IEEC3.1 05 Excavating and Recording 18th Century Steam Engines In the Ironbridge Gorge

Excavating and Recording

18th Century Steam Engines

In the Ironbridge Gorge

Michael Nevell

An off-print from

Transactions of the 3rd International Early Engines Conference - Volume 1 pp135-150

Summary

This paper describes the archaeological evidence for four 18th century steam engine sites from largely unpublished excavations on the northern side of the River Severn through the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, UK. These sites include the location of two locally made Heslop engines at Blists Hill and the Hay inclined plane. The location of at least twenty 18th century steam engine sites are known around the Ironbridge World Heritage Site; only the sites described here have been excavated. This paper provides a context for the construction and later excavation and survey of these engine sites undertaken in the Gorge during the late 20th century. It also highlights the potential for further related fieldwork in this cradle of the Industrial Revolution.