Relics of an explosive process
The 'shot tower' in Crane Park
Walkers alongside the river in Crane Park see high earth banks among the trees. These banks were built up as a safety precaution over the years that gunpower was manufactured in the area. The first mill here opened in 1766 to grind corn but it was soon converted to making gunpowder. The last powder mill in the area closed in 1927.
Water and raw materials
Waterwheels turned the millstones which ground the raw materials to a fine powder. Alder and willow trees growing along the river provided the wood to make charcoal. The sulfur and saltpetre were imported.
Gunpowder
The gunpowder made in Crane Park was a high-class product for small arms for military and sporting purposes.
An 1861 account of a visit to a gunpowder factory opens with the words:
"We should never advise any one, who is not called by duty, to visit a Powder Factory, for, firstly, you run a risk of being blown to nothing; and, secondly, you increase the danger in which the workmen are placed."
Many people worked in the gunpowder industry despite the fact that it was dangerous work. There were frequent explosions despite the precautions taken.
Visible remains of the mills include not only the blast mounds, but also scattered grinding wheels, sluice gates, engine beds and the 'shot tower', now a listed building.
The tower
The brick tower is poplarly known as the 'shot tower' but it seems unlikely that it was used to make lead shot because it is not tall enough. It may have been a watch tower, a bell tower or a water tower.
The island
The island opposite the shot tower is now a nature reserve with woodland, reed beds and scrub. It is home to a variety of wild life including water voles.
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 20 January 2007
