Monument Type(s):

• CORN MILL (Demolished 1960, 16th century to 20th century (post-war) - 1500 AD to 1960 AD)
• WATERMILL (Demolished 1960, 16th century to 20th century (post-war) - 1500 AD to 1960 AD)
• MILL POND (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)
• BLAST FURNACE (16th century to Early 20th century (pre-war) - 1564 AD to 1901 AD)

Summary

The charcoal blast furnace at Shifnal may be the earliest in Shropshire dating from 1564. Its construction is well documented, but its history is sketchy and its location was not established until fieldwork in the 1970s. Trial excavation carried out in 1994.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA5562 - 1972 Site investigation of charcoal blast furnaces, Shifnal and Kemberton
• ESA764 - 1975 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA765 - 1987 field observation
• ESA8332 - 1994 Field survey at Manor Farm, Shifnal by Tempus Reparatum
• ESA8331 - 1994 DBA at Manor Farm, Shifnal by Tempus Reparatum
• ESA8333 - 1994 Trial trenching on 16th century blast furnace at Manor Farm, Shifnal by Tempus Reparatum

Description

The charcoal blast furnace at Shifnal is the earliest in Shropshire dating from 1564, and second oldest in the Midlands. Its construction is well documented, but its history sketchy and its location not established until fieldwork in the 1970s. The site lies in the valley of the Westley or Wesley Brook..about 1 mile S of Shifnal village and c 300yds N of Shifnal Manor,PRN 00748. It has been for generations the site of the Manor Mill. The mill ceased to be used as a cornmill in C20 and the buildings were demolished in 1960. Investigation of the site showed large quantities of charcoal blast furnace debris, slag, partly roasted carbonate ore, metallic iron and slag-encrusted lining, covering an area 30yds by 50yds and extending 100yds along the tail race of the old mill. The water supply is from the partly silted mill pool which covered more than three acres..fed by a spring rising about a mile distant, rather than being formed by damming the whole width of the valley. The furnace was built in 1564, and continued to at least 1604 on the evidence of a letter of that date <2>

The 1604 letter may be that transcribed by Mrs Watts which describes work at Shifnal Manor House PRN 00748 and refers to "your honours temes hear be greatly occupied in leading colles to the furnes and to the hameres". <4>

On a visit to the site by B Trinder et al in 1987 masonry traces were found in the garden of Mill Cottage, at approx SJ74170670?. These may represent the remains of the blast furnace. <9>

In September 1993 a brief for the evaluation of the site was produced because of proposals to create recreation/conservation water areas there. <10>

In line with the brief (<10>), a programme of desk-based assessment and field survey was undertaken of this site in 1994, followed by trial trenching across the site of the furnace. ->

-> The evaluative fieldwork established an accurate location for the furnace (SJ 7418 0674) and identified the presence of structural remains. A mill is depicted on the 1635 estate map on the 1635 estate map situated slightly to the north and east of the 'castle hills' and on the south—eastern edge of an extensive mill pond. The tail race extends southwards to join the Wesley brook. The pool belonging to the Shifnal furnace appears to have been reused for a corn mill established at the south—eastern end of the pool sometime in the 18th century. The building/s were finally demolished sometime in the 1960s but enough remains to allow location and identification (NGR SJ 7422 0674). ->

-> There is documentary evidence that it was erected in 1564 or 1562 by George Earl of Shrewsbury. Its history is not apparently documented. It continued in use at least until 1604 when a letter of that date (in the Shrewsbury Papers, Lambeth Palace) relating to matters at the manor house refers to teams (of horses) being occupied in leading coals (charcoal) to the furnace and hammers. The furnace appears to have been entirely abandoned and demolished by 1635. A man—made water course led away from the furnace pool to the south apparently following a course similar to that of the 18th century tail race and indeed still evident today. ->

-> Field survey recorded that, although this area was subsequently occupied by the 18th century mill and has since, within the last decade, been subjected to some massive earthmoving works and dumping, there is a substantial amount of slag to confirm that the furnace did indeed lie to the south of the present manor pool, and that this pool is in turn to be identified with the mapped furnace pool. There are no other surface indications save for the slag for the site of the furnace. Notable landscape features such as the dam and indeed structural remains of the charging ramp and hearth have all been removed. The slag is spread over an extensive area mostly lying east of NGR SJ 7419 0674 and extending further east towards the site of the later mill. ->

-> The mill (NGR SJ 7422 0674) was located on the southern edge of the mill pool (manor pool). Its site is identifiable on the ground by a short stretch of exposed brick wall (NGR SJ 7415 0639) which can be identified as the north wall of the mill. The area around this is characterised by a spread of a considerable amount of brick and stone building debris, iron work, structural timbers and even the remains of the wheel and buckets. The substantial remains of the wheel housing have been cleared of rubble and infill within the last decade so as to help drain the manor pool. The structure so uncovered consists of four sides of a brick and stone lined wheel pit approximately 2m x 6m and in excess of 3m deep. At the southern end of the wheel pit is a brick built vaulted culvert about 1.5m high which culverts the wheel race beneath the remainder of the building and beyond beneath the trackway. To the immediate north of the wheel pit the original ground surface has been severely disturbed by the cutting of a deep gorge which, via a breach in the north wall of the wheel pit, carries water drained from the manor mill unhampered through the culvert and thence down the tail race to the Wesley brook. Prior to these disturbances it is quite clear that the original ground surface to the north of the wheel pit would have been continuous with the upper courses of the wheel pit (between 75.7m and 75.6m OD). Even allowing for recent dumping of material and other disturbances in the area, the present ground surface to the north and west of the wheel pit (ie the level of the infilled manor pool) was found to lie between 77m and 78m OD. These levels make it quite clear that the wheel was originally an overshot wheel fed by an aqueduct from an embanked and dammed mill pool. Furthermore a reduction in ground levels to the south of the building (average ground level surveyed at between 75.5m and 75.2m OD) would suggest that the building was partly terraced into the dam. The site of the mill building has been continuously mapped since 1740, and although alterations and additions are bound to have occurred it seems nevertheless the case that the building destroyed in the 1960s was essentially that erected in the 18th century.->

-> A trial trench evaluation [ESA 8333] was carried out to further evaluate the remains, location, preservation and character of the furnace. This recorded 3 phases of activity. Little could be recorded of the phase 1 furnace, with only the presence of ash and slag recording its approximate position. The phase 2 furnace was identified, including the site of the hearth, wheel race, wheel pit, furnace and bellows arch. The manor pool was demonstrated as occupying the site of the furnace pool. The dam of the manor pool was sectioned in the evaluation trenches. <11>

Corn Mill - Iron Blast Furnace <12>

Photograph of section of the wheel (location unknown). <13>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.