
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Modern |
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Century:
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16, 17 |
Geology:
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Upper Tunbridge Wells Sand |
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Geology notes:
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Earliest known date:
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1580 |
Latest known date:
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1602 |
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Dating evidence:
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Probably erected in 1580 by Roger Gratwick, it is likely that the furnace was supplied with wood granted under a patent of 1578 to Sir Thomas Sherley and assigned to Gratwick among others (TNA E178/2313). By 1586 it was in the ownership of Edward Caryll of Shipley. In 1595 a lease for three years was taken by William and Neville Cheeseman from John Middleton, who was also an assignee of Sherley's rights in the forest. Sows made by them in the 1590s were said to be 'the worst sows in Sussex'. Disputes centred on quantities of wood to be delivered to the furnace and of sows to be furnished for the lessor (TNA REQ2/186/35, 166/46). The case still proceeded in 1602.
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Site Description:
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Bay: L 95m H pond in water/4.75m Projection at E end protected working area from spillway stream.
Water system: Spillway at E end is stonebuilt and may be original. Modern pipe through bay at W end leads to swampy hollow and ditch which may indicate wheelpit. At pipe exit are two collapsed stone slabs 1.5m x 30cm x 8cm.
Working area: Small heaps of black glassy slag containing sandstone occur near E end. Most of the area is swamp due to leakage from spillway stream. An old track leads to W end of bay.
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Scheduled Monument Number:
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HER Reference:
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Bay Height (m.):
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4.75 |
Bay Length (m.):
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95 |
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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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Straker, E. (1931) Wealden Iron. Bell. London
(for this site see page(s) 417, 436)
Cleere, H. F. and Crossley, D. W.. (1995) The iron industry of the Weald. Merton Priory Press. Cardiff
(for this site see page(s) 153, 333)
anon.. (1974) Inventory of Iron Sites visited by WIRG. Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. 1st series, 7. pp. 10-27
(for this site see page(s) 17)
Hudson, T. P.. (1987) A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 3: Bramber Rape (North-Eastern Part) including Crawley New Town. Victoria County History. London
(for this site see page(s) 21-5)
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Persons with known connections to this site:
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Caryll, Edward - Lessee/ironmaster bef 1586-?
Cheeseman, Neville - Co-lessee/ironmaster 1595-?
Cheeseman, William - Co-lessee/ironmaster 1595-?
Daniel, John - founder in 1602
Duffield, John - ?miner in 1588
Felmonger, Richard - ?miner in 1588
Gagge, Stephen - founder in 1602
Gratwick, Roger - Builder and lessee/ironmaster 1580- bef 1586
Middleton, John - Lessee aft 1586-?
Moore, Giles - clerk 1578-88
Parker, Edward - miner in 1588
Pottington, William - carrier in 1588
Powlter, Robert - miner in 1588
Quindley, Edward - miner in 1588
Seale, John - carrier in 1588
The Crown - Owner c.1580-aft 1602
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Documents:
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Images:
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