Details
SO 72 NW OXENHALL FURNACE LANE
(south side)
3/193 Farm building (former Blowing House
about 48m west of Oakdale House
19.9.84
GV II
Probably former blowing house for ironworks, now farm building.
C17, altered early-mid C18, C19. Random-rubble stone to ground
floor, roughly coursed in centre of south gable; above mixed
Flemish and English bond brickwork to sides, Flemish bond to gable.
Right wing brick on high stone plinth to ground floor, first floor
late timber-framing faced corrugated iron. Tiled roof main block,
corrugated iron extension. L-plan: main range left, 2-room long;
both wings 2 storey; ground rises substantially behind to road.
South facade, away from road: tall ground floor on left, rough
ends to stone side walls, later stone between, double-boarded
doors, small door cut in right half, heavy door posts and cambered
timber lintel, brick arch over. Above brickwork inserted between
ends of earlier side walls (about 340mm thick). Two-light
shuttered window centre, 2 iron bars per light, cambered brick arch
over. Above tiled offset to exposed king-post truss; part
rendered brick infill, 2 pairs braces. To right, set back wing,
tall window, boarded door, 2 tall windows and further boarded door:
two 2-light windows above, whole no higher than ground floor on
left. Left return, 2 low blocked openings, second with semi-
circular head: later small square window on left. Stonework
returns on left to enclose 2 sides courtyard, probably associated
with iron works, forming retaining walls. Above 3-light window,
leaded lights, on left; behind retaining wall end of single-storey
brick lean-to to gable of main section:: small chimney.
Interior: tall room through double doors; internal buttresses on
left, on right wall thicker at low level, slightly curving face.
Rear wall brick-nogged timber-framing, curved in plan, of later
date than stonework. Plaster ceiling. In right wall a large,
semi-circular headed opening from extension, gives onto rear room:
partly blocked by timber-framed wall noted above. Rear room, a
small window each side wall, late alteration: square iron grille
in gable, now blocked: low, brick barrel vault. Above, access
only from outside at rear, up stone steps to quarter landing, 2
rooms, rear brick paved, both lofted, plastered ceiling; 3-bay
roof over, trusses as gable, 2 pairs flat purlins, square ridge.
Documentary evidence of corn mill of C16 or early C17: converted
to iron works by 1645, became part of Foley iron-working
partnership in 1658, apparently ceased working by mid C18. Rudder
implies iron working ceased by about 1730, not 1778 as noted in
previous listing. Evidence difficult to interpret, but main range
appears to have extended originally further to south: king-post
trusses probably early C18. Low wing on right much altered in late
C19. Important remains of pre-Industrial Revolution ironworks,
outlier of Forest of Dean industrial area. Forms group with
farmhouse and former charcoal barn (q.v.). (S. Rudder, A New
History of Gloucestershire, 1779; R.A. Stiles, Elmbridge Furnace,
Oxenhall, in Gloucestershire Historical Studies, Vol. V, 1972.)
Listing NGR: SO7192426451
