United Kingdom

Gun's Mills, Flaxley

Early modern blast furnace and mill, Forest of Dean

Location

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Historical Context

About

Gun's Mills, at Flaxley, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, was a major industrial site from the 17th century. Originally built as an armaments factory with associated blast furnace in 1629, it was converted into a paper mill in the 18th century and operated as such until the late 19th century. By the 21st century the mill buildings were largely ruinous, but are being restored as of 2023. Structures on the site included listed buildings and a scheduled monument. The mill complex has been described as the "best remaining furnace of the earliest phase of British blast-furnace practice' and as the "oldest surviving blast furnace that exists in Europe, if not in the world."

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Armaments factory established

1629

Blast furnace operating

1683

Conversion to paper mill

1743

End of paper production and agricultural reuse

late 19th century

Restoration funding and progress

2023

Classification

Archaeological Features

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category

Animal Husbandry Features

Animal Pens
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Industrial and Craft Structures

FurnacesWorkshops
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Domestic and Habitation Structures

Houses
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Reference

Details

Country

United Kingdom

Coordinates

51.84° N, -2.47° E