Monument record 1676/0/23 - Possible Post Medieval Furnace, Geddington Primary School

Archaeological observation during the construction of a school extension in 1985 identified a small furnace. Undated other than a piece of possible Tudor brick.

{1} Contractor states that the area covered by slag was 2-3m. Across, but this had been scraped away showing the remains of the furnace. The furnace had been re-lined at least once. The blocking stones and clay were not part of the re-lining. Nothing to date the structure was found but in the pit adjacent to the furnace a piece of ?Tudor brick was recovered from well down below the surface, presumably well sealed.

Sketch plan shows approximate location of furnace.

{2} At the north end of the lower terrace, on the site of the new building, an area of iron slag 3m in diameter was exposed. The underlying remains of a small smelting furnace comprised a roughly oval hollow, 1.2m long by 0.5m wide and 0.15m deep. It had been lined with clay and was fired to a hard black on the exposed edge. It was filled with cinder, fines, and black ash and had been relined at some time. Two blocking stones set in clay remained in situ, but did not appear to have been part of the relining. Adjacent to the north end of the furnace, a pit 1m in diameter and 0.35m deep contained slag, stone, ash, charcoal, and fragments of furnace-lining. Nothing was found to date the furnace, but in a further pit adjoining its east side was a piece of "Tudor" brick.
[NGR supplied with source incorrect]

<1> BELLAMY B., 1985, Iron smelting furnace at Geddington, Northants, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN43937.

<2> Dix B.(ed), 1986-7, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1985-6, p.157 Geddington (checked) (Report). SNN100334.

Record last edited

Feb 2 2021 3:12PM