No 187 May 2012 1 www.sihg.org.uk Two of John Rennie’s engineering feats, see page 9. Top: The main flight of 16 locks at Caen Hill near Devizes on the Kennet and Avon Canal. Completed 1810. Photo: Jan Spencer. Bottom: Kelso Bridge over the River Tweed. Completed 1804. Photo: Our Transport Heritage, www.transportheritage.com. Newsletter 187 May 2012 2 Contents 2 Surrey Industrial History Group Officers 2 Shannon Corner & Shannon Limited: A Surrey Factory Site (part 2) by Norma Cox 4 Venues, Times & Contacts 4 Reigate ‘Caves’ Open to the Public: Recent Improvements by Paul W Sowan 5 Industrial Archaeology News No. 160 Spring 2012 report by Gordon Knowles 6 The Life and Works of John Rennie (1761 – 1821) by Peter Cross-Rudkin, report by Mike Davison 6 Research Topics Inspired by SIHG Lectures (1) John Rennie in Surrey by Alan Crocker 7 SIHG and the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills 7 The Surrey Archaeological Society’s Margary Award 8 SIHG 2012 Conservation Award Presentation and AGM Shannon Corner & Shannon Limited: A Surrey an automated visible record system; Shannostrip, was a visible suspended filing system; the Shannoleaf bu- Factory Site (part 2) by Norma Cox reau could contain ten to fifteen thousand records; the The factory in New Malden employed over five hundred Shannoleaf Desk Pack held up to three and a half thou- people and was of Art Deco design12. The Art Deco facto- sand records; Shannoblic tabs were angled for quick ry with attractive grounds should not have been pulled sighting, pictured on page 20 in the March Newsletter. down13, see figure below. Today the Shannon site is occupied by B&Q. Advertising brochures published by Shannon Limited14, References listed the products available under the trademark Shannon 12 www.edithstreets.blogspot.com/2010/12/ Systems. The “846”, Functional Furniture, Wood, Steel thames-tributory-pgl-brook-beverley.html. and Colour are key advertising words. The “Arc of Activi- 13 www.trolleybus.net/subhtml/picture293.html. ¤ ty” suggested that each office occupant needed 40sq ft per person, in their autonomous self-contained unit. Colour is recognised as a great psychological help-mate. All of the pieces of office equipment in the Shannon Sys- tem had their own distinct Shannon name: Shannofan was Surrey Industrial History Group Officers Chairman & Lectures Organiser: Robert Bryson, [email protected] Secretary: Alan Thomas, [email protected] Treasurer: Anne Lea, [email protected] Membership Secretary: Pam Taylor, [email protected] Newsletter 187 May 2012 3 SIHG Newsletter No 187 May 2012 DIARY The 37th series of SIHG Industrial Archaeology Lectures will start on Tuesday 2 October 2012, 1930 - 2130, University of Surrey (Lecture Theatre F) (Oct & Nov only) Enquiries to programme co-ordinator, Bob Bryson, [email protected]. Maps at www.sihg.org.uk Free parking is available in the evening on the main campus car park. Single lectures at £5, payable on the night, are open to all. * Programme / Application Form available online* discount for prompt return! * * New, almost step-free, venue after November * The Autumn 2012 Thursday Morning Lecture Series at Leatherhead starts on 4 October 2012. Enquiries to Bob Bryson, [email protected]. As seating is strictly limited, enrolment is for the whole course only; casual attendance is not possible. A few places are still available! SIHG Membership Renewal for 2012-13 is now due The SIHG membership database has been merged with the Surrey Archaeological Society database. Cheques payable to ‘Surrey Archaeological Society’ please, to Castle Arch, Guildford GU1 3SX Membership Form available online. You may also pay by Standing Order. The deadline for submitting copy for the next Newsletter is 10 July 2012. Submissions are accepted in typescript, on a disc, or by email to [email protected]. Anything related to IA will be considered. Priority will be given to Surrey-based or topical articles. Contributions will be published as soon as space is available. Readers are advised that the views of contributors are not necessarily the views of SIHG. Website: www.sihg.org.uk SIHG Committee - New Members Wanted As you can see from the diary, SIHG is due to have its AGM on Saturday 7 July at the Rural Life Centre in Tilford. I would urge you all to attend. Despite the fact that we combine this event with the presentation of our annual conserva- tion award, attendance is often poor. The AGM is very short and the main event is the presentation and the talk / tour given by the award recipient. This should be very enjoyable. In previous years we have had some difficulty finding people to take on the roles of Treasurer, Secretary etc. Ideally officers of SIHG are recruited from existing committee members who have had some previous committee experience. This year we have a number of vacancies on the committee for which we would be grateful to have nominations. Like all groups someone has to organise the meetings and lectures and a number of our long-standing committee mem- bers have resigned or are wishing to take a less active role. If you think you have something to contribute and would like to join the committee please contact any of the current officers; their contact details are shown below. Bob Bryson Chairman SIHG is a group of the Surrey Archaeological Society, Registered Charity No 272098, Castle Arch Guildford Surrey GU1 3SX Group President: Prof AG Crocker FSA Published by the Surrey Industrial History Group and printed by YesPrint 3 Leafy Oak Workshops Cobbetts Lane Yateley GU17 9LW © SIHG 2012 ISSN 1355-8188 Newsletter 187 May 2012 4 Other Industrial Archaeology Organizations Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre: by Amberley Railway Station on the B2139; www.amberleymuseum.co.uk. Ardingly South of England Showground: West Sussex RH17 6TL. Brooklands: Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN. Chatham Historic Dockyard: Chatham, Kent ME4 4TZ; www.thedockyard.co.uk. Crofton Beam Engines : Crofton Pumping Station, Crofton, Marlborough, Wilts SN8 3DW; www.croftonbeamengines.org. Crossness Pumping Station : The Old Works, Crossness STW, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9AQ; www.crossness.org.uk. Didcot Railway Centre: Didcot Parkway railway station, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ. Hawker Association: The Old Sports & Social Club, Hawker Centre, Kingston, free car park, hawkerassociation.org.uk. Holmesdale Natural History Club: 14 Croydon Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0PG. Kempton Great Engines: Feltham Hill Road, Hanworth, Middx TW13 6XH, www.kemptonsteam.org. Kew Bridge Steam Museum: Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middlsex TW8 0EN, www.kbsm.org. Kingston Museum : Wheatfield Way, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2PS. London Canal Museum: 12/13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT, www.canalmuseum.org.uk. London Transport Museum Depot: 2 Museum Way, 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, London W3 9BQ, www.ltmuseum.co.uk. Lowfield Heath Windmill: Russ Hill, Charlwood, RH6 0EL (TQ 234 407). Markfield Beam Engine and Museum: Markfield Road, South Tottenham, London N15 4RB, www.mbeam.org. Museum of English Rural Life: Redlands Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5EX. National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Nutley Windmill : Crowborough Road, Nutley, East Sussex TN22 3HY. Oldland Windmill: The Thatched Inn, Ockley Lane, Keymer, Sussex BN6 8DH. Railway & Canal Historical Society: The Rugby Tavern, Rugby Street, London WC1, www.rchs.org.uk. Reigate Caves: Entrance in Tunnel Road, off Reigate High Street, Wealden Cave & Mine Society, www.wcms.org.uk. Rural Life Centre: Old Kiln Museum, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 2DL. Saddlescombe: (TQ273115); Signposted 2 miles north of A27 Brighton ring road and 1 mile south of A281. Surrey History Centre : 130 Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 6ND. Twyford Waterworks: Hazeley Road, Twyford, Hampshire SO21 1QA, www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk. U3AFetcham: Fetcham Village Hall, 1000, [email protected]. Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton: Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0EU. Reigate ‘Caves’ Open to the Public: Recent Improvements by Paul W Sowan The centre of Reigate is riddled with tunnels, popularly heights, and profiles differ from mine to mine. And re- and locally called ‘caves’, in the Folkestone Sand under markably little primary documentation has been located and around the castle earthworks. The numerous and for this intensive extractive industry right under the cen- most extensive ‘caves’ are former sand-mines, worked tre of one of east Surrey’s oldest and most important largely for silver sand for glass furnaces along the banks towns! of the Thames in London. These industrial-scale dig- Two of the more interesting and impressive ‘caves’ are gings are thought to have been worked from the 1750s open to the public on the second Saturday each month or 1760s into the 1850s or 1860s, after which (and per- from May to September, with walk-in access from Rei- haps on account of two major mine collapses {in 1858 gate High Street via Tunnel Road. The caves are lit, and and 1860}) sand has been worked from open pits. Indus- there are no significant hazards other than a few steps trial-scale mining is thought to have developed on the and some slightly uneven floors in places. Guided tours completion of a turnpike road northwards up Reigate commence from within the pedestrianised tunnel, be- Hill in or about 1756. Sand is still dug commercially for tween 10 am and 4 pm. (an entry fee is charged to cover glass-making at nearby Buckland. costs such electrical lighting, insurance cover etc). The Other tunnellings in the sandstone at Reigate include ‘Barons’ Cave’ is also open on the same dates. Further domestic and pub cellars, and the curious ‘Barons’ details can be had from the Wealden Cave and Mine Cave’ (perhaps a wine cellar) under the former castle. Society’s website, www.wcms.org.uk.