No 214 May 2017 1 www.sihg.org.uk The curved line of the tunnel, marked North of the M25, is clearly visible; www.openstreet map.org Why the Oxted Tunnel is Curved, see page 6. ‘Approaching Oxted Tunnel’ Grid Ref TQ379537 © Copyright Ian Capper and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence; www.geograph.org.uk/ photo/2268126 Inspiration and Perspiration - Brunelleschi to Whittle (via Marconi), see page 4 Magnetic detector by Marconi used during experiments in 1902. File licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license; https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi Alan Thomas 1930-2017: A miscellany of images used in Alan’s Newsletter articles, see page 4 Newsletter 214 May 2017 2 SIHG Newsletter No 214 May 2017 Enquires to Programme Co-ordinator Bob Bryson: [email protected]. SIHG Industrial Archaeology Lectures at Guildford The 42nd season starts on 10 October 2017 - alternate Tuesdays, 19:30-21:30 Education Centre, The Cathedral, Guildford (map: www.sihg.org.uk). Single lectures at £5, payable on the night, are open to all. Thursday Morning Lectures at Leatherhead, 10:00-12:00, 5 October - 14 December 2017 Room G6 The Institute, 67 High Street Leatherhead KT22 8AH Non-member full fee £50 SIHG member £45. Please note that attendance is for the full course only SIHG AGM 15 July & Presentation of the 2017 SIHG Conservation Award for Deek’s Cycle Workshop, SIHG members are most welcome to attend the event and will be given free admittance to the Rural Life Centre , and there will be refreshments after the business of the afternoon. [Se enclosure!] New pattern of publication for the Surrey Industrial History Group Newsletter. The Newsletter is now issued quarterly, covering: February, March & April May, June & July August, September & October November, December & January Many thanks to all who have sent in contributions. Please send in reports or photos of holiday visits or thoughts on local, national or international Industrial Archaeology by 20 July 2017 for the next SIHG Newsletter! Any articles or images, whether long or just a a brief note will be appreciated - both by the editor and by the readers! Contents 2 SIHG Meetings; Surrey Industrial History Group Officers 3 Venues, Times & Contacts of other Organizations 1, 4 Alan Hugh Thomas 1930-2017 4 Inspiration and Perspiration - Brunelleschi to Whittle by Alan Thomas 5 Alan Thomas: Contributions to SIHG Newsletters List compiled by Glenys Crocker 1, 6 Why the Oxted Tunnel is Curved by Paul W Sowan 7 Tunnelling in the 1740s by Dr Brian Lawton, Newcomen Society report by Allan Wheeler Surrey Industrial History Group Officers Chairman, Lectures Organiser & Sales: Robert Bryson [email protected] Secretary: Hugh Anscombe [email protected] Treasurer: (vacant) Acting Treasurer: Robert Bryson ([email protected]) Vice Chairman & Membership Secretary: Pam Taylor [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Jan Spencer [email protected] 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 Surrey Industrial History Group, printed by YesPrint 3 Leafy Oak Workshops Cobbetts Lane Yateley GU17 9LW © SIHG 2017 ISSN 1355-8188 Newsletter 214 May 2017 3 Venues, Times & Contacts Albury History Society: 20:00; Albury Village Hall, The Street, Inland Waterways Association (IWA): £10/£8; no prior book- Albury, Guildford, Surrey GU5 9AD; ing required; www.waterways.org.uk; 0203 612 9624. http://alburyhistory.org.uk/; Margaret Clarke, 01483 202 Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Enginuity: 10:00-17:00, 294, [email protected]. Ironbridge, Sat Nav TF8 7DQ, Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre: 10:00-17:00; £11/£10; www.ironbridge.org.uk, 01952 433424 Amberley Railway Station BN18 9L; Kent Archaeological Society (KAS): www.amberleymuseum.co.uk; 01798 831370. www.kentarchaeology.org.uk. Ancient Technology Centre: 10:00-16:00; £6; Damerham Kempton Steam Museum: 10:30-16:00, £7/£6; Snakey Lane, Road, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5RP; (behind school); 01725 off elevated section of A316, Hanworth, Middx; entrance 517618, www.ancienttechnologycentre.co.uk. TW13 7ND; www.kemptonsteam.org; 01932 765328. Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group (BIAG): 19:30; £2- London Canal Museum: Open 10:00-16:30; Talks 19:30, £4/ 50; Garden Room, Watlington House, Watlington Street, £3; 12/13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT; Reading RG1 4RG ; www.biag.org.uk. www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 0207 713 0836. Brewery History Society: [email protected]; London Museum of Water and Steam: Green Dragon Lane, Jeff Sechiari, Membership Secretary, Ford Cottage, 9 Clat- Brentford, Middx TW8 0EN; www.waterandsteam.org.uk; terford Shute, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight PO30 1PD; 020 8568 4757. www.breweryhistory.co.uk/; Mapledurham, Watermill & House : £9-50/£8-00; 14:00-17:30; Brixton Windmill: second weekend of every month, plus a few Sats, Suns & Bank Hols; Mapledurham, Reading RG4 7TR; extra dates; free; full tour must be booked in advance; drop www.mapledurham.co.uk/the-water-mill, 0118 972 3350 in for short tour; Windmill Gardens, West end of Blenheim or www.mapledurhamwatermill.co.uk, 07710717149. Gardens, Off Brixton Hill, London SW2 5EU; Merton Historical Society: ww.mertonhistoricalsociety.org.uk/. www.brixtonwindmill.org/. Museum of English Rural Life (MERL): open Tue-Fri 09:00- Brooklands: open Summer 10:00-17:00, Winter 10:00-16:00; 17:00, Sat-Sun 14:00-16:30, free/donation; £11/£9.90; Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0QN; Redlands Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5EX, www.brooklandsmuseum.com; 01932 857381. www.reading.ac.uk/merl/; 0118 378 8660. Brunel Museum: Walks from Bermondsey Tube; just turn up Museum of London Docklands: Mon-Sun: 10:00-18:00; Wed 16:30, Sun 10:45; £9/£7. Boat & train from Embank- no.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL; ment tube station (not pier) for Brunel sites along www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, the Thames; just turn up Tue/Thu/Sat 10:45; £9/£7 [email protected], 020 7001 9844. (+ transport costs). Museum: Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, Newcomen Society London: 17:45, free; London SE16 4LF; 020 7231 3840. http://newcomen.com; new venue - The Dana Studio, Bursledon Brickworks: steam days £6/£5, open days £4/£3; The Dana Centre, 165 Queens Gate, London SW7 5HD. Coal Park Lane, Swanwick, Southampton SO31 7GW; Painshill Park: 10:00-16:00; £8/£7, Between Streets, Cobham, www.bursledonbrickworks.org.uk; 01489 576248. Surrey KT11 1JE; 01932 868 113, www.painshill.co.uk/. Chatham Historic Dockyard: 10:00-18:00, £22/£19-50; Chatham, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard : 10:00-17:30, site ticket, annu- Kent ME4 4TZ; www.thedockyard.co.uk; 01634 823800. al £28/£26; HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ; Council for Kentish Archaeology (CKA): www.historicdockyard.co.uk; 02392 728060. 7, Sandy Ridge, Borough Green, TN15 8HP. Railway and Canal Historical Society :18:30, free? The Rugby Crofton Beam Engines : 10:30-17:00; £8/£7; Tavern, Rugby Street, London WC1N 3ES; ww.rchs.org.uk. Crofton, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3DW. Reigate Caves, Wealden Cave & Mine Society: some Sats, Crossness Pumping Station : 10:30-16:00, £8; The Old Works, 10:00-16:00, £3/£2; Crossness STW, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London Royal Gunpowder Mills: 10:00-17:00; Beaulieu Drive, SE2 9AQ; www.crossness.org.uk; 020 8311 3711. Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1JY; £10.50/£9; Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society (CNHSS): www.royalgunpowdermills.com/. 19:45; free? UR Church Hall, Addiscombe Grove, Rural Life Centre: open Summer Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00 + E Croydon CR0 5LP; http://cnhss.co.uk; 0208 668 1431. Bank Holiday Mondays, Winter Wed/Sun 10:00-16:00; Didcot Railway Centre: 10:30-17:00; £10-00/£9-50; Didcot £8-50/£7-50; Old Kiln Museum, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Parkway railway station, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7NJ; Surrey GU10 2DL; www.rural-life.org.uk; 01252 795571. www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk; 01235-817200. STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway: 10:00- Docklands History Group: 18:00, £2; Museum of London 16:00, £8/£6-50; Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA; Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, www.steam-museum.org.uk; 01793 466 646. Hertsmere Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4AL; Subterranea Britannica: www.subbrit.org.uk. www.docklandshistorygroup.org.uk; 01689 851982. Sussex Industrial Archaeological Society (SIAS) : Gatwick Aviation Museum: Open Friday, Saturday and Sun- www.sussexias.co.uk. days; 09:30-15:30; £7-50; Vallance-Byways, Lowfield Twyford Waterworks: 11:00-16:00, £5/£4; Hazeley Road, Heath Road, Charlwood RH6 0BT; http://www.gatwick- Twyford, Hampshire SO21 1QA; aviation-museum.co.uk/; 01293 862417. www.twyfordwaterworks.co.uk; 01962 714716. Greater London Industrial History Society (GLIAS): 18:30; Watercress Line, Mid Hants Railway: all day travel £14, free The Gallery, Alan Baxter Associates, 75 Cowcross Street on non-running days; Station Rd, Alresford, (rear entrance), Farringdon, EC1; www.glias.org.uk. Hants SO24 9JG; (or Station Rd, Alton, Hants GU34 2PZ); Greenwich Industrial History: 19:30, £1; Old Bakehouse, rear www.watercressline.co.uk; 01962 733810. of Age Exchange Centre, opp Blackheath Stn, Bennett Park, Weald & Downland Living Museum, £13/£12; Summer 10:30- 11 Blackheath Village, SE3 9LA; no parking; 18:00, Winter 10:30-16:00, Singleton, Chichester, West http://greenwichindustrialhistory.blogspot.com. Sussex PO18 0EU; www.wealddown.co.uk; 01243 811348. Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society (HIAS): 19:45, Wealden Iron Research Group (WIRG): free; Underhill Centre, St. John's Road, Hedge End, www.wealdeniron.org.uk/, [email protected] Hants SO30 4AF; www.hias.org.uk; 01962 855200. Westcott Local History Group: 20:00, £1; Westcott Reading Honeywood Museum: open Wed-Fri 11:00-17:00, Room, Institute Rd, Westcott, RH4 3NP; Sat-Sun, BH Mon 10:00-17:00, free; .