Blast furnace at Coed Ithel, Llandogo

The remains of a 17th cent blast furnace situated on the W bank of the R Wye have been investigated. It was found that the normally accepted idea of the typical 17th cent furnace as having a widely flared bosh and separate crucible was, as suspected, a myth. This furnace had a bosh and crucible all in one and this made an angle of 77 with the horizontal. As other furnaces of this period are investigated it is becoming clear that the angle is not unusual. The furnace was charged with Forest of Dean limonite and bloomery slag. The furnace slag was not very basic and carried about 5% of iron which is typical of charcoal furnace slag of the 17th cent. The iron was low in silicon but predominantly grey - again typical of the period. The bloomery slag had been brought from a distance as its phosphorous content (0.4%) was not typical of a slag derived from Forest of Dean ores. Au