Medieval iron working site West Moor, Canada Farm (Longframlington)
[NU 12120496 and NU 12110494] Slag [Symbols representing two heaps shown]. [Shown on south side of a track which according to OS 6 inch 1926 no longer exists]. (1)
On the south side of the by-road to Canada [Farm] is a deposit of slag from an iron furnace. From the imperfect manner in which the metal has been extracted (half the iron remains in the slag) it is probable that it was a Roman work. (2)
On a farm called Canada are large heaps of 'scoria', considered to have been produced by smelting iron stone, under the direction of the Romans. (3)
The slag heaps lie upon a north-east slope of pasture moorland, immediately above steep slopes down to the Millstone Burn. One mound is 16m long by 7m broad, another to the south-west is circular and 8m in diameter. There are two smaller mounds to the east and south. All are turf covered. There are no traces of quarries nearby and the source of the iron is not known. (4)
The slag heaps are as described by F1, but from a purely visual inspection of the waste material it is impossible to date the smelting activity. The slag is, in fact, similar in texture to that from a medieval bloomery at Levisham, Yorks proved by excavation. (5)
Surveyed by RCHME for the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle in June 1996 at 1:500 scale. (6)
Large unpowered medieval iron smelting site situated on fairly level ground, immediately above steep slopes down to the Millstone Burn. The site includes the well-preserved remains of a slag-tipping shaft furnace first excavated by local amateurs in the late 1970s and re-excavated in 1997 by the Field Research Group of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, as one part of a wider landscape study. The furnace stands about 0.3m above the conetmporary ground surface and includes a stone-lined slag-tipping trough with in situ slag cake, and a large opening for a single tuyere. The tap slag is fairly typical of the region with blue/black colour, wide runnels and relatively high density. Charcoal and roasted ore, and a mortar stone for breaking the ore, were also recorded. The 1998 excavations concentrated on an area highlighted by geophysics immediately to the north east. Though abandoned due to bad weather, traces of a possible timber building were recorded and 180 sherds of late 13th century to early 14th century pottery were recovered. The excavations are planned to continue for several seasons.
This is the only known bloomery excavated in the County. (7)
The site of the bloomery was surveyed by RCHME as a training excersise for the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, at 1:500 scale in June 1996.
The site is largely as described; there are deeply incised hollow ways to the north and south of the site, they extend east to west down the valley side to converge on a river crossing point. It is possible that they are contemporary with the site.
The bloomery hearth was excavated some years ago by a local amateur. A rectangular setting of stones mark the position of the excavation, 3m north of the main slag heap; there is a small excavation spoil heap to the north east.
From comparison with a number of medival bloomeries surveyed by RCHME in Furness, it seems very likley that the remains are medieval in date. (8a)
On the south side of the by-road to Canada [Farm] is a deposit of slag from an iron furnace. From the imperfect manner in which the metal has been extracted (half the iron remains in the slag) it is probable that it was a Roman work. (2)
On a farm called Canada are large heaps of 'scoria', considered to have been produced by smelting iron stone, under the direction of the Romans. (3)
The slag heaps lie upon a north-east slope of pasture moorland, immediately above steep slopes down to the Millstone Burn. One mound is 16m long by 7m broad, another to the south-west is circular and 8m in diameter. There are two smaller mounds to the east and south. All are turf covered. There are no traces of quarries nearby and the source of the iron is not known. (4)
The slag heaps are as described by F1, but from a purely visual inspection of the waste material it is impossible to date the smelting activity. The slag is, in fact, similar in texture to that from a medieval bloomery at Levisham, Yorks proved by excavation. (5)
Surveyed by RCHME for the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle in June 1996 at 1:500 scale. (6)
Large unpowered medieval iron smelting site situated on fairly level ground, immediately above steep slopes down to the Millstone Burn. The site includes the well-preserved remains of a slag-tipping shaft furnace first excavated by local amateurs in the late 1970s and re-excavated in 1997 by the Field Research Group of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, as one part of a wider landscape study. The furnace stands about 0.3m above the conetmporary ground surface and includes a stone-lined slag-tipping trough with in situ slag cake, and a large opening for a single tuyere. The tap slag is fairly typical of the region with blue/black colour, wide runnels and relatively high density. Charcoal and roasted ore, and a mortar stone for breaking the ore, were also recorded. The 1998 excavations concentrated on an area highlighted by geophysics immediately to the north east. Though abandoned due to bad weather, traces of a possible timber building were recorded and 180 sherds of late 13th century to early 14th century pottery were recovered. The excavations are planned to continue for several seasons.
This is the only known bloomery excavated in the County. (7)
The site of the bloomery was surveyed by RCHME as a training excersise for the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, at 1:500 scale in June 1996.
The site is largely as described; there are deeply incised hollow ways to the north and south of the site, they extend east to west down the valley side to converge on a river crossing point. It is possible that they are contemporary with the site.
The bloomery hearth was excavated some years ago by a local amateur. A rectangular setting of stones mark the position of the excavation, 3m north of the main slag heap; there is a small excavation spoil heap to the north east.
From comparison with a number of medival bloomeries surveyed by RCHME in Furness, it seems very likley that the remains are medieval in date. (8a)
N4290
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1957; A S Phillips
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1972; D Smith
FIELD SURVEY, RCHME: Glantlees Bloomery Survey 1996; RCHME
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1972; D Smith
FIELD SURVEY, RCHME: Glantlees Bloomery Survey 1996; RCHME
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