FOCUS on Industrial Archaeology No

On Sunday 29th February a private group visit was arranged to the John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough. It was a bright sunny morning, but very cold when our party of about 35 people gathered at the entrance to the museum in Freehold Street. We were met by the curator, Robert Bracegirdle, who welcomed us and invited us to look at the display of old bells of all sizes and equipment associated with their manufacture and operation. This was followed by a very lively talk by Robert who gave us an overview of the history of bell-making in the UK and the rise of the John Taylor company to be the largest still remaining in production in the world.

Apparently there are now only two companies still making bells in the UK, the other being in Whitechapel, London. The business came into the Taylor family in 1784 and moved to Loughborough in 1839, probably to take advantage of the central location in the country and the emerging railway network then under construction. Taylors have cast bells for many famous churches here and abroad including the 16-ton bell in St Paul's Cathedral. Today much of the business supports the repair of bells and the manufacture of the specialised cradles and other infrastructure required to keep existing sites operational, but new bells are still made to order for customers all over the world.

We were then taken into the foundry itself, a large 19th century building almost like the transept of a church. The party was talked through the process from making the moulds, applying decoration and the casting itself: unfortunately, being a Sunday, no work was in progress. The moulds from bells of all sizes made in the past made a suitable backdrop to the casting floor - it now takes about 30 seconds to charge the mould, but several days to allow it to cool properly. The metal used is a bronze alloy consisting of 77% copper and 23% tin which is heated to 1200° C for casting in the mould.

I have often wondered about the difference between bronze and brass for making bells and Robert explained - hand bells (as used by town criers or schools) are almost always made of brass. The sound is harsh and 'tinny', but the bells will stand any amount of ill treatment: bronze, on the other hand, is much more delicate and would soon crack if used like a crier's bell. There is also a price difference - the bronze bells are ten times more expensive than brass!

The mould is hand-crafted in two parts - the core which gives the inner profile and the case which gives the outer profile of the bell. Both are made of a special mixture of red and black sand, chopped hay and horse manure which is mixed with water. This loam is applied to the inside of a cast-iron bell-shaped case to prepare the outer profile, including any decoration which is carefully impressed into the loam, and onto a core plate of cast iron to form the inner profile. The actual profile is formed using a crook which is a profiled plate acting on a centre pin which, when rotated, forms the profile required. The core and case are then baked at about 150° C. The horse manure is used to remove impurities but, even so, moulds often need cracks filling in after the baking process. The two parts are then brought together, clamped and sealed to form the completed mould.

The mould is then put in a sand pit with sand placed around it and the molten metal is de-gassed before being poured into a header box from where it flows under control to fill the space between the moulds.

After cooling slowly so that the cast metal develops the desired crystalline structure and the moulds are broken off, the bell is taken to another building to be tuned. This area is separated from the rest of the works as it used to be off-limits to all but the craftsmen engaged in the tuning process - bell-tuning was a skill rife with commercial espionage in years gone by and each company's method was a closely guarded secret!

Essentially the bell is put on a kind of vertical lathe and carefully ground until the correct tone and harmonics have been achieved - this is a most skilled task and is done using a wide range of tuning forks and an ear with years of experience. Finally we were shown the area which makes the cradles and supports for bell towers or other structures where the final product will work.

A most enjoyable tour lasting about 1½ hours, but made all the more fascinating by Robert Bracegirdle's knowledge and enthusiasm. There is a small shop in the museum selling a range of tasteful souvenirs. The museum is open during the week: Tuesday - Friday 10am to 12.30pm; 1.30pm to 4.30pm, also Saturdays June to August, and pre-booked group tours can be arranged (min 15) out of hours.

For more information visit their web site at: ww w.taylorbells.co.uk                                                 Return to Top

The Southampton Floating Dry Dock - part III                                                           Jeff Pain

The Journal goes international!! - well, not quite, but certainly European.

In February our Publications Officer, Eleanor Yates, had a request for the article in Journal 10 (2002) and the follow-up in Focus No. 60. The order was fulfilled and I wrote to the inquirer, IR H.W.Stapel in Holland, requesting that he be kind enough to confirm or amplify the details I had given of the Dock's stay in Rotterdam.

We have received a reply and I summarise his words as follows. He joined the Rotterdam Dry-dock Company in 1952 as a young (b. 1920) naval architect after 5 years in the technical department of a shipowner. From 1952 he was responsible for the Shipbuilding Dept, first as a naval architect and later as Managing Director.

In 1958 they had under way construction of a new floating dock (No. 9) to be assembled by themselves from components built by both Dutch and Belgian steel builders. Whilst this was in hand, the British Admiralty put the ex-Southampton dock on the market and they decided a running mate (No. 10) for No. 9 was a good idea.

As the RDCo was building its own dock, it was well placed to estimate the steelweight and capacity, so a top management committee of four MDs, the repair manager and IR H.W.Stapel discussed their bid and agreed each should write down his suggestion and then compare notes, to give an average price. Apparently all were fairly close: however Mr Knape, the President, suggested that £20,000 be added as they really wanted the dock. This was agreed and their bid was submittedŒ

In the event this was just enough to outbid the other main contender, the Bethlehem Steel Corporation of the USA, who decided their bid was too high and reduced it by £20,000. When the bids were opened and RDCo. was declared the winner, BSC offered to buy the dock from them but this was declined.

Docks 9 and 10 were moored together at the RDCo. dock in Rotterdam and were able to service Passenger Liners, Warships and, for a while, the largest Cargo vessels and Tankers afloat.

He also relates an accident involving a 60,000 ton (deadweight) ore carrier of an unusual type, being an American Twin Shag design, which vessels do not have flat centre keel over their full length, the last 100 feet or so being angled upwards with twin propellers side by side, and special arrangements should be made to support the stern. However this was not realised from the submitted plans and, during docking and raising which took place at night in heavy rain, the man watching noticed something peculiar but did not inform the controller and, in consequence, the dock bent at the point where the keel ended because of the extra weight at this spot.

Luckily it was easy to recover the ore carrier, which was not damaged, and by judicious flooding of the sections the bottom of the dock straightened itself and, by tipping the dock, repairs were made to each side in turn. Though they were unable to inspect underneath, no leaks manifested themselves, the insurance paid up and operations continued as usual.

Concluding, he said the dock was well built - a good flexible old style riveted job. If it had been welded like No 9 it would no doubt have been severely damaged in the accident and, in her 25 years with RDCo, she was a great asset to the Company.

My thanks to IR H.W.Stapel for this information.                                                                                  Return to Top

Bridges in the news

Brunel's first iron bridge discovered in London (from various sources)

HIAS members probably read about or saw on television news in March that, during demolition work on a modern brick road bridge over the Grand Union Canal near Paddington Station in London, I K Brunel's very first iron bridge was uncovered and rescued following the chance discovery of previously unknown notes in Brunel's private workbooks. The bridge is the earliest of only eight surviving Brunel iron bridges in the country and Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said that there is no other bridge built to the same design anywhere else in the world.

Dr Steven Brindle, English Heritage Inspector of Ancient Monuments, was leafing through Brunel's surviving notebooks to research a new history of Paddington Station and found Brunel's designs and load-testing for the cast-iron beams of a Paddington canal bridge, dating from 1838, but it was not known if the structure was still in existence. Brunel built it to replace an earlier wooden footbridge over the canal but needed to allow clearance for canal users, so an iron bridge gave the best solution for a road level lower than that possible with a brick arch. However, to cross the canal and towpath required a span of 16.4m - too long for iron beam technology - so a pier was built in the canal reducing the longest span to 10.7m. Nothing has since been built like this.

Just by chance the bridge was found just before contracts were due to be let to demolish it. It is to be replaced by a new five-lane bridge to improve traffic flow and enable heavier vehicles to use the route. The structure had been surveyed but its origins were not then known and it had long ago lost its railings, but was perfectly preserved under brick parapets. From below, however, it was possible to see that the construction exactly matched Brunel's sketches and notes.

Westminster City Council halted demolition plans so that the bridge could be carefully dismantled and moved. The next stage is to secure funding for its full restoration and find a new location. One of the options being considered is to position it as a public footbridge over the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal. English Heritage and the Westminster Council are hopeful that the painstaking task of unbolting, moving and reconstructing the bridge will be completed in time for the 200th anniversary of Brunel's birth in 2006.

Coalport iron bridge renovation starts (from New Civil Engineer, 27 May 2004)

Complex work to renovate Ironbridge's 176 year old "smaller brother" got under way in Shropshire this week with engineers starting assembly of a 68m long temporary steel "overbridge". The lattice girder structure is being constructed 3m above the existing Coalport Bridge to allow access to its five parallel cast iron arches without imposing major loads. The structure will be launched from either side of the Severn river gorge in mid-June; scaffolding and work platforms will then be hung off it. Cast ironwork will be strengthened with bonded steel plates. The work is complex because it is in an environmentally sensitive site, but it is needed to allow a 2 ton weight limit to be lifted. It is scheduled for completion in November. The bridge was built in 1818 and is itself grade two listed and a scheduled ancient monument, as well as part of a world heritage site.

Bristol dock cast iron bridge beams buried (letter in New Civil Engineer, 8/15 April 2004)

William Jessop's Feeder Lock at Bristol was built between 1804 and 1809 with a cast iron road bridge spanning 6m. The bridge was strengthened in the 1950s with cambered steel joists set between the cast iron beams. Following damage to one of the parapets, it was replaced around 1980 with a Bailey bridge and more recently a steel bridge. With the connivance of the demolition foreman, two of the main beams were saved and laid to rest nearby. Unlike Brunel's bridge at Paddington, the bottom flanges are bulbous and deck panels were supported on flanges near the neutral axis. The Feeder Lock remains a traffic bottleneck. The beams are available for inspection at the discretion of the lock keeper, who can provide a shovel.

Hockley Viaduct - appeal for 'listing'

A group known as Friends of Hockley Viaduct (35 Southgate St, Winchester, SO23 9EH) has issued a leaflet on the current condition of the viaduct, which HIAS members (well, SUIAG then!) in the past have helped to tidy up. "The viaduct is in urgent need of repair, to the parapets in particular, as bricks have been dislodged by vandals. The original bricks were made in Wellington, Somerset, but no doubt many originals could be recovered. Vegetation needs another clearance to check the drains of the viaduct are in good order, etc."

The group is still hopeful of getting the viaduct listed by English Heritage even though an initial attempt (made by Dr Edwin Course) was not successful. They put the failure at that time to not having the full backing of the Local Authorities (Winchester City Council was 'advised' by an independent consultant not to apply), but now the LAs have indicated they would support a listing. The City of Winchester Trust has said it would submit a second application and a member is working on the draft. Listing would open up various funds which Winchester City Council could apply for. The Friends are asking for support by letter, or even better further information such as pictures of the viaduct being built in 1891 or in wartime of which they have none.

Chris Webb, a correspondent to the Hampshire Chronicle, said that the viaduct played a vital rôle in D-Day transport and comments that a Grade 2 listed stone and brick viaduct on the closed Bristol-Radstock line recently has had £700,000 of repairs done thanks to funds available for listed railway structures.

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When is a canal not a canal?                                                                                              Rodney Hall

In 'snippets' Dec 2003 Focus (pg 11) there is an item headed 'canal correction'. The extract quoted from the website makes no mention of a canal, so no correction is necessary. The Ribble Link is not a new canal but a new river navigation. River navigations pre-date canals and differ from them in several respects.

Why is the Ribble Link not a canal? First and foremost apart from locks and a 200 yard (OK then, metre) section at the triple staircase lock (Nos 1-3) with the link to the Lancaster canal, it occupies the bed of the Savick Brook, a small stream rising near Longridge about 5 miles NE of Preston and flowing into the River Ribble about 2 miles west of the town. The bed of the brook has been dredged, widened and straightened where necessary and 8 canal type locks constructed. Also the majority of the bridges over the brook have not been altered, dredging being carried out where more headroom was needed for boats. There are still some fearsome bends especially either side of the bridge under the Blackpool road, A583. By using the bed of the brook no puddle clay lining was necessary or provided.

The Link has also suffered typical river navigation problems. In March heavy civil engineering work was taking place at lock 7 where flood water had caused severe erosion in the by-wash (which takes all the water coming down the brook when the lock is not being used) resulting in the banks collapsing. Also silting was evident below the bottom gates of lock 6, opposite the by-wash which needed removing before deep-draft boats could pass.

Conversely, the Bedford to Milton Keynes link would be a purely artificial waterway following no water courses, so would need puddling all the way to prevent water leakage. New bridges will be needed throughout but the canal would be without many problems associated with river navigations.

So, if it happens on time, the Great Ouse - Grand Junction (later Grand Union) Link Canal will be the first major canal to be built for a century.

Interestingly, for those unfamiliar with the geography of the area, the Great Ouse / Grand 'Union' link could have been provided by making the river navigable (the same as the Ribble Link, apart from the Great Ouse being a much large river) as it flows under a well-known canal aqueduct a few miles from the proposed junction but, instead of a 16 mile canal, it would have been a 30-odd mile navigation, such are the meanderings of the river.

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In search of the Hjejlen                                                                                               Nigel Smith

Many years ago Angela and I had a phase of being 'into' large scale boat models and, after building a model of a French tunny fishing boat, we looked around for something more challenging. Those who also build model boats will be familiar with the excellent range of kits made by the Danish company of Billing Boats. Along with the usual sailing vessels they do offer some steam and diesel prototypes, including the paddle steamer Hjejlen. The finished model is almost a metre long and can be motorised, although we build for static display.

The kit comes with a set of plans, strips of many different types of wood and some rudimentary instructions in English with a very poor quality small photo of the vessel in service. After a lot of work the model was nearly finished, but many details were left undone due to lack of information about the original - so the kit was shelved for another day and has remained that way for 20 or more years!

Some years later, by chance, I came across an entry for the Hjejlen in a book on historical ships which seemed to suggest that the vessel still existed and was even still at work on a lake in central Denmark over 100 years after her launch. We thought it would be fascinating to see the old girl in person, but the prospect of arranging a special trip to central Denmark just for this was too ambitious. However, last year we went on a group-organised tour of Scandinavia by rail run by Ffestiniog Travel. The tour ended in Copenhagen and there were two days' free time to explore the city - hmm, I wonder how far it is to the lakes at Silkeborg from Copenhagen?

Ffestiniog is very good at customising holiday plans and we pre-arranged to leave the group in Copenhagen to travel on to Silkeborg where hotel accommodation was booked for one night. It was a good 3½ hour journey on to Silkeborg with a change of train at Århus. At this point a word about the area and the lakes at Silkeborg which are situated almost in the middle of Denmark. There are several small lakes joined by channels that lead to the main lake which is several miles long: near the east end is a popular destination for locals and tourists to visit Denmark's only 'mountain' the Himmelbjerget which, at 482 feet, is the highest point in the country.

The lakes are served by vessels of the Hjejle company which operates a mix of modern and historic pleasure craft including the paddler. The current sailing schedules are available on the internet (just type in 'hjejlen' and the search engine should do the rest).

The day dawned dry, but cloudy. as we made our way down to the quayside, having left our bags in the station left-luggage lockers. At last! There she was in the flesh - with the telltale signs of a coal-fired boiler getting up steam. Tickets purchased, we left at 10.00am with a full load heading down the canal that joins into the lakes. We had a good view of the engine room and soon got talking to the engineer/stoker. The Hjejlen was built in 1861 with the best engines then available - 2 cylinder oscillating machinery of 50hp - and these are still going strong today. The boiler has been renewed twice, in 1900 and 1947, to the original design. She weighs in at 39 grt, dimensions are 27m x 3.8m and, despite her diminutive size, is certified to carry 175 passengers. Limited refreshments are available en route and there is a booklet about the steamer in English if you ask the crew.

After depositing most of her passengers at the Himmelbjerget (including us), Hjejlen steamed across the lake to Laven before returning in about 45 minutes for a half hour layover. On the return journey from Himmelbjerget to Silkeborg the vessel was almost empty and we had the run of the ship. Filming was allowed in the tiny engine room and we were able to appreciate the extraordinary rear saloon designed for his Majesty King Frederik VII, and the even more remarkable 'throne room' at the stern. Hjejlen is designated as a mail steamer and you can still post a letter on board whilst underway which will receive a special postmark!

Return back at the quay in Silkeborg confirms a round trip of about 1½ hours and Hjejlen will do two trips each day during the summer season between June and early August. Although she operates with other 'steamers' of the fleet to give a total of up to 8 daily sailings, one should be able to swap between vessels on the same ticket if you have paid the Hjejlen premium.

So, a very enjoyable day with the opportunity to finally see and travel on what is reputedly the oldest continuously operating steamship in the world in original condition (Norway's Skibladner is older (1856) but heavily rebuilt and oil-fired). And the model? Well, the sun soon came out and we took many photos to fill in the detail gaps in the kit instructions, so one day should find our version of the Hjejlen sitting proudly on display.

Hythe Pier                                                                                                                  Angela Smith

The damage inflicted on Hythe Pier by an off-course dredger on November 1st 2003 was reported last time and it seemed then that the vessel's owners were only offering just over half the estimated cost of repairs under Merchant Shipping legislation. Subsequently the captain was found guilty of being in charge of the vessel whilst under the influence of alcohol, to which he readily admitted (he had drunk 6 pints of lager before boarding the dredger), and the owners swiftly agreed to the full cost of repairs. These were carried out very quickly, in view of the winter weather, and the pier with its historic electric tramway was re-opened on January 6th. The smashing of the rail connection also blew the tramway's transformer and a new one had to be specially made.

In the interim the ferry was operating from a pontoon outside Hythe marina - the ferry company bussed people between marina and pier entrance - which itself was due to be taken out of commission for routine repairs on January 9th. Passenger figures plummeted during the two-month period and new car parking charges in Hythe saw a decrease in normal commuter usage (although NFDC residents can purchase a £5 annual parking clock), but the arrival of the Queen Mary 2 and other notable passenger ships have increased visitor numbers to the pier itself and now the summer tourists to the New Forest are using the ferry to visit Southampton, so hopefully the future for the pier and ferry will improve.

As for the dredger captain, he was given an 8-month custodial sentence at Southampton Crown Court in March and the incident has prompted the government and marine industry to introduce drink limits at sea and the dredger owners brought in their own measures to undertake random drink and drugs tests on its crews.

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Meetings and Activities                                                                             Carol Burdekin

Our first speaker of 2004 was John Forster of the Solent Metal Detecting Club who spoke about Metal Detecting. John has enjoyed his hobby for over twenty years and brought along a selection of finds which he has collected over this period. The finds included coins, badges, brooches, horse decorations etc. His most important find to date was a coin believed to date from 80 B.C. The history of metal detecting became popular in this country from about the late 1960s and the cost of a metal detector can range from £100 to over £1000. Most makes of metal detectors can be adjusted to eliminate silver paper, nails and other rubbish and will also allow for ground conditions. If the ground is too dry or too wet, the signal may be lost, but a good machine should compensate. Not only does John's hobby allow him to be out in the open air and to enjoy all the pleasures that comes with it, he does enjoy doing the research on the items he finds.

It seems that all metal detecting clubs share their knowledge and each club has someone with a particular expertise who can be called upon for advice. John is more than happy to take on commissions such as finding lost jewellery. The detecting clubs are collectively known as Detectorists. A brochure produced by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport called The Treasure Act - Information for finders of Treasure clearly lays out a code of practice for metal detectors. There is also a brochure called Metal Detecting which gives prospective detectors a brief guide to the pursuit. One thing John's talk showed us was that metal detecting is not for the impatient ones amongst us.

Our February speaker was Robin Wallace-Sims and his talk was on the Fire Fly Project. The project is to build a replica of the original broad gauge Fire Fly locomotive designed by Sir Daniel Gooch [1816-1889] in the 1840s for the Great Western railway and was, for a time, the largest locomotive in the country. Reaching up to speeds of between 60 to 80 miles per hour, there were no brakes on the engine, just the train, but the replica will have brakes on the tender for safety purposes! Robin illustrated the events leading up to the first “steam up” by way of a video diary. He brought along the original designs for the locomotive and a model of Fire Fly given to him by the deceased owner's son, on the condition that Robin finished the model and got it working. This he has now done and runs it on the track he has built in his garden.

For background on the project, Robin gave us a brief history of the Great Western Railway's broad gauge system invented by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, GWR's brilliant engineer. The track gauge was 7ft 0 ¼ ins, the odd ¼ inch was because the original engine came from Birmingham with exactly 7 feet gauge wheels. Brunel decided it was cheaper to re-drill the track than to re-build the engine, as only a few miles of track had been laid. Although the standard on most of the world's railways is 4ft 8½ ins, the advantage of a wider gauge allowed more space, more stability, higher speeds and trains did not topple over. But a railway network with two different gauges was not practical, and the railway companies using the small gauge were not willing to widen their tracks. When the GWR failed to get control of the Bristol & Gloucester, and Birmingham & Gloucester Railways, broad gauge was doomed.

The Fire Fly Project consists of volunteers from all walks of life, with only one of them being an ex-railway engineer. Although the project is being carried out at Didcot, and a lot of the parts have been made there, the Fire Fly Trust is a separate organisation. Some of the bigger items such as the boilers have had to be made elsewhere. After a very interesting talk, we were all very eager to visit Didcot to see Fire Fly in steam once the project is completed.

Our speaker in March was Deane Clark, R.I.B.A, on The Hampshire Buildings Heritage. Deane began his talk by telling us that, having trained as an architect, he worked for British Rail, then Westminster City Council before moving on to Portsmouth to become involved with historic buildings. At that time, the 1970s, not much was being done in the way of conservation. Deane showed us a selection of slides of what has been achieved by Hampshire County Council in the way of conservation. These included some of his very early projects starting with Southsea Lighthouse and, more recently, Chesapeake Mill, which has now been sold to a local person for use as an antique furniture showroom. Many of our members belong to the Hampshire Mills Group and have been involved in Chesapeake Mill since it was put on the market for sale.

Continuing with his slides, many of them Winchester projects, including Peninsula Barracks where the planners insisted on keeping the original parade ground in the middle intact. This can now be seen as a raised area with fountains and landscaping, which is very attractive. There were quite a selection of slides from other parts of the county including those of restored cottages in Andover, Basing Barn [1580], Bursledon Brickworks [1897], Whitchurch Silk Mill [open to the public], Rowlands Castle Railway Station, Eastney Pumping Station, Ditcham Down, RAE Farnborough and many more.

As well as his slides, Deane had many anecdotes to tell of the times when SUIAG [now HIAS] was involved in the restoration of different projects including Southwick Brewhouse, where we seem to have got into trouble with the Customs & Excise for wanting to brew 350 gallons of beer, which the officer involved thought a little on the high side for private consumption!

Our April speaker was Ian Andrews and his subject was Links between the West Country and Newfoundland. Newfoundland & Labrador are the mostly easterly Canadian provinces with very rugged coastlines and indented with numerous bays and fjords. The interior is a combination of forest, heath, lakes and rivers spread over a terrain that ranges from mountainous in the west to rolling hills in the centre and east. Labrador is also mountainous in the west, although its rivers are larger and wilder. Ian told us that he is heavily involved with the Wessex Newfoundland Society which fosters links between the people of Poole and Dorset and the surrounding areas of Wessex, and those of Newfoundland and Labrador. Apparently these links date back to the 1500s when fishermen and merchants from Poole began to exploit the rich supplies of cod off the coasts of Newfoundland. As these trading interests grew, more and more people from Poole and the surrounding areas went to work and sometimes settled in Newfoundland.

Ian told us that the aims of the Wessex Newfoundland Society, which he is heavily involved in, was formed to broaden the mutual understanding of the historical, social, cultural, educational, recreational, civic and commercial activities of the linked areas, by the exchange of information and development of personal contacts.

He showed us a large collection of slides including very early pictures of the Newfoundland fishermen and their boats to more recent slides of some restoration projects which are taking place today. Newfoundland has a population of about 600,000 people mainly living around the coast. The people of Newfoundland like to think of themselves as the oldest British Colony [1580] and seem quite proud of their links to the U.K, the Union Jack being seen more often than the Canadian or Newfoundland flags.

It was a very informative talk and obviously a very interesting place to visit, but with its winter beginning in September and not ending until May, it may not be the No 1 holiday destination for most of us!



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Reports

South East Region I A Conference 2004                                                                 Carol Burdekin

SERIAC 2004 was hosted by HIAS this year and held at Churcher's College, Petersfield. The Conference was attended by about 210 I.A enthusiasts and, after registering and coffee, settled themselves into Churcher's huge sports complex for what turned out to be a very successful and full day packed with a wide range of I.A subjects.

Our Chairman, Roger Hedge, opened the proceedings by welcoming everyone to Churcher's College, and wishing them a very enjoyable day. He went on to explain the changes that had taken place within HIAS over the last two years and how the change from SUIAG to HIAS now properly represents more clearly all of Hampshire. With this in mind, the choice of Petersfield aptly demonstrates the Society's intent in this respect.

Roger thanked Gerald for all his hard work in organising the Conference and for being our long-standing SERIAC representative. This job is to be taken over by our secretary, Carol Burdekin.

Roger went on to give the Conference a brief over-view of the venue, Churcher's College, with its beginnings in the 1730s and as it is today with its high academic record and excellent facilities. including the sports hall we were in which was erected in 1993. As for Petersfield itself, it may not immediately strike you as a town with much I.A. but, because of its locality, on what was one of the crossings of the coach roads from London to Portsmouth and closeness to the South Downs with its sheep grazing, created wealth and engendered a textile industry. There was also a hop area, but sadly the kilns have all disappeared along with the town's several breweries.

One of the larger locally-based industries from WW1 to 1959 was a licensee of ITS Rubber Company of Ohio which produced rubber for the shoe and boot trade. Apparently the business was bought by Colston, the washing machine people and, in turn, they sold out to Webber, makers of car seat belts and other safety harnesses, but production was moved elsewhere and the site closed.

Petersfield can also boast one of only two specialised church and concert organ factories, the Willis Company, run by a local man Henry Willis who, when he retired, moved to Lancashire!

These are some of the reasons, together with being well placed for rail and road access, which makes I.A. relevant to Petersfield today and. if I.A is the history of the rise and fall of manufacturing and the like, then Petersfield has seen it all!

Roger then handed over to Gerald who gave a brief introduction before handing over to the Chairman for the morning session, John Hone, who introduced the speakers, and a brief synopsis of what they spoke about is as follows:-

Milestones - A Living History for the 21st Century:

Alistair Penfold (Hampshire County Museum Service)

Hampshire County Museum Service has acquired, in its formative years, a collection of steam road vehicles and agricultural machinery, representing 160 years of production and development of Tasker & Sons, Andover. This collection formed the nucleus for the development of a comprehensive Hampshire history collection relating the development of road transport and its manufactories. The inclusion of such well known companies as Thornycroft and Wallis & Steevens of Basingstoke gave the collection such strengths that it was becoming imperative that proper public access was made available. A site at Basingstoke was offered to HCC to build a new museum and the concept and designs for Milestones were born.

Shoreham Cement Works:

Ron Martin, Sussex I.A Society

Portland cement was patented by Joseph Aspdin in 1724 and there were innumerable developments over the 125 years until the state-of-the-art works was erected at Shoreham in 1949. The industrial activity on the site dates from the 1850s and cement was manufactured on the site from at least 1898 until the works closed in 1992. The raw materials for the making of cement are chalk - which was dug from an adjacent pit - and clay, which was obtained from pits a short distance up the River Adur.

The other two components were gypsum for controlling the rate of setting of cement obtained from Mountfield and coal, providing the fuel for burning, which was brought in by rail to start with. The works, as originally built, used the wet process with the chalk and clay mixed together as a slurry in a set of wash mills, but this was later converted into a semi-wet process in the 1980s where excess water was removed in a press house. The cement was fired in two 350ft long rotary kilns with the material slowly moving down the slope and the pulverised coal being blown up from the bottom. The clinker, after cooling, was held in a large store before being ground in rotary ball mills after which it was stored in silos before being bagged for despatch. The works is considered a fine example of the technology of the immediate post-war period and is still largely intact.

Things that Float, Fly or Fire - Industrial Archaeology of the Isle of Wight:

Robert Martin (Isle of Wight I.A Society)

Over the centuries, the Isle of Wight has largely been dependent on two very different industries: farming and tourism. Farming has been followed by Islanders for many millennia and has consequently left its mark in various agricultural remains. Tourism is, by contrast, a recent development spanning no more than the last two centuries, but equally leaving its imprint. Like elsewhere, the Island's industries have been shaped by three factors: geology, location and local demand. Geology has given rise to the search for alum, brickmaking, glassmaking, stone quarrying, lime-burning, cement manufacture, coal mining and the supply of copperas and tobacco pipe-clay amongst others. The Island's geographical location has seen the development of salterns, shipbuilding, aeroplane and hovercraft manufacture, lighthouses, mills, yacht-building, prisons, as well as the construction of a fearful amount of military infrastructure, such as fortifications, barracks and radar bases. Most industries until the 19th century arose to serve a purely local demand and were therefore small-scale, temporary and more artisanal than industrial in nature. However, the 19th and 20th centuries saw the establishment of large industrial concerns, whose business was national and even international in scope; cement manufacture, shipbuilding, aviation, hovercraft, rocketry, lacemaking, electronics and wind turbines are just some of the industries that have found a home on the Island.

We adjourned for lunch at 12.30 and made our way over to the College's refectory where the catering staff laid on a hot meal of meat or vegetarian lasagne with garlic bread and salad, followed by a typical school pudding of almond sponge pudding with custard (minus the lumps)! Together with fresh fruit. By this time the sun had come out and those who wished were able to eat their packed lunch outside in the superb College grounds with panoramic views over to the South Downs. The delegates also had plenty of time to browse round the various stands where about 10 exhibitors, mostly other I.A Groups, had plenty of books and publications for sale.

The afternoon session started at 2pm with John Silman taking over as Chairman and introduced our first speaker of the afternoon, Professor Ray Riley, who is well known to most of us and, as always, very entertaining.

Ships, a neglected aspect of industrial archaeology, the Portsmouth Case

Professor Ray Riley (Hampshire I.A. Society)

Focusing on Portsmouth-built naval capital ships in the 19th century, the first part of the paper addressed the reasons for the neglect of ships by industrial archaeologists, arguing that since ships either sink or are eventually broken-up, there is little to be recorded. It follows, therefore, that a discussion of ships that are no longer afloat is not strictly industrial archaeology, but rather industrial or maritime history. Notwithstanding this admission, the second part of the paper reviews the background to the slow introduction of steam into the Navy, together with the technical and strategic reasons behind the evolution of Portsmouth-built capital ship armament before 1914.

The Wey Navigation, its Place in the Development of River Navigation

Dr Stuart Chrystall (Surrey Industrial History Group)

While the major rivers of England have been used for navigation, more or less in their natural state, since at least early medieval times, the Wey was only the second river to be canalised successfully. The route of the Wey Navigation, as it exists today, is almost exactly the same as it was when it was opened in 1653, whereas many later navigations were extensively altered during their lifetimes. Over half the distance from Guildford to the Thames consists of artificial cuts while most river navigations, as first built, closely followed the natural course of the river. An examination is made of the factors influencing the design of navigation and the extent to which later ones copied, or more often did not copy, the principles adopted by the designer of the Wey Navigation. In almost no case do we know how the detailed route of a river navigation was planned. Suggestions are made, however, as to what may have influenced the planning.

A Dream of Steam

Brian Gooding (Hollycombe Steam Collection)

The Hollycombe Steam Collection was opened to the public in 1971 by the late John Baldock who had been collecting steam engines and steam-driven fairground rides for the previous twenty years. After 1981 the collection of fairground rides was sold to Madame Tussauds and moved to Crowlas in Cornwall for an abortive theme park. In 1985, the management of the much reduced collection was handed over to a volunteer society which continues to run it to this day. Gradually the fairground rides were re-purchased, along with some others and, in addition, to numerous other attractions including three railways, traction engines and steam rollers, Hollycombe now boasts arguably the world's largest steam-driven fairground collection. In 1997, ownership of the collection passed to a charitable trust with the help of an HLF grant. Subsequent grants have provided a much needed storage building for the fairground artwork in the winter and most recently, for a new educational/visitor centre plus interpretational material, work on which starts in September with completion early in 2005.

The Conference ended about 4.50pm when about two thirds of the delegates made their way over to Hollycombe Steam Museum at Liphook about ten miles from Petersfield. The staff at Hollycombe were present by special arrangement through HIAS, so we had about two hours to enjoy the Edwardian Fairground, with at least three rides open and the traction engine hauled ride. The narrow gauge steam railway took us about two miles along the track into the heart of the historic Listed woodland. Dating back to the early 1800s, it has magnificent views over the Sussex Weald to the South Downs and Butser Hill [the highest hill in Hampshire]. There is a small cafeteria where a selection of hot and cold snacks can be purchased and a Gift Shop selling a wide range of souvenirs and traditional sweets.

This is a delightful and unique collection providing fun and entertainment for all the family, not just us I.A. nuts.

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HIAS Rescue & Restoration Section

Mayfly Cottage, Timsbury:- The 'gang' has continued working on the waterwheel-powered water pump at Mayfly Cottage where the wheel has been top-coated in a lovely shade of green and the pump has been dismantled for cleaning and overhaul. The next task will be to fabricate a trial float so that a local carpenter can manufacture the full set.

Eling Tide Mill:- Working parties have been cleaning and tidying at Eling Tide Mill where the bins on the top floor seemed to have been the dumping ground for all sorts of items over the past couple of decades and one of the sluice gates was leaking badly so temporary repairs had to be made. The mill re-opened on National Mills Weekend in May, but it still needs some more repairs and refurbishment.

Maritime Projects                                                                                             Angela Smith

S.S. Shieldhall www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk

At the AGM on April 18, the Chairman reported that 2003 had been a busy year and several of the sailings had sold out, but membership is disappointing. The rubbing strake appeal is still open. £18,000 had been spent on a new sewage system and forthcoming expenditure will be on caulking. There is to be a Grand Draw for which there will be 10,000 tickets at £1, and the draw will take place at the half-yearly meeting in November.

Shieldhall attended the Dordt in Stoom festival in Holland in May and some HIAS members may have seen a report in the Southampton Daily Echo of May 17 that, upon arriving at Dordrecht on the 13th, the ship was involved in an accident with a local tug which was sunk and the master was lost. Nigel and I were in Dordrecht with a group for the event and attended the Parade of Steam on Shieldhall the following evening which went ahead despite the sombre mood on board, and we noticed that all the commercial tugs were flying their national flag at half mast as a mark of respect for their lost colleague. The ship returned to Southampton the following week having been slightly delayed by a defective AC generator, which is being replaced - more expense!

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Other local maritime news

British Military Powerboat Trust    www.bmpt.org.uk

With a deadline of September 2005 to vacate the premises at Cracknore Hard, Marchwood, sites such as Dartmouth, Glasgow, Poole and Cowes have been investigated for relocating the vessels. Some of the Dunkirk Little Ships which were stored outside the building have already been moved away. The Daily Echo sponsored a D-Day exhibition at Marchwood from 5th to 26th June.

Southsea    www.mv-Southsea.com

Quite a busy website. The former ferry is still at Driver's Wharf on the River Itchen and the owners and supporting society are actively searching for a permanent home for the vessel. The likely use is as a static restaurant although there is a long term proposal to return it to sea-going operation. Among options being considered are Portugal and Gibraltar as a number of possible locations in the UK have already rejected it. The Bristol-based owners currently have the Southsea for sale.

Steam tug Challenge (Dunkirk Little Ships Restoration Trust)

Challenge attended the London International Boat Show at the Royal Docks in January (anyone who watched Salvage Squad in the Thames fireboat Massey Shaw at this event might have seen a plume of black smoke in the background - that was Challenge!) and the Dordrecht Festival of Steam in May. Jerry Lewis has supplied me with a list of forthcoming events which they are hoping to attend:-

July 6 - leave for Brest: July 12/18 - Festival of the Sea 2004 at Brest: July 31/Aug 1 - Bristol Harbour Festival: August 4 - Return to Tilbury.

P.S. Ryde www.psryde.co.uk

No further news on this website other than that Mark Young, who runs the site, suggested holding a meeting for interested parties and several people have e-mailed him.

Tug/Tender Calshot www.tugtendercalshot.co.uk

Negotiations are currently taking place between the Trust and Southampton City Council for the Trust to take over the vessel, along with some funding.

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Tram 57 Project                                                                                                  Angela and Nigel Smith

Very little to report this time, as everything is still in store and we have not been able to carry out any work on the trams which, I suppose, has given the volunteers something of a respite after all these years. Nevertheless, enquiries have been on-going to try to find a suitable building 'at the right price' to at least move the 3 trams (Southampton 11 and 38 and Lisbon 715) into, so that the displaced heritage buses can return undercover until such time as the main Collections store in Southampton's City Industrial Park is re-located. Due to 11 and 38 blocking access to this store, it has not been possible for people to visit the extensive reserve collection, nor to move in or out any largish exhibits.

Alastair Arnott, the Collections curator, has said that it has been agreed in principle to adopt a more open or accessible approach to storage to enable visitors to see more in future. However, in the long run, this means more space will be required. For example, the costumes are expertly packed in boxes, but a suspension system would take up more floor area. The growing collection of engineering drawings are rolled, but flat storage is preferable which takes more room. Although the present building is adequate for current storage, to make the reserve collection more accessible would require larger premises. Alastair also mentions that, although his storage conditions are very good, others such as the Special Collections library or Archaeological Collections could benefit from improvement. However, so far, the City bosses have not come up with an alternative site.

Returning to the Tram Project, one of the most interesting artefacts to come our way was donated by the son of a man who was on the last tram that ran on December 31st 1949. A Transco employee called into our workshop at Millbrook in September 2000 with the news that his father had 'acquired' a destination box from the last car, number 9 (a sister car to our No.11), and he wanted to donate it to the Project. This was recently handed over to John Horne who placed it with the Collections Management team and it is now undergoing cosmetic restoration.

Twyford Waterworks Trust      www.hants.org.uk/twt                                                           Ian Harden

With the operating season now under way, the Trust is coming to terms with not being able to offer the attraction of steam. The May open day, however, provided much encouragement with net income in the region of £800. This was in spite of a reduced admission charge and fewer visitors. Two new refreshments in the form of an ice cream freezer and a barbecue operated by our new on-site partners, the Eastleigh Model Boat Club, each contributed approximately £70 to the total. Visiting machinery included two Wallis and Steevens steam rollers and a Thornycroft tanker lorry from the Hampshire County Council collection.

Obviously, the summer steaming days normally held on the first Sunday of each month will not take place as such; instead these will be normal working days. In September, though, plans are in hand for Twyford to host a motorcycle charity event similar to the Daisyrun that takes place around the New Forest in the spring. If successful, the Twyford version may become an annual feature in our calendar.

Unfortunately, the provision of alternative storage and workshop facilities has not proceeded as rapidly as we would have hoped with only a stores container currently in place in the quarry. Further talks are in progress with Southern Water regarding the outstanding items. The first phase of asbestos removal and sealing of the boilers was completed in time for the May open day and boards installed to create a passageway through the boiler house to the engine room.

Over the winter, efforts have been concentrated on maintenance of the steam and diesel engines and clearing the Filter House of non-essential pieces of electrical equipment, etc, that have accumulated over the years.

Southampton Heritage Federation                                                                                    Angela Smith

Story of Southampton: The Consultants' initial report, delivered to the City Council in March, into the possibility of a major heritage centre for the city was reviewed by the council and a further £60,000 has been allocated to look into possible sites. Federation members have reservations over whether this money is being used wisely since all the sites except one are reliant on waterfront land owned by ABP which, since the failure of its application to build a new container port at Dibden Bay, may need of all its available space. Alternative suggestions are being made by the Federation which involves a number of linked sites.

Calshot Lightship and Continental Booking Office, Ocean Village: These have been on the agenda for some time with little information available so, prior to the Federation meeting on June 2nd, I took the bull by the horns and visited the Wilson Bowden marketing suite in all that is now left of the former Ocean Village shopping mall - just the brick Southern Railway Continental Booking Office. This building will be demolished about September 2005 when the final apartment block is built, but I appealed for the frontage to be dismantled and re-erected elsewhere. The lightship is owned by the developers and they have ideas for its use, such as a restaurant. At the moment it is in a very sad state with graffiti, broken windows, corrosion, weeds growing around the outside and surrounded by a fence to try to keep the vandals (and small boys) out. They are keen to see it tidied up and I offered the expertise of the HIAS 'Heavy Gang' to help out if needed. Sorry, chaps!

Bargate Heritage Centre, Southampton

Volunteers are still desperately needed. Ideas are also required for new exhibitions, and it has been suggested that societies could mount a display for a specified time and arrange a rota for their own members to 'person' it. One member group has offered a short-term exhibition, and a sub-committee has been set up to look into a more permanent display about the Bargate itself.

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Miscellanea

Cambridgeshire Legacy                                                                                             Roger Hedge

After an Open Day at the Bronze Age site at Flag Fen outside Peterborough, Wendy and I passed through Gransden and I showed her around, on 7th March 2004.

The restored windmill has a new plaque:-

GT. GRANSDEN MILL

This post mill is an interesting example of rural engineering and is an Ancient Monument. Built during the 17th century, the earliest date 1614, can still be seen carved into a minor beam in the mill's spout floor and it last worked in 1911.

The mill was restored in 1982-83 by R.Thompson & son, Millwrights of Alford, Lincs. The Gt. Gransden Village Society contributed to the cost of restoration.

The Mill is located at TL 277 555 on OS 153. It is not to be confused with the nearby Bourn Windmill at Caxton at TL 312 580. Bourn Mill is of similar age and has featured in at least one of Edwin's weekends. Both mills are shown on the 1835 one-inch series of OS maps and are no doubt on earlier maps.

Returning to the Gransden site, immediately adjacent (TL 2854 / 3056) is the wartime aerodrome, known as Gransden Lodge. It is largely returned to agriculture but two of the once familiar Nissen huts serve as 'barns' and the control tower and contiguous buildings are quietly falling into disrepair. Again, the Gransden Society has erected a plaque close to the mill.

GRANSDEN LODGE RAF STATION

405 (Vancouver) Squadron RCAF

The Pathfinder Force of No 8 (PFF) Group

marked the targets for Bomber Command

(1942 - 45)

You may wonder at my interest. Gransden is the home of my deceased mother's family. I grew up there during the war and later, as a teenager, I worked on a local farm during the summers - carts and horses alongside a spanking new John Deere tractor! The farmer's sons were trained in Canada and modernised everything in the mid-1950s. The third generation of the Jeffery's family now run a flying school alongside the farm and the third generation of Shermans (related to my mother) still work for the Jeffery's!

Southampton railway bridge listed

Wendy Barrett has forwarded a Department for Culture, Media and Sport scheduling notice, dated 16 February 2004, giving Grade II listing to Southampton's Central Bridge under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

Railway Bridge. 1881-2; by William Jacomb, chief engineer for the London and South Western Railway Company. Three spans; central span over railway lines has riveted iron box-girders supported on riveted iron piers with cross-bracing between; the side spans have iron beams with brick jack-arches between and riveted iron piers. Carriageway has cast-iron parapet balustrades with cast-iron lamp standards. The abutments are of red brick in Tudor style with moulded brick strings, 3-centred arches and brick semi-octagonal piers with arched panels and Portland stone dressings. Abutments at west end divides north and south and has flight of steps at centre. The Central Bridge carried the road from the Floating Bridge [opened in 1836] over River Itchen.

Buildings of England, p.554.

Southampton's Local List

The previous 'Local List' was mentioned in the December 1995 newsletter when a pilot study was to be undertaken by the City Council. Once again the council's heritage conservation team is drawing up the Local List of Southampton's most interesting, attractive or historic buildings for an updated List.

Over 450 buildings are already on the statutory list, including the Bargate, Tudor House, Civic Centre, the Trafalgar Dry Dock, Wyndham Court (I kid you not!) - and now, of course, Central Bridge. These are legally protected, but there are other architectural gems which may have been overlooked and, while they may not be 'listed' as such, by being put on the Local List, then the city council can give priority to their conservation.

The criteria were approved by the City Council in 1997. The building should be more or less unaltered and still have most of its original features. It can be industrial, housing, schools, even telephone boxes and milestones.

Three periods have been highlighted - 1838 to 1914, 1918 to 1938 and 1945 to 1975. Proposal forms will be available in local libraries, community groups, museums or online at www.southampton.gov.uk (though we tried and got nowhere - not an easy website to find your way around). A long list will go to the selection panel in September and the Draft Revised Local List will be published in October with the final, updated Local List going before city councillors for approval at the end of the year.             (from Southampton City View, April/May 2004)

Commemorative Road Markers                                                                                Roger Hedge

In my innocence, despite living in the New Forest for 42 years, I have only just recognised the presence of two remarkable marker stones at two approaches (or exits, if you prefer!) to Burley and Burley Street (administratively part of Burley). They commemorate the Peace of Amiens.

The first stone, at SU 1986 0426, is on a grassy knoll at the triangle of the Crow, Picket Post, Burley Street roads. It is marked on 3 faces only, in turn, "To Crow": "To Ringwood rest and be thankful": "Peace restored 27th March 1802".

The second, at SU 2118 0304, is on the east slope of the hill opposite the Queen's Head (public house - what else!) on the road towards Lymington. It is similarly marked, again on only 3 faces, in turn, "To Lyndhurst": "To Lymington rest and be thankful": "Peace restored 27th March 1802".

One reason for missing the commemorative feature is that this inscription is not visible from the road under modern conditions. One has to park and walk!! No doubt horse riders and coaches of that day were more infrequent and slower.

Restoration - 2nd BBC Two series in the summer

Following the outstanding success of last year's series, BBC-2 will once again have Griff Rhys Jones, Ptolemy Dean and Marianne Suhr investigating threatened heritage buildings in the United Kingdom so that we can vote for the one which we most want to see restored, with each vote contributing financially to the amount given to the winner. This year there are 21 buildings spread over 7 programmes. There are several castles/houses, but quite a number of others can be classified as industrial archaeology. In Northern Ireland is a lock-keeper's cottage in Belfast and Armagh Gaol; Wales has a workhouse and a workingman's institute; Scotland has Knockando Wool Mill in Morayshire which still contains its Victorian machinery operated from a waterwheel; in the north of England is the Lion Saltworks (scheduled Ancient Monument) at Marston in Cheshire, which was just closed down in 1986 with everything left as it was, and Gayle watermill - Grade II* - at Hawes in North Yorkshire. Coming further south, to the Midlands, we have the Bawdsey transmitter block from WW2 where radio direction-finding technology was pioneered and the south west has the South Caradon copper mine in Cornwall which has been neglected for 100 years. No IA in the south east area. Information on all the sites can be found on the website - www.bbc.co.uk/restoration - and an information pack can be ordered free of charge by phoning 08700 100 150.

I.A. snippets . . . .                                                                                      compiled by Rodney Hall

. . . from the BBC website

·         The listed wooden coal staithes at Dunston near Newcastle-upon-Tyne were badly damaged by fire in November ("40% destroyed or damaged"). Constructed in 1890 by the North Eastern Railway, it was restored for the 1990 Gateshead Garden Festival and is (was?) reputed to be the largest wooden structure in Europe.

·         £1.1 million from a European programme to promote historic waterways has been divided between two Welsh canals; the Montgomery Canal towards the progress of restoration towards Welshpool and the Monmouthshire Canal for restoration near Pontypool.

·         A report on the Ironbridge Gorge has sent alarm bells ringing over the extent of land movements in the area. Well-known for land slips, geological studies have revealed that as much as three quarters of Ironbridge is unstable. £1.2m is reported to be needed in the short term to complete repairs in the worst affected areas.

·         In a separate news item English Heritage is asking local residents and traders for their views on future conservation plans of The Iron Bridge.

·         In nearby Shrewsbury urgent repairs have begun on the Grade 1 Ditherington flax mill - the first known iron-framed building in the world - after the owners failed to undertake the works despite a legal notice issued by the local council. The repairs are being undertaken by English Heritage and the local council, which is hoping to recover the costs from the owner.

·         From Cornwall, a multi-million pound plan to open up major sections of the old underground workings of Geevor tin mine to the public have been announced. Note - this is the mine which stopped working in 1991 and is now a museum, not the last working tin mine which was South Crofty.

. . . from press releases by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport

·         Free admission to National Museums has, not surprisingly, increased visitor numbers to those museums. Between 2001 and 2003, visitor numbers at the Science Museum London went up 120%; at the National Museums, Liverpool 106%; the National Railway Museum 38%; the Museum of Science and Industry. Manchester 29% and the Royal Armouries, Leeds 22%.

·         A review of protection of the marine historic environment has been announced. Among suggestions for change are - Provide a positive approach to managing the marine historic environment. Close integration of marine and terrestrial protection so the historic environment is regarded as extending seamlessly from land to sea. Introduce a statutory definition of 'marine historic asset' to end current confusion. Revision of rules concerned with ownership, management, consultation, etc.

·         106 buildings in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter have been listed, the majority being manufactories or workshops. Mostly listed in their own right, a small number of buildings are listed for their group value, two buildings are Grade II* the rest Grade II. The area contains an exceptionally large number of historic buildings still used for their original purpose.

. . . from Heritage Link [a secondary information source]

·         Discussions at Government and Treasury and Inland Revenue level are taking place regarding Gift Aid concessions on day admission charges which could seriously affect the income of some heritage properties and museums.

·         15 pilot projects are being set up to test proposals for the new system of heritage protection. The pilot projects include buildings of the Piccadilly Line of London Underground. historic bridges in Cornwall, Darnall Works in Sheffield, Hampshire's ancient water meadows, Godolphin Estate in Cornwall (which contains some remains of copper/tin mining) and the Weld estate in Dorset. Sites were chosen to focus on the most innovative aspects of the new system. Equal statutory recognition will be given to different components of the historic environment doing away with artificial demarcation between buildings, parks and gardens, battlefields, and archaeological sites, which formerly had different protection legislation. Management agreements are another important aspect of the pilot scheme.

Brief news of mills

Chesapeake Mill, Wickham: Tony Yoward and John Silman have met the new lessee and it was agreed that Hampshire Mills Group will look after the machinery in the mill - the turbine, line shafting and four Armfield machines - and prepare them for exhibition. (Hampshire Mills Group)

Gants Mill, Bruton in Somerset has been fitted with a new turbine and electricity generator which, along with its 1888 Armfield turbine, will produce enough power to provide electricity to 15 homes. This is only a first step in a move that will see a further ten heritage mills in south Somerset generating before too long. (Old Glory, June '04)

The remains of Chillenden Windmill, Kent (blown down in a November gale) were taken into storage in December and millwrights were due to commence reconstruction work in the spring and it is unlikely to reopen to the public before the summer of 2005 at the earliest. (Chillenden windmill website)

The Snaefell Wheel Project: In October 2003 a 50 foot diameter waterwheel, built for the Isle of Man's Snaefell Mine, was returned to the island from Llywernog Mining Museum in mid Wales where it had been discovered lying in pieces. Engineers will assess and repair the wheel with the aim of rebuilding it at the Laxey Washing Floors over the next year. The wheel was ordered in 1865 for pumping, went to Bodmin in 1910, fell into disuse and went to Llywernog in 1976 (Northern Mine Research Society newsletter Dec 2003 - via Mick Edgeworth)

Essex mill for sale: The 5-storey watermill at Bulford, owned by author Roger Tabor (which I think featured in the TV series The Mill a few years ago), is for sale at £750,000 (Sunday Times Homes supplement, May 30 2004)

Dates for your diary, 2004

AIA Annual Conference 2004: Hertfordshire & Lea Valley at De Havilland campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield. Main conference Friday August 13 to Sunday 15 with visits & lectures from Monday 16 to Thursday 19. www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk

Bursledon Brickworks special events: Sundays 10.00am to 4.00pm. July 18 - Classic Vehicles, Model Makers and Collectors; September 19 - Restoration on display; October 17 - Autumn Activities; November 21 - Steam and Christmas Crafts.

Adult £3, accompanied child £1. Access for the disabled. Car parking. Guided tours of museum available.

Crofton Beam Engines: Open Daily 10.30am to 5.00pm until September 26. In Steam July 24,25; August 28, 29, 30; September 25, 26. www.croftonbeamengines.org

Crux Easton Wind Engine Open Days: July 11^th, August 8^th, September 12^th (National Heritage Weekend). 10.00am to 4.00pm. Entry £2.00; Family £5.00. www.freewebs.com/windengine/

For visits at other times, please contact 01635 253044 or 254314.

The Crux Easton Wind Engine is situated at OS map ref: SU 425 564, one mile off the A343 between Highclere and Hurstbourne Tarrant or, from the A34, take the Litchfield exit westwards and follow signs through Woodcott to Crux Easton (approx 5 miles), turn left, pass Manor House and the wind engine is on the left at crossroads.

Southampton & District Transport Heritage Trust: The 4th Transport Heritage Running Day at Mayflower Park, Southampton, is on Sunday 29th August. Free Classic Bus services linking the Bargate Heritage Centre, Solent Sky (Hall of Aviation), Maritime Museum (reduced admission price), Tug/Tender Calshot, SS Shieldhall (entrance £1.50), Bitterne Park Miniature Railway. Display of classic vehicles in Mayflower Park and Enthusiasts Stalls, replica Supermarine Spitfire. Contact David Hutchings on (023) 8058 1536 or          e-mail davhutchings@lineone.net

Tail-enders . . . . . . .

Brighton West Pier: The future is looking bleak for the very derelict pier after £14m originally promised by the HLF was withdrawn in January. £2½m of public money had already been spent and now may have been wasted. The supporters of the West Pier had asked for £20m but, as the HLF was the only public sector funder, it feared that if costs increased then it would have to foot the bill. (Ceefax South News, 28/1/04)

Yet another Solent fort for sale (see Tail-enders in December 2003 Focus): Last time it was St Helen's Fort for sale (which went for over £250,000), now Spitbank Fort is on the market for a cool £750,000. This is a 125-year-old Grade II listed monument and boasts a thriving tourist industry with 25,000 visitors a year who can explore its 50-plus rooms and winding passageways and relax in a restaurant. However, No Man's Land Fort, which was extensively refurbished with 25 bedrooms, failed to sell for £10m and, after two years on the market, will this year be returned to private hire during the summer months. (Southern Daily Echo, 1/5/04)

Secundus returns to Dorset: Negotiations between Birmingham Museum and the Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum to repatriate the narrow gauge steam locomotive Secundus to Purbeck were successfully concluded when the engine arrived at the Swanage Railway on 22nd January for an initial 5-year loan. The locomotive was built by Bellis & Seekings Ltd in Birmingham in 1874 and worked on the 2ft 8in Furzebrook Tramway which connected the pits and mines around Creech to Furzebrook Works and a wharf at Ridge. It was repaired and rebuilt by Stephen Lewin at Poole Foundry in 1880 and worked until 1955. It will go on display at the Goods Shed Museum at Corfe Castle Museum and later to a new museum at Norden when it is fully open in 2007. Planning permission for this project was granted by Purbeck District Council at the end of January. A sub-group of the Swanage Railway Trust will operate the new museum which will concentrate on the ball-clay mining in Dorset and other significant resources extracted in Purbeck. (various sources)

The Southampton Hall of Aviation has re-branded itself under the name of Solent Sky, to reflect more accurately its objective to preserve aviation heritage in the south of England, rather than just the Southampton area. Sir Jack Brabham and Peter Twiss attended the renaming ceremony on May 12th.

Finally, great news for those who don't find time to index their photographs and never know what caption to put on them. An American computer firm is developing a system that can caption digital photographs by listening to you and your friends chat about them! Computer software records these conversations, converts the speech to text, and then extracts keywords with which the photos are captioned and indexed. I can't wait!! Mind you, how it will cope with some I.A. technological terms will have to be seen. (New Scientist, 2 April 2004 - via Rodney Hall)

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