Wilsontown Ironworks
Encyclopedia
The ruins of the Wilsontown Ironworks are located near the village of Forth in Scotland
, approximately 23 miles (37 km) to the south east of Glasgow
. The works were founded by the three Wilson brothers in 1779, and operated until 1842. The works had two blast furnace
s, and in 1790 a forge
was added. Later a rolling and slitting mill
and additional forging hammers were installed. This increased the capacity of the works to 40 LT of manufactured iron
per week. In its heyday the works employed 2,000 persons. The works had a railway branch line from the site to Auchengray railway station
on the Caledonian Railway
.
It was at the Wilsontown Ironworks that James Beaumont Neilson developed the first hot blast
form of the blast furnace, which he patented in 1828.
The buildings were cleared after closure, but the general layout of the site can still be discerned and an heritage trail has been created. The core of the site is legally protected. It has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument
since 1968. In 2007 Forestry Commission Scotland, the present owners of the site, launched a project to raise public awareness of the Wilsontown Ironworks.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, approximately 23 miles (37 km) to the south east of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The works were founded by the three Wilson brothers in 1779, and operated until 1842. The works had two 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 in 1790 a forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
was added. Later a rolling and slitting mill
Slitting mill
The slitting mill was a watermill for slitting bars of iron into rods. The rods then were passed to nailers who made the rods into nails, by giving them a point and head....
and additional forging hammers were installed. This increased the capacity of the works to 40 LT of manufactured iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
per week. In its heyday the works employed 2,000 persons. The works had a railway branch line from the site to Auchengray railway station
Auchengray railway station
Auchengray railway station was just outside Auchengray, a hamlet in the Parish of Carnwath, County of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was served by local trains on the what is now known as the West Coast Main Line....
on the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
.
It was at the Wilsontown Ironworks that James Beaumont Neilson developed the first hot blast
Hot blast
Hot blast refers to the preheating of air blown into a blast furnace or other metallurgical process. This has the result of considerably reducing the fuel consumed in the process...
form of the blast furnace, which he patented in 1828.
The buildings were cleared after closure, but the general layout of the site can still be discerned and an heritage trail has been created. The core of the site is legally protected. It has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
since 1968. In 2007 Forestry Commission Scotland, the present owners of the site, launched a project to raise public awareness of the Wilsontown Ironworks.