Duddon Furnace

The Duddon furnace (Grid Reference SD 197883) is a surviving charcoal-fueled blast furnace near Broughton-in-Furness in Cumbria. It is on the west side of the River Duddon in the parish of Millom and formerly in Cumberland.

The furnace stack, of local stone, is intact to its full height of 29 feet, but the hearth has been removed. It was powered from a leat from the River Duddon and was blown (at least latterly) by blowing cylinders. The bridge, leading to the charging platform, has rooms under it used for workers' housing. The charcoal barn is 100 feet long, and the iron ore store also survives. The site was investigated archaeologically in the 1980s, but only interim reports from this have been published.

Date: 27/06/10

Location: Duddon Bridge, off A595, Western Lakes

Photographer: Stephen Dutch