INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY THE BULLETIN OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY 95 pence FREE TO MEMBERS OF AIA lronbridge weekend o Australian notes o steam giants o Boulton's Soho lighthouses o Catalan chimneys o hatting museum o education o regional news AIA lronbridge Weekend Margaret Tylee Blaenavon lronworks as a practical example of the problems faced when conseruing and interpreting a The 1997 lronbridge Weekend had the theme large industrial site. The site dates from 1788-9 and INDUSTRIAL 'Problems Presented by the Preseruation of Maior was the first purpose-built multi{urnace ironworks Structures'. About 50 gathered at the Long in Wales. By 1 796 it was the second largest in Wales, ARCHAEOLOGY Warehouse, Coalbrookdale, on 5-6 Aprilto renew old producing 5,400 tons of iron a year and continued in acquaintances, make new friends and hear an production until closure in 1904. In the 1960s, NEWS 102 interesting range of speakers. The very full and redevelopment plans were opposed by industrial 1997 enjoyable programme was organised and introduced historians and the site is now the responsibility of Autumn by Gordon Knowles, the AIA Affrliated Societies Cadw Peter illustrated the many problems faced by Officer. the team, for example the structures were in poor AIA OFFICERS condition and the site was very exposed. He then The keynote address was given by Dr Anthony spoke about the work done over the past 25 years in President Streeton, Secretary to English Heritage's lA Advisory repairing the furnaces, buildings and water balance Hlhry Malav{s 'Scale, is problem of funding. Visitor Y Felin Tynygaig, Ystrad Meurig, Dyfed SY25 6AE Panel, on Complexity and Viability: the Future tower. There an ongoing of England's Major Structures'. His talk was an levels are low and efforts have to be made to attract Vice-President in the site. John Crompton overview of the issues related to the future of maior interest and investment Depl ol Science, Technology and Working Life, Boyal structures such as engineering structures and the Mark Watson, an Inspector oi Historic Buildings Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EHI 1JF buildings and sites associated with extractive, for Scotland, spoke on 'Listed Building Consent as a VicePresident (Fund Raising) process and manufacturing industries. He discussed Negotiating Tool'. Industrial sites are increasingly Dr Michael Harison whether the listing of a building intedered with any threatened by redevelopment, but he argued that this 6 Moor Green Lane, Moseley, Birmingham 813 8ND future develooment and outlined some of the should be seen as an opportunity for an imaginative Treasurer problems and issues which had to be considered, re-use and re-adaptation of sites rather than a threat. Mkhael Messenget changes in He gave illustrations of listed buildings put to new 144 Lake Road East, Foath Park, Cardiff CF2 SNQ such as economic and social change, technology and perceptions. For example, many uses and challenged the view that the best use of a Secretary people memories of working in listed building was that for which it was originally built Amber Patdc* who had unpleasant 4 Gratton Road, Cheltenham GL50 2BS the coal industry were only too glad to see its remains - any use was better than demolition, but piecemeal swept away. There were options to be considered; development should be avoided. He also argued that lA Review Editors Peter Neaverson and Dl ilarityn Palnel should we try and mdntgin the building for its original changes to a building should be made deliberately oepartment ol History The University, Leicester LEI 7RH purpose or adapt it for a different use; should it be modern and distinguishable from the original rather lA News Edilor preserued in its original form or in a later adaptation; than a pastiche or copy. This was illustrated by the IF Peter S:lanier should it be preserved as a monument or museum? Luma Lightbulb factory in Glasgow, now converted 49 Breach Lane, Shaftesbury Dorset SP7 8LF Examples included the Waltham Abbey site, the into flats and listed in the 1 980s. Only the lamp testing Conference Secretary Anderton Boat Lift, Battersea Power Station, Salts tower remains unaltered. Mark showed examples of David Alderton Mill and the GMex centre. Also, would any scheme conversions of flax and iute mills where he had ,18 ouay Steet, Halesworh, Sulfolk lP19 8EY be technically or fnancially viable. Anthony cited the negotiated with the developer over aspects of the Alfiliated Societies Liaison Officer example of railway viaducts now used as walking and work to ensure lmportant features of the buibings Godon Knowles 7 Squinsls Green, Great Bookham, Leatherhead, Surrey cycle paths. He concluded that once all the economic, remained. In Dundee, nine mills had been converted KIA sLE social, organisational and financial viability factors had and three are in the process of being converted. This preferableto Cox Membership Secretary been assessed, itwas sometimes record includes the famous Camperdown Works of ftof David Peff€tt a building rather than conserve or preserue it. This Bros, a 35-acre site now converted for leisure 33 St Margarets Road, Brockley, Lontlon SE4 1YL well illustrated talk raised a number of issues to purposes, supermarket and housing. Sal€s Otficer stimulate our thoughts for the weekend. Harley Thomas, Conservation Officer with Roger Ford Dr Peter Wakelin then spoke about the Shropshire County Council, spoke about the Barn Conage, Bridge Slreet, Bri@nodh, Shropshir€ WV.15 6AF Publicity fficer Blll Firth 49 Woodstock Avenue, London NW1 1 gBG Fieldwork and Recording Award Officer Ilctoda BeauciarD Division of Adult Continuing Education, University of Sheffield. 196€ West Street. Shelfield 51 4ET Honorary VicePresidsnts Prcl Angus Buchanan Sh lleil Cossons John Hume Stuart B. Smith Council Members N. Beagrle Dr R. J. M. Carr M. Coulter D. Clanslone C. Cromplon (coopted) D. Eve (co-opted) S, Gould J. Powell P, Saulter (co{pted) P. Sillitoe S. Wadurton N. Wdght (co{pled) T. & U.Ys{afd (c}opted} COVER PICTURE Lighthouse at Trinity Bury Whaf, London (see page 9) Photo: R. J. M. Can A trough-full ot delegates at the Longdon-upon-Tern ion aqueduct Photo: Peter Stanier 2 INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS 102 problems of preserving a very different type of structure - the Snailbeach Mining Complex. With such a large site it was important to look at the range of structures which made up the whole complex. He also pointed out that most problems could be solved with large amounts of moneyl The mine was most active in the 1850s when 3,500 tons of ore were mined annually. Lead production ceased in 1911, but mining for barytes continued until 1955. Since then the buildings decayed and were becoming a safety hzard. The County Council realised that something had to be done, initially to consolidate the structures for health and safeV reasons and later to interpret the site for visitors. The award of a Department of the Environment Derelict Land Grant allowed for consolidation and preseruation but the control of vegetation remains a continuing problem. An award from the National Lottery will now enable the site to be interpreted. To date, 1500,000 has been spent on the site. After lunch, we travelled to Longdon-upon-Tern to view the 62-yard casfiron aqueduct that formerly Chris lrwin knows an aqueduct when he sees one Photo: Peter Stanier canied the Shrewsbury Canal over the River Tern. The aqueduct was designed by Thomas Telford, cast feelings on all sides. The Basingstoke Canalwas one purpose as a private park. Alan had no magic solution at Ketley and was the first iron trough aqueduct when that could be summed up as 'bats vs. boats'. The for these problems, but stressed the importance of built in 1796. lt now stands isolated in a field, with no canal runs through Suney and Hampshire and was all parties working together and to prevent developers sign ofthe canal which was abandoned in the 1 960s. purchased by the two councils in 1973 with the dm with no understanding of the problems coming in and We spoke to the landowner who allowed us to walk of restoration. The original terminus at Basingstoke destroying it all. across and underneath. He had not experienced any is cut off by the Greywell Tunnel, restoration of which Time was allowed for members' contributions problems, indeed he was not even sure who had would disturb a rare bat colony but would allow and at the end of the morning we heard Mike Clarke responsibility for its upkeep. The structure is listed boaters access to the whole canal. However, boat talking about canals in Germany, Roger Holden on and was maintained by the DoE, who painted it about usen only make up 3% of the canal's users and after Non-Conformist Chapels and Meeting Houses, 10 years ago. travelling through the tunnel they would have to turn Amber Patrick on her work as a consultant on After a very pleasant dinner at the New Inn in the round and come back. The Council is in the middle Malthouses for the Ancient Monuments Society and Blists Hill Museum, Mark Sissons presented a of the debatel The Brockham Lime Works could be Paul Sowan on investigating holes in the ground - humorous Patents Quiz in which most of us did very developed as a historic site, but public access is another form of a large structure. Hilary Malaws, AIA badly, but then how many people would recognise difficult and lots of people would disturb the bats President, summed up the weekend and there was the patent for a tape worm extractor or a musical (again!) and rare flora and reptiles existing in the general agreement that the topic was important, toilet roll holder! microclimate of an inland cliff face.