Seend Ironstone Quarry and Road Cutting
Encyclopedia
Seend Ironstone Quarry And Road Cutting is a 3 acres (1.2 ha) Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Seend
in Wiltshire
, notified in 1965.
Iron ore was quarried and smelted in Seend from the 1850s with three blast furnaces fifty feet high, and employed 300 men. The antiquarian
John Aubrey
wrote that he discovered iron ore as early as 1666 when it rained so much that it washed away the sand from the ore and the later bright sun reflected on it. Due to the high level of deforestation in the 17th century there was not enough wood to smelt it. The arrival of coal in the 19th century made this possible and mining rights were leased just below the Bell Inn in 1856 where 10,000 tons of ore were mined. The site also had blast furnace
s and smelting
facilities. The iron works seem to have been out of use by 1876. In 1889 Kelly's Directory
stated "Iron ore is found here in abundance and until recently was largely worked."
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw intermittent smelting. There was an influx of men and boys from the outlying area and Ireland and the Black Country
to work here. In 1884 complaints were received that Pelch Lane was being badly cut up by the constant haulage of iron ore down the narrow lane. During the First World War
, an overhead cable took ore down in large iron buckets to the goods yard at Seend railway station
. Boys got free rides up the hill in the empty buckets. After a lull the Second World War
renewed demand and the stone was used to provide iron oxide
for paint and coal gas
. The quarry closed in 1946.
Seend
Seend is a village and civil parish about south-east of the market town of Melksham, Wiltshire. The parish includes the hamlets of Seend Cleeve, Seend Head and The Stocks.Seend village is on a hilltop more than above sea level...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, notified in 1965.
Iron ore was quarried and smelted in Seend from the 1850s with three blast furnaces fifty feet high, and employed 300 men. The antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
John Aubrey
John Aubrey
John Aubrey FRS, was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the collection of short biographical pieces usually referred to as Brief Lives...
wrote that he discovered iron ore as early as 1666 when it rained so much that it washed away the sand from the ore and the later bright sun reflected on it. Due to the high level of deforestation in the 17th century there was not enough wood to smelt it. The arrival of coal in the 19th century made this possible and mining rights were leased just below the Bell Inn in 1856 where 10,000 tons of ore were mined. The site also had blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
s and smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
facilities. The iron works seem to have been out of use by 1876. In 1889 Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
stated "Iron ore is found here in abundance and until recently was largely worked."
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw intermittent smelting. There was an influx of men and boys from the outlying area and Ireland and the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
to work here. In 1884 complaints were received that Pelch Lane was being badly cut up by the constant haulage of iron ore down the narrow lane. During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, an overhead cable took ore down in large iron buckets to the goods yard at Seend railway station
Seend railway station
Seend was the railway station serving Seend in Wiltshire, England. The station was a stop on the Devizes Branch Line, between Semington and Bromham & Rowde...
. Boys got free rides up the hill in the empty buckets. After a lull the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
renewed demand and the stone was used to provide iron oxide
Iron oxide
Iron oxides are chemical compounds composed of iron and oxygen. All together, there are sixteen known iron oxides and oxyhydroxides.Iron oxides and oxide-hydroxides are widespread in nature, play an important role in many geological and biological processes, and are widely utilized by humans, e.g.,...
for paint and coal gas
Coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...
. The quarry closed in 1946.
Sources
- English Nature citation sheet for the site (accessed 23 July 2006)
- Wiltshire County Council - Wiltshire Community History
External links
- English Nature website (SSSI information)