Is there a remote chance you have any details of the materials used in the
fabric of the glasshouse and specifically the furnace? Or at any other
sites? The extraction of Surrey firestone by mining from the Upper
Greensand beds, specifically for use as a refractory material in industrial
applications has very unclear origins. I would be intrigued to know how
widely Surrey firestone might have been distributed. I know it's a long
shot, but if you don't ask, you'll never know. My best guess is that Surrey
firestone for industrial use was first quarried in significant quantities
from the mid-seventeenth century onwards.
Thanks
Peter
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