WCBC: The History of Bersham Ironworks: Reconstructing the Ironworks

It is difficult to tell how Bersham Ironworks used to look from the archaelogical remains.

The drawing helps to explain what these remains were when the ironworks was in production.

A. Blast Furnace- where the iron was made. (The word 'blast' refers to the air blown into the furnace to increase the furnace.)
B. Charging Platform - where iron ore, limestone and coke - the raw materials for making iron - were added to the furnace.
C. Watercourse - for the water-wheel that powered the furnace bellows. (The wall shown on the drawing has since collapsed.)
D. Coal Bunker and Coking Oven - coke is a cleaner and more efficient fuel than coal.
E. Isaac Wilkinson's steam engine boiler house - Isaac experimented with differenct schemes to supply blast to the furnace.
F. Site of water leet and water-wheel - another water-wheel in this leet powered the boring mill.
G. Casting Pits - these pits in the ground were where the foundry men made cannon and other cast iron products.
H. Crane Bed - the crane was for lifting heavy cannon out of the casting pits.
I. Bersham Mill - originally built as a foundry. Archaeologists found casting pits whilst excavating inside the building.
J. Possibly a Smithy.
K. Air Furnaces - pig iron and scrap iron were heated in these furnaces to make molten iron ready for casting.
L. Octagonal Building - the two double air furnaces supplied enough iron to make cannon. The casting pit was inside the building. It took about 400 cwt (approximately 20 tonnes) of iron to make each 32lb gun.
M. Possible fettling shop or moulding room - intriguingly, the floor in this extension was made of iron.
N. Fettling Shop - where workers removed the castings from their moulds and chipped off the excess metal.
O. Possible site of the boring mill.
P. Route of the waggon way - horse drawn waggons brought in the raw materials using the waggon way. Finished cannon were transported to Chester docks. The cylinders were taken to Preston Brook, near Warrington, for delivery by canal boat to Birmingham and the Midlands.
Q. Steam engine boiler house - the archaeologists have not yet decided what the job of this steam engine was. Mill historians think it is the remains of a kiln for drying grain for the flour mill.