New Willey Ironworks

 industrial heritage, invisible, scheduled ancient monument

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This monument includes part of the extensive New Willey Ironworks situated in the valley of the Dean Brook. The part of the ironworks survives as a complex series of earthworks, upstanding structures (which where occupied are not scheduled but protected by Listing) and buried remains associated with innovative casting and boring mills, water management, two large blast furnaces, ancillary structures and tramways at a revolutionary foundry operated by John Wilkinson and opened in 1763. Although the ponds and water management of this industrial complex have their origins as part of a 13th century deer park they were re-used and modernised for the industrial process. Materials and products were moved via tramways to the Willey Wharf on the River Severn. The blast furnaces were amongst the first to be powered by the steam engines of Boulton and Watt and were added to the site in 1776 and the engine house is still standing. The furnaces are almost certainly buried under the bank at the southern edge of the complex and it is reasonable to assume that the masonry survives to a considerable height. The casting floors of the revolutionary boring mill are also buried features and these relate specifically to the introduction of a new process connected to the production of cylinders and cannons. The warehouse and workers cottages survive as fully standing occupied buildings and are all listed at Grade II. The foundations of further buildings and structures were noted as parch marks during a dry summer in 1959 and also survive as completely buried features. The foundry was also notable because it produced the world’s first iron boat called ‘The Trail’ which was launched in 1787. The New Willey works closed in 1804 although a foundry operated at the site until the 1920’s.

The extent of the ironworks is greater than the currently scheduled area but is not all included because all of the earthworks and features have not been formally assessed.
historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1006...