Dear Paul,

	Your starting point should be Cleere and Crossley, The Iron 
Industry of the Weald. The second edition has adds further site 
to the already extensive gazeteer of sites. Many of the hundreds 
of sites in given were discovered by the Wealden Iron Research 
Group, which have been carrying out this sort of research for at 
least 20 years. They have very extensive records of iron smelting 
site in this region.


Where are they as this region has been very extensively researched!

>Whilst I am familiar with furnace types and technologies found in 
>the East Shropshire coalfield and environs, I am still acquiring 
>(with the aid of Messrs Cleere and Crossley’s excellent volume The 
>Iron Industry of the Weald) an archaeological understanding of the 
>methods of iron smelting employed in Sussex and Kent.

> 
> My work thus far has produced two queries the answers to which 
>might be known to one or more of my Ind Arch colleagues!
> 
>  1). I suspect that one of the sites currently under investigation 
> may have hosted a water-powered bloomery furnace. However, I am 
> yet to find a satisfactory written description of the waste 
> products generated by such an installation. I have recovered two 
> distinctly different types of slag, neither of which appears to 
> share any of the characteristics of blast furnace waste. 

The reference are legion, look at the work of Tylecote as a start. 
I don't have time at present but will reply in full later.

Incidentally this is the wrong group for this enquiry, it should 
have gone to arch-metals, most of the worlds experts on ancient iron 
smelting are on that list.

> The site 
has also yielded fragments of calcined iron ore, bricks, half a roof 
tile, and what appeared to be a chunk of fossil-rich limestone (left 
in situ). Any advice would be gratefully received! A detailed 
description of the recovered slag samples can be provided if 
required.
> 
> 2). Can anyone provide me an estimate of the approximate tonnage 
of slag produced by an average English charcoal blast furnace, in an 
average smelting season for say circa 1650-1700?

See the works of David Crossley, Jeremy Hodgkinson, as they both 
have publishes on papers this subject. Also see the contents of the 
History Metallurgy Society, the prime publisher of this sort of data.

>I understand that a great many variables will effect the answer to 
> this question, however, I am only looking for a rough estimate.
> 
 > I hope that someone may be able to help me with the above, and I 
look forward to reading your replies!
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Paul Vigor.
> 


Chris Salter

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