Guys, need a bit of help here. Apart from the Lightmoor engine house what other significant rems are there in the FOD that you could recommend? I am looking for Engine Houses, Surface Buildings, any significant stuff I could pull in in a couple of long days of photography! Inc Ironworks sites.

Your help always appreciated,

Regards ICLOK

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Mr ICLOK
PM on the way, please feel free to mention my name when you contact the person recommended in the PM.

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And a big thanks to you Roy! 🙂 :thumbup:
Cheers ICLOK

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Hi

There's a fine engine house at Fairplay Iron Mine SO658165 Cornish underbeam over a good masonry shaft.
Some fine surface remains at Oldcroft SO629082
Morses Level SO640088
Princess Royal Colliery pithead baths (being converted into flats) SO614063
Eastern United Colliery Baths SO648113
Monument Colliery (p/t working) SO603100 and many others. There are 3 specific mning based walks and I'll send you the pdfs which show what you can find.
I've also recently got hold of a 243page word doc from Gloucs CC Archeology dept with details of shafts, remains etc, but not yet had chance to plot and find them. I'll pm them to you

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Northern United,Cinderford,lot of the original buildings in situ,but they are being used by someone or other people

Thanks ... this shaping up for a good trip :thumbup:

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You will of course need a guide book:


THE MINES OF THE FOREST OF DEAN and surrounding areas by Tony Oldham [2000] 65 pp surveys illus etc. Includes Coal, Iron and even a Gold Mine! A gazetteer which lists all the mines together with brief descriptions, NGR etc. Companion edition to the above book. A smaller font makes this the largest edition yet. SB out of print. Text can be sent as an attachment. poa.

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Of course Ian you could attend the NAMHO conference which will include visiting variopus coal mine sites , including North Somerset where there are supposed to be lots of remains

mike

Tony... I bought your book but my dad nicked it remember?, You sent it me electronically for my research which is great but there is so much in it I don't know where to start but it is nevertheless a great book on the area and very much in my permanent ref section. :thumbup: When I can get the b###er back!!! :lol:

Mike I have done the area and met the SGMRG guys while Yate no2? shaft was being filled in... they too have done a superb area guide which lists chapter and verse the remains in the Kingswood area of which you rightly say there are lots if you know where to look. I can't make a commitment at this point for that month as its the time I usually do alot of business travel, but it should be a great conf from what I read. :thumbsup:

Cheers both

ICLOK

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You mention ironworks - there are some great remains of Mushet's ironworks at Darkhill - I think there is a book on the subject published by BlackDwarf Lightmoor press.
Darkhill is quite an atmospheric place

You mention ironworks - there are some great remains of Mushet's ironworks at Darkhill - I think there is a book on the subject published by BlackDwarf Lightmoor press.
Darkhill is quite an atmospheric place

Dark Hill Iron Works NGR SO 590 088. David Mushet senior built the furnace in 1818 to produce iron direct from the blast furnace. His son Robert carried out many experiments, using spiegeleisen, [mirror iron] a compound of iron, manganese and carbon. He also experimented with tungsten, chromium, manganese and titanium - the first of many high-speed tool steels. Today the site has been restored by the Forestry Commission, but with a lack of original plans and documentation, very little is known about the site and the work carried out here. Also, there was much rebuilding on old foundations.
References: Dark Hill Iron Works Walk by Keith Webb. 1999 No 4 in the Local History Walk Series. 10 pp illus.
Log Vol 20 Entry No 061096
Marefold and the Furnace: A Journey of Discovery by Keith Webb. The New Regards No 9 pp 18-22 illus.
MJ numerous refs to the Mushets.
Royal Commision on Historical Monuments of England, excavated by Manpower Services Commision in 1976 and 1976 1978.

DAVID MUSHET’S GRAVESTONE
IN STAUNTON CHURCHYARD

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Cheers Squrrel and Tony

Sounds good this.... Can't wait now... wheres that calender... 🙂

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Ian,

http://www.gsia.org.uk/reprints/   here it is. There is a detailed writeup on Darkhill in there and a superb study of the mining activity on the remains of the Bixlade tramroad. (Right up your street I think).

John

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Well played that man... veeery good. You hadn't sent me this before so mega thanks. :thumbsup:

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