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Summary

The first viable high explosives factory in Cornwall, developed by the Hungarian Otto Guttmann.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument: National Explosives

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 349.1.1
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 37085
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW53NE 69

Monument Type(s):

• EXPLOSIVES FACTORY (19th Century - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Opened in late 1899 to manufacture dynamite as a new venture of the parent Kennall Vale Gunpowder Company. In 1899 the first batch of nitroglycerine and dynamite was made and the following year the factory was turning out about three tons of dynamite daily. The works expanded to include plant for the making of gelignite and cordite, and became one of the most important suppliers of high explosives in Britain. National provided the forces with large quantities of cordite during the 1914-18 war, when the factory was largely given over to the manufacture of munitions. The decline in fortunes of the Cornish mining industry resulted in the works going into liquidation in 1919; the plant was sold off in 1920.
In 1991 the County Council commisioned CAU to compile a management report containing a detailed site history and description (b5). The site is visible on air photographs (p1-5) and a 1:2500 plot was made using them. This plot was used as the base for the fieldwork stage of the survey. At a later date the site was plotted at 1:10,000 as part of the NMP.

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Site history:
1: 1991. EARL AND SMITH / CAU
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RAF, 1946, 3G/TUD/209/5019 (Photographic Record). SCO10840.

<1> UNKNOWN, 1973, NTS, 2, 12, 13 (Unedited Source). SCO8211.

RAF, 1946, 3G/TUD/209/5142-5151 (Photographic Record). SCO10891.

<2> HARRIS, 1971, UNPUBLISHED ESSAY (Unedited Source). SCO8105.

<3> UNKNOWN, 1921, UNKNOWN TITLE, 28/4/1921 (Unedited Source). SCO7074.

NMR, 1968, MAL 52/68/207-216 (Photographic Record). SCO14881.

CUC, 1976, RC8/BK/194-197 (Photographic Record). SCO15846.

<4> Earl, B, 1978, Cornish Explosives (Article in Serial). SCO3298.

CAU, 1989, F21/116 (Photographic Record). SCO17881.

<6> HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE, 199-, INDEX OF OLD EXPLOSIVES WORKS, F141 (Unedited Source). SCO8930.

<7> Earl, B. & Smith, JR, 1991, National Explosives, Upton Towans, Hayle: an archaeological and historical assessment (Cornwall Event Report). SCO762.

<8> Jones, A, 1998, Upton and Gwithian Towans - An Archaeological Assessment (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1345.

<9> Arkley & Hoskin, P, 2001, Management Plan Upton Towans Draft for Consultation 2001-2006 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO144.

<10> Jones, A, 1998, Upton and Gwithian Towans - Structural Recording Work (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1346.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Related records

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