Lyle,
While there are no surviving blast furnace structures in the Weald of
south-east England, we have dimensions of a number of excavated furnaces
pre-dating and post-dating the furnace at Falling Creek. The link between
the dimensions of the base and the height may be a reasonable rule of thumb;
the furnace built at Lamberhurst, now in Kent, in 1695 was reported to have
been 28 ft. (8.5m) high, and the highest in the region, but the remains have
not been excavated. The excavated remains of the furnace at Pippingford, in
Sussex, built in the following year, measured 8m square at the base. Sir
James Hope reported in 1642 that Barden furnace, in Kent (which was probably
built before 1574), was 20 ft. (6m) high, but again we have no comparable
plan. Other excavated examples in the Weald, dating to between the 1540s and
the early 17th century, vary between 17 ft. (5m) and 21 ft. (6.5m) along at
least one of the horizontal dimensions.
Jeremy Hodgkinson
Wealden Iron Research Group
www.wealdeniron.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lyle E. Browning" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 8:57 PM
Subject: 1621 Blast Furnace Height
I'm attempting to do a 3D CAD version of the Falling Creek Ironworks blast
furnace. It was the first in the new world, constructed possibly starting in
1619, but probably 1621 and was attacked with all there killed on March 22,
1622. Nothing survives above ground, and it is currently unknown whether it
got into blast. It's my understanding that the furnaces ranged from about 16
feet high with a corresponding width to a max height of 25 feet, above which
the load weight would collapse, crushing the charcoal resulting in nothing.
Is there documentary evidence for heights at different times? The ironmaster
was John Berkeley of Gloucestershire, if there are know regional height
differences or somesuch.
Thanks in advance,
Lyle Browning
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