Ironworks

Backbarrow was once considered the cradle of British Iron and Steel Industry. In tracing the origins of this once vast iron and steel industry one would not expect to find evidences in the beautiful Lake District and in particular the Leven Valley dating back to Roman times. These very ancient furnaces were of a very primitive character, usually built of baked clay, and the manufacture of iron was very wasteful. The remains of rich ferruginous slag, which can be found localy is proof of the wasteful method of manufacture. It was not until 1711 that Backbarrow built its first improved blast furnace, the charcoal fuel was prepared on the wooded hills surrounding the Leven valley. Very little is known about the owners of the furnace at that time, but an ancient cast iron lintel plate was found buried in the stone wall of the furnace in the early part of the last century, bearing the initials I.M.R and R.S.C  and the date 1711. These initials are thought to be landowners who used  iron for forging plough blades, spades and other implements. Old plough blades and hoes have been found with the initials B.B.B.  which stood for “Backbarrow Best”.In those far off times Lorn Iron as it was known was carried by pack horse or mules over the hills to foundries in Lancashire , Yorkshire and further afield. These ancient Pack Horse trails are still visible around the area and are often walled on either side making them easily recognised, the walls being about 6 feet apart.

One of the most famous iron-masters of all time was, John Wilkinson,who worked with his father Isac at  in the 18th century. Casting was at that time  carried out by carrying the molten metal in a ladle from the furnace to the foundry some distance away.John later became a part owner of the Backbarrow works but soon moved to the very large installations in Staffordshire and Shropshire, where he cast large engineering products and also cast iron bridges, the area is now known as Iron Bridge.

John’s business grew quickly and he was soon able to take on Government contracts for munitions including 32 lb cannon, howitzer and shells. He became an object of fun when he announced that he would build a barge made of iron to ship is products along the River Severn. people scoffed at him asking “how can iron float”, a local blacksmith demonstrated how absurd his idea was by dropping a horseshoe into a barrel of water. Who could have imagined that his iron barge would be the forerunner of all our present day shipping fleets. It is said that John lived for iron and it is claimed that he often made presents of iron coffins to his close friends. John Wilkinson died at Bradley in Staffordshire in 1808 and he himself was buried in an iron coffin in the gardens of Castlehead Mansion, Lindale-in-Cartmel, situated in South Lakeland, Cumbria. When the mansion changed hands his body was transferred to the churchyard, there is a 20ton iron monument erected to his memory in Lindale village.