The charcoal/coke blast
furnaces of Cumbria
by Mike Davies-Shiel in The CIHS Bulletin, December 2004
(Page created 10/05/09)
| Charcoal only |
Name | Dates | No.of furnaces | Grid Ref | Other data |
| A | Cleator | 1694-1705? | 3? | NY018136 | Prob. closed when Patryckson died |
| B | Backbarrow | 1711-1770/1770-1966 | 1 | SD356836 | Refs: BRO - BDB/2... |
| C | Cunsey | 1712-1751 | 1 | SD383937 | House NOT on furnace foundation |
| D | Leighton (in N.Lancs by 2 metres) | 1713-1803 | 1 | SD484778 | Stack blew up (water shortage) |
| E | Flimby (SSE of Maryport) |
c.1715-? | 1 | NY039337 | A Wm. Wood disaster with very poor coke |
| F | Little Clifton | 1723-1781 | 1 | NY059279 | Used coke from start - lack of water power |
| G | Frizington, Lingla Beck | 1728-? | 1 | NY034178 | Located by JDJW,JJM,MDS & JYL pre 1987. Not at Bleak House. Another Wm Wood trial site |
| H | Duddon | 1736-1867 | 1 | SD197883 | Best preserved charcoal site - by LDNPA |
| I | Nibthwaite | 1736-1755 (furnace) | 1 | SD295883 | Bobbins atop furnace pre 1816. Forge till c.1840 |
| J | Newland | 1746-1890 (furnace) (to coke 1873) |
1 | SD30057970 | Blown out 15/12/1890. Cupolas till 25/01/1891 |
| K | Low Wood | 1747-1798 (then gunpdr) | 1 | SD346837 | Stack stood until 1926 (ICI MSS) |
| L | Wilson House, Lindale | pre1748-1901 | 1 | SD426809 | Continued after John Wilkinson died as a specialist carriage works, with some of his staff from Bersham, eg Mullard. Cupolas from pre-1893. |
| M | Penny Bridge | 1748-1791 | 1 | SD308838 | Flax mill by 1807. Later bobbins. |
| Charcoal & Coke | |||||
| N | Maryport (no.1) | 1752-1784 (January) | 1 | NY034362 | Blowing cylinders 1777, but always water short |
| P | Seaton/Barepot | c.1762-1786 (charcoal) | 1/2? | NY013295 | About 1792 converted to coke fuel |
| Coke only | |||||
| 1 | Seaton/Barepot | c1792-1857 (furnace) | 2 (iron/brass) | NY013295 | After 1857 foundry only with rolling mills for tinplate onto iron sheets, + rod & wire slitting etc. -1927 |
| 2 | Derwent Wks., Workington | 1838-1970s | 3 | NX990287 | Am uncertain when it ended |
| 3 | Cleator Moor | 1841-1929 | 5 | NY016154 | |
| 4 | Augill, Brough | 1848-1882+ | 1 | NY816146 | Built to smelt a rich 2m thick hematite find |
| 5 | Woodbank, SE Carlisle | 1856-1882+ | ? | NY421530 | Am uncertain when it ended |
| 6 | Oldside Wks., Workington | 1856-1930 | 4 | NX998298 | N. bank of R.Derwent, next to coast railway |
| 7 | Harrington | 1857-1926 | 4 | NX987247 | See Lancaster & Wattleworth |
| 8 | Barrow | 1859-1967 (late) | 12 | SD190700 | Why did this huge works close to quickly? |
| 9 | W.Cumberland Wks, Workington |
1862-1893 | 7 | NY002296 | Big 7-tonne Bessemer Wks + rolling mills |
| 10 | Askam | 1866-1932 | 4 | SD213774 | Blown out 1932, demolished 1939 |
| 11 | Millom | Sept.1867-Sept.1968 | 6 | SD299798 | Earlier refs to bloomsmithy in Park |
| 12 | Maryport (Gilmours) | 1868-1892 | 6 | NY030360 | S of docks, right on the coast |
| 13 | Maryport (Solway) | 1871-1927 | 4 | NY033355 | Several foundries around it. Demolished 1939 |
| 14 | Lonsdale Wks, Whitehaven | 1870-1903 | 4 | NX973188 | Had dozens of coke ovens |
| 15 | Moss Bay, Workington | 1872-1977 | 4 | NX987272 | Had own docks. Made colonial railway lines |
| 16 | Lowther, Workington | 1873-1911 (Dec) | 3 | NX992288 | Made little profit. Later spiegel for Wk'n |
| 17 | Newland | 1873-1890 (15 Dec) | 1 | SD30057970 | Very small hearth - trial for bigger Backbarrow |
| 18 | Parton | Spring1874-1889 (late) | 2 | NY980211 | Site imm. S off Lowca Beck |
| 19 | North Lonsdale, Ulverston | 1874-1938 | 4 | SD30687760 | Worked with Millom for a time |
| 20 | New Yard, Workington | 1875-pre1936 | 1 | NX991283 | Had many puddling furnaces + rollingmills |
| 21 | Distington | 1879-1922 (early) | 2 | NY014245 | Later (WWII) became High Duty Alloys |