Page 26 • The HERALD • 22nd June 2023 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v FLAT ROOFING SPECIALISTS All Roof Repairs Tel: 023 8184 5632 Mobile: 07880 508415 Email: steve@braithwaiteroo ng.co.uk THE FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST WESTWOOD BUILDING BUILDING & LANDSCAPING WE ARE A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS WITH OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE BASED IN THE NEW FOREST. WE OFFER FREE QUOTATIONS AND ADVICE WHAT WE DO: • PATIOS • DRIVEWAYS AND BLOCK PAVING • GROUND WORKS • BRICK WORK • EXTENTIONS • GARAGE CONVERSIONS • CHIMNEY REPAIRS • ALTERATIONS • WE OFFER A FULL PLANNING AND DESIGN SERVICE TO SUIT YOUR PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS • FREE ESTIMATES • GUARANTEED WORKMANSHIP Call: 07725 002162 Email: westwoodbuilding@outlook.com • Foxhills, Ashurst, SO40 7ED The Tale of Iron Mill Common – part 1 by Robin Somes, Fawley and Blackfield Memories Just south-west of the Langley Tavern lies a small area of deciduous woodland, which doesn’t seem to have a name, and not being listed as Ancient Woodland, is probably not particularly old. South of this woodland lies the site of a 17th century ironworks. e clue that led to this curiosity was, once again, the 1838 Tithe Map of Fawley, where the area that’s now woodland was labelled as “Iron Mill Common”. Ironworks were rst recorded in Hampshire in the Domesday Book. It seems surprising, now at least, that such an industrialised process should have existed around Fawley in those days, but there were in fact two – the other being close to Fawley village itself. Isaac Taylor’s 1759 map of Hampshire shows “Iron Mills” somewhere (if the sketchy map is reliable) around Ashdown Hill or e Pentagon. Across the New Forest, there were several more; Sowley Pond supplied water power for two ironworks, for around 240 years, and at Iron’s Hill, near Lyndhurst, it’s believed there was another. e exact site of the Langley ironworks isn’t clear, e process of making iron needed a ready supply of ironstone (plentiful in the Barton Beds, and said to be easily obtained on the beaches along the coast, where it was washed out of the cli s), and of timber to make charcoal. It was generally easier to site an ironworks near the supply of timber, and transport the ironstone there from a distance, than vice versa. Over time, the use of local timber, mostly oak, for charcoal would have completely altered the landscape, a matter eventually controlled nationally by Acts of Parliament. It therefore seems likely that the area was originally ancient woodland, before being cleared to provide charcoal for the ironworks – when it became known as Iron Mill Common. Water-driven machinery would also be needed, to power the bellows in the furnace, and to drive the hammers to forge the iron, hence its location on the Dark Water. At larger sites such as Sowley Pond, a watercourse might be blocked to form an arti cial lake, which would provide a steadier supply of water during dry periods. Next time, we’ll look closer at the process of making iron at Langley. The site of Iron Mill Common (1838 Tithe Map of Fawley) but it was a little south of where the footpath from White eld Farm to Exbury crosses the Dark Water. Aerial photographs show the presence of excavated areas there. Although these may have been associated with the nearby White eld Brick Works, it’s also possible that ironstone was dug there, or that they mark the sites of furnaces. e mill was later converted into a corn mill, and that is said to have been demolished between the two world wars. Thank You Totton & Eling Bowls Club e Waterside Gateway Club had a fun day at the Totton and Eling Bowls Club, when they were invited to try their hand at bowls. It was a great opportunity and new experience for a lot of the members. e members were made very welcome by everyone at the bowls club and were divided into teams, with a couple of volunteers from the bowls club assigned to each group. ey stepped out onto the green in the glorious sunshine, ready to be taught the basics of playing lawn bowls. e friendly volunteers were very patient and gave everyone lots of helpful advice on how to play. e hardest part was trying to get the ball to roll in the direction they wanted it to, in order to hit the ‘Jack’. But as the volunteers explained, the balls are biased and follow a curved path, which sometimes ended up with them going where they weren’t supposed to, and torpedoing into the next group’s game! However, by the end of the session, many of the members had mastered it, and managed to hit the ‘Jack’, which resulted in shouts of delight and even some victory dances. e a ernoon nished with everyone getting together and chatting over mugs of tea, delicious sandwiches and cake in the club house. e Waterside Gateway Club wanted to say a big ‘ ank You’ to everyone at the bowls club, and all agreed it had been a brilliant day, which they would love to repeat again sometime. e Waterside Gateway Club is a club for adults with learning disabilities. Waterside Gateway Club at Totton and Eling Bowls Club Gentle Ramble Join Lepe Country Park Ranger Laura for a gentle 30-minute walk around Lepe, suitable for those with limited walking ability, on Monday 26th June and Monday 31st July at 9.30am. Laura will take you along accessible routes, making the most the picturesque environment at Lepe. Meet at e Lookout a couple of minutes prior to the walk starting. Free to attend, usual parking charges apply.
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