[TQ68513273] Chingley or Shingley Iron Furnace. Was situated at lat. 51 4' 7" N., Long 0 24' 20"E. There are remains of a bay and a very little furnance slag. The furnance is mentioned in 1565-6 and 1574. Field names: Furnace Field, Furnace Pit Shaw (Sussex side of river). (1) TQ68413272: Pond-bay surveyed at 1:2500. There is slag in the stream banks below the bay at TQ 68393271. (2) No Change (3) TQ684327, Chingly Furnance. In 1968 D W Crossley and D Ashurst began excavations, through the Society for Post-Medeival Archaeology, into the 16th century blast furnance site at Chingley. This site and the nearby Finery Forge (TQ 63 SE 2) were excavated in advance of the construction of the Bewl Bridge Reservoir. Excavations continued in 1969, 1970, 1971 and were completed by Crossely in 1972. Slight documentary evidence for a blast furnance (See (1)) however in 1588 it was derelict and and although re-leased with surrounding woods in 1590 it is not clear whether the furnance itself was operated again. Indications on the ground are clear, the dam survived. Breached by the River Bewl, The adjacent wood is named Furnace Pit Shaw (see Field Survey (2)) and slag was obvious in the copse below the dam. The furnace had been built on a platform cut into the valley side and had tapped several springs and well-preserved timber-work was found below the water-table. This furnance has given the best guidance to date the equipment in use in the mid 16th century, particularly with the bellows, for much of the camshaft and it's end bearing, the sub-framed and supports and pivot posts survived. A segment of the overshot water-wheel was `in situ' in a well-preserved race. There were indications of the foundations for the trough across the top of the dam and of the penstock supports: and the wooden tail-race, culverted beneath the casting floor was undamaged. (1) The main furnace structure, 18' square, was of stone with wooden bracing and a base course of ashlar and rubble, but a rebuilt superstructure of poorer stone with a clay core, survived to a maximum height of 5' above the platform. (11) Parts of the structure of the furnace survived to 4' in height and for the first time a section of a 16th century furnace hearth lining could be recorded. (1) Pottery finds confirmed the mid 16th century dating (10) although none was found to suggest occupation into the 17th century. (11)(4-12) TQ685327, Chingley Furnace, a water-powered, site gazetteer C. Features noted before excavation and inundation: Bay 50m long and 2.5mhigh and breached by stream at the southern end. Water system dry and the working area waterlogged. Furnace debris in the angle between the dam and northern hill-slope (a) (see illus card for plan of the excavated furnace)(13).

<1> "Wealdon Iron" 1931 276 (E Straker) (OS Card Reference). SKE32698.

<2> F1 CFW 19.02.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42637.

<3> F2 ASP 22.10.69 (OS Card Reference). SKE43147.

<4> Kent Arch Rev 32 Summer 1973 36-8 photo (DW Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE45763.

<5> Post Md Arch 3 1969 208-10 (OS Card Reference). SKE48534.

<6> Post Md Arch 4 1970 186-7 (OS Card Reference). SKE48536.

<7> Post Md Arch 5 1973 217 219 (OS Card Reference). SKE48537.

<8> Post Md Arch 7 1973 115 (OS Card Reference). SKE48538.

<9> Kent Arch Rev 16 May 1969 12-3 (DW Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE45748.

<10> CBA Cal of Excavs 1972 24 (DW Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE38765.

<11> DOE Arch Excavs 1972 88 (DW Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE40794.

<12> Bull Hist Met Gp 6 No 2 1972 31-2 fig (DW Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE38428.

<13> The Bewl Valley Ironworks 1975 Royal His Soc Camden 4th ser (DW Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE50112.

<14> The Iron Ind of the Weald 1985 Index photo figs 992 (H Cleere & D Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE50397.

<15> Sussex Ind Hist 2 1971 33 (J Farrant) (OS Card Reference). SKE49776.

<16> Bull of the Hist Met Gp 5 No 1 1971 10 (D Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE38430.

<17> Field report for monument TQ 63 SE 1 - February, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3219.

<18> Field report for monument TQ 63 SE 1 - October, 1969 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3220.