Monument record TQ 54 SE 3 - Vauxhall furnace, Furnace Shaw, near Moat Farm, Southborough

[Area TQ 59284395] Vauxhall: Furnace 51 deg. 10' 20" N. 0 deg. 16' 45" E. [Associated by author with forge to south - see TQ 54 SE 5] Probably a furnace recorded in 1574. There is an abundance of slag atthe furnace. Blast-furnace slag - like bottle glass with great variety of colour. Place-names: Furnace field, Furnace shaw. (1) (TQ 59254402) This furnace was situated n the wood known as Furnace Shaw. The whole of the wood is covered with black earth containing the typical 16th c. blast furnace slag described by Authy 1. Upstream, at the southern end of the wood is a pond bay, now breachedcontaining much slag. Along the east side of the wood are faint traces of a channel running from the pond bay and joining the stream to the north, probably a millrace or overflow channel. An Antiquity Model survey has been made. About half a mile to the south Minepit Wood contains and extensive area of early type minepits centred at TQ 59254355. (2) No change. Survey of 12 1 59 correct. (3) Vauxhall Iron Furnace; and exploratory excavation carried out by the Tunbridge Wells Group during the summer of 1976 located the tail-race of the water wheel. In addition two trenches were dug, with the help of the Wealden Iron Research Group in the tailrace depression, aimed at locating the position of the water wheel bearings. One trench exposed only a timber baulk but the otherone producing much stonework and furnace lining which suggests that the furnace had been demolishedand the rubble used as back-filling of the tailrace. (4) TQ 593440. Vauxhall Furnace - water-powered. Bay 60m long, height 2.5m both up and downstream. Breached by a stream at the west end where section shows height had been raised by slag. Water system. Pond dry. Spillway probably at the west end. At the east end dry tail-race joins the stream. Working area. At the east end is a levelled area 4m from bay and neartail-race. Vauxhall furnace described as 'newly built' in 1553, having been leased to David Willard in 1552. Leases from 1622 to 1679 include theironworks but for how much of this period they were capable of workingis not clear, particularly as they do not appear in the lists of 1653 and 1664. (5)

<1> Wealden Iron 1931 222 (E Straker) (OS Card Reference). SKE51287.

<2> F1 CFW 12.01.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42536.

<3> F2 ASP 28.01.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE43181.

<4> Arch Cant 92 1976 255 (D C Tullett) (OS Card Reference). SKE36107.

<5> Iron Ind in the Weald 1985 127 362 (H Cleere & D Crossley) (OS Card Reference). SKE44508.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 54 SE 3 - January, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2727.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 54 SE 3 - January, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2728.