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The Old Furnace, Coalbrookdale, built in 1658 by Sir Basil Brooke.  Its significance lies in its use by Quaker ironmaster Abraham Darby for his experiments with coke smelting of iron. In 1709 Darby perfected his technique on this site, which profoundly affected the future development of the English iron industry. Until 1709, ironmasters had been entirely dependent on charcoal to fuel their furnaces, the size and location of furnaces limited by the need to grow timber and transport charcoal. The furnace operated using water from a pool, powering a waterwheel which operated bellows, the air blast creating the great heat necessary to smelt iron ore. The furnace was charged from above with alternate layers of coke and iron ore to which limestone was added. The limestone melted and impurities in the charge could be run off separately as slag. When sufficient iron had accumulated in the hearth the furnace was tapped and iron was allowed to flow out for making pig iron or castings. Modified again in 1777, possibly for the manufacture of components of the Iron Bridge, the furnace remained in use until the 1820s. Subsequent development of the Coalbrookdale site encapsulated the furnace within workshop buildings. In the 1950s the furnace was 'rediscovered' and restored. Further restoration and the erection of a protective cover building took place in the 1980s. In 2009, the 300th anniversary of coke smelting will be celebrated by a series of events at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum.

Category: People , Process

Institute: Ironbridge Gorge Museum

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