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Site Name:
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Etchingham Forge |
OS Reference:
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TQ 7016 2667
Click here to view on Where's The Path |
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Parish:
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Etchingham |
Former Parish:
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Hundred:
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Henhurst |
District:
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Rother |
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County:
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East Sussex |
River Basin:
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Rother |
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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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18, 17, 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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1521 |
Latest known date:
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1740 |
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Dating evidence:
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A reference, of 1521, to John Ongerfield, hammersmith, of Etchingham may be a pointer to an early forge here (TNA, KB9/486). This site was certainly in operation by 1540 (TNA, C78/1/57); Sir Robert Tyrwhitt employed alien workers, probably here in 1544 (Archives of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, WAM 12261). It was included in the complaint by coastal towns about timber shortage in 1548, and in 1568 was let by Sir Robert Tyrwhitt to Thomas Glydd with Darvell furnace (q.v.) (ESRO, DUN 14/1, Vivian 1953:191). Tyrwhitt and Glydd were named owner and tenant in 1574. The forge is referred to in a rental of 1584 payable to Margery Hendley, widow of Thomas Roberts of Boarzell (ESRO, DUN 37/3). The last sixteenth-century references are to a case involving Glydd in 1588 (TNA, REQ2/68/50, 72/21) and a survey of the manor in 1597 where the forge, which evidently had two fineries at that time, was stated to be 'in great decaye' (Vivian 1953, 203). The forge was acquired by Sir George Strode of Westerham from George Duncombe and Thomas Howard, and descended to the Robinson Lytton family. It had been used in 1653 but was laid aside in 1664; however in 1693-4 hammers and anvils were bought from the Pelhams' Waldron furnace (BL Add. MSS 33156, f.46). In 1699 John Nicoll, of Mountfield, had the forge (ESRO, AMS 1402), probably working it in association with Darwell Furnace. It produced 50 tons in 1717 but was absent from the 1736 list. It was marked on Budgen's map of 1724. The forge was leased to Sir Thomas Webster in 1733, when it was occupied by John Busbridge (Huntington Library, San Marino, HEH BA vol 61). It probably worked in association with Beech Furnace which Webster also leased. A settlement of 1780 notes the previous occupancy of William Western (ESRO, AMS 1896).
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Site Description:
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Bay: Semi-circular shape.
Water system: Former pond bisected by railway; small pond survives north of railway line, but is dry to the south. Water was later conveyed by 850m leat from River Rother, east of Crowhurst Bridge, flowing into (now dry) pond. Pen pond to south with channel to pond tail.
Working area: On a confined site between the pond, river and tailrace, where there are forge bottoms.
In a survey of the manor of Etchingham in 1597 the forge was described as follows:
'The Forge house in great decaye wherein ys one Hammer, Wheelde, Beame Hamer and Anvile with all the harnys belonginge to it, one Chaferye wheele and the beame one payre of large bellows and theire Attyre, And twoe fynerie Beames and wheeles with two payre of large bellowes wth their Attyre with all necessarie ymplements and Tooles fitt and necessarie for the Forge with ponde conteyninge xxxv acres Twoe Fluddgates and one watercourse, twoe Iron houses walled with bordes, wth a wast peice of grownde for the placinge of Coles, Sewer [Sowes?], Tymber and other necessaries for the Forge conteyninge one Acre.' (Vivian, 1953, 203)
The forge hammer and anvil from Etchingham are preserved at Anne of Cleves House, Lewes.
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Scheduled Monument Number:
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HER Reference:
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MES3802 (ANA) |
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Bay Height (m.):
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Bay Length (m.):
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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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Yes |
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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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Hulme, E. W.. (1929) Statistical History of the Iron Trade of England and Wales, 1717-1750. Transactions of the Newcomen Society. 9. pp. 12-35
(for this site see page(s) 22)
Hodgkinson, J. S.. (2020) Etchingham Forge: a note on its water supply. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 40. pp. 65-66
Hodgkinson, J. S.. (2025) The operation of Waldron Furnace, East Sussex, 1690-1716 . Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 45. pp. 44-66
(for this site see page(s) 48)
Straker, E. (1931) Wealden Iron. Bell. London
(for this site see page(s) 298)
Cleere, H. F. and Crossley, D. W.. (1995) The iron industry of the Weald. Merton Priory Press. Cardiff
(for this site see page(s) 330)
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) 10-11)
Vivian, S. P.. (1953) The manor of Etchingham cum Salehurst. Sussex Record Society vol 53. Lewes
(for this site see page(s) 203)
Awty, B. G.. (1979) Provisional Identification of Ironworkers among French Immigrants Listed in the Denization Rolls of 1541 and 1544. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. First series, 16. pp. 2-11
Teesdale, E. B.. (1986) The 1574 lists of ironworks in the Weald. A re-examination. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 6. pp. 7-41
(for this site see page(s) 34-5)
Jack, S. M.. (1981) Sources for the History of the Iron Industry in the PRO, Pt 2. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 1. pp. 7-11
(for this site see page(s) 8)
Herbert, B. K. & Cornish, T.. (2012) The location of Etchingham Forge. Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group. Second series, 32. pp. 28-34
(for this site see page(s) 29-33)
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Persons with known connections to this site:
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Allow, John - Collier in 1597
Bartyn, Nicholas - working here or at Darwell furnace in 1544
Busbridge, John - Tenant/ironmaster c.1721-25
Busbridge, William - Lessee/forgemaster 1725-33
Carbonett, John - working here or at Darwell furnace in 1544
Dewprown, Thomas - working here or at Darwell furnace in 1544
Duncombe, George - Co-owner bef 1646
Glidd, Thomas - Lessee 1568-aft 1588
Hendley, Margery - Received rent in 1588
Howard, Thomas - Co-owner bef 1646
Jerman, Henry - forgeman bef 1709-aft 1716
Levitt, John - hammerman in 1597
Margoo, John - working here or at Darwell furnace in 1544
Nicoll, John - Lessee bef 1693-?
Ongerfeld, John - ?hammersmith in 1521
Oxenbridge, Elizabeth - Owner in 1540
Oxenbridge, Thomas - Owner bef 1539-40
Platt, Ralph - not known
Robinson Lytton, John - Owner 1732-40
Robinson Lytton, William - Owner 1710-32
Standen, Edward - Master finer in 1597
Standen, James - ?hammerman 1622-5
Strode, George - Owner1683-1707
Strode, George - Owner bef 1646-63
Strode, Lytton - Owner 1707-10
Strode, Nicholas - Owner 1663-83
Tyrwhitt, Robert - Owner 1540-81
Tyrwhitt, Robert - Owner 1591-1620
Tyrwhitt, William - Owner 1581-91
Walsh, Joan - Co-lessee 1539-c.1545
Walsh, Thomas - Lessee/ironmaster ?-1540
Webster, Thomas - Lessee/ironmaster 1733-40?
Western, William - Lessee/ironmaster bef 1721
Wyott, Richard - carpenter in 1597
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Documents:
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Images:
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