Bibliography - Brian K. Herbert
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A Simple Pantograph, by Brian K. Herbert, published Summer 1972 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No 4, shorter note, pp.22-23) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558]   Download PDF

Haxted Mill - Exhibition, by B. K. Herbert, published 1975 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 8, article, p.46) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558]   Download PDF

The Wealden Iron Museum at Haxted Water Mill, by B. K. Herbert, published 1978 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 13, article, pp.19-21) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558]   Download PDF

Bassetts Blast Furnace, by Brian Herbert, published 1983 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 3, article, pp.36-42) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506559]   Download PDF

A blast furnace site has been discovered in the parish of Hartfield at TQ 4683 3738. The furnace site, which is under grass, and the leat which supplied water are owned by Mr Whetstone of Bassetts Manor. Straker referred to this site as a corn mill in 1939, but did mention that a little furnace slag was present. On investigation, in March 1980, a great deal of slag was found in the river and in the field to the south.

Three Sites in the Tudeley area near Tonbridge, Kent, by Brian Herbert, published 1986 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 6, article, pp.52-53, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506559]   Download PDF

A Method of De-rusting Archaeological Iron Artefacts, by D. Butler and B.K. Herbert, published 1989 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 9, article, pp.19-26, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506560]   Download PDF

The method of de rusting iron artefacts given here is essentially that described by Plenderleith and Werner.
The technique is based on electrolysis and uses readily available materials and equipment, but certain safety aspects and precautions are necessary, and these are described later.

Henly Upper Furnace, by B. K. Herbert, published 1993 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 13, article, pp.7-8, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506560]   Download PDF

After the visit to the Lower Furnace (above) the site known as Henly Upper Furnace (TQ 601338: Cleere and Crossley No. 101) was explored. The identification of the Upper bay as a pen-pond for the Lower Furnace cannot be accepted, as water flows along the tributary stream to join the Lower Furnace supply downstream from the latter's bay. Although, in theory, a leat could have been cut between the two streams, none has been found.

Foray to Matfield, Kent, by B. K. Herbert, published 1993 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 13, article, pp.11-14, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506560]   Download PDF

The fourth foray of the season was to the Matfield area of Kent, 31/2 miles NE of Tunbridge Wells. The object of the visit was to discover the actual site of a presumed ironworking site on land owned by Mr and Mrs Preston of Badsell Park Farm (TQ 6509 4339), previously known as Bogs Hole. The writer and others have visited the area several times over the last 20 years without making any relevant finds.

London-Lewes Roman Road, by B. K. Herbert, published 1993 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 13, article, pp.14-20, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506560]   Download PDF

At the end of the 1990-91 season of forays, about one mile of the London-Lewes Roman Road was investigated north of the Kent/Sussex county boundary (WIRG, Wealden Iron, 2nd series 12, 1992). This article continues the investigation for another two miles towards Edenbridge. The points of interest along the road are noted in parentheses, and are indicated on the maps, whilst a corresponding list of map references is given at the end of the article.

Three Forays - Upper Stonehouse Farm Bloomery Site, Surrey, by B. K. Herbert, published 1993 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 13, article, pp.31-33, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506560]   Download PDF

Three visits have been made to the bloomery site at Upper Stonehurst Farm, Surrey (TQ 4234 4113). The aim of the forays was to test WIRG's recently-purchased resistivity meter and to determine if contrasts appeared between soil containing slag and adjacent soil free of slag. Other group members searched for bloomery furnace sites in the locality. A plan of the survey and excavation is available from WIRG.

Two Ironworking Sites, Hoathly, near Lamberhurst, by B. K. Herbert, published 1993 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 13, article, pp.34-50, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506560]   Download PDF

This report brings up to date the results of a survey and many forays to the ironworking sites at Hoathly, near Lamberhurst, on the Kent/Sussex border. The earliest site, Hoathly Forge (1546 to 1667) was followed by Lamberhurst Furnace, also known as Gloucester Furnace, (1696 to 1787) and a later corn mill (1812 onwards). All these operations relied on a leat as a source of water power, the water being taken off the River Teise. It is this feature which is considered in detail. It was called the "Hoathly Ditch" and is one of the more unusual features of the Wealden iron industry still to be seen.

London - Lewes Roman Road part 3, by B. K. Herbert, published 1994 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 14, article, pp.5-12, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506561]   Download PDF

This note reports the third foray to re-explore the London-Lewes Roman Road, this time to the south of the Kent/Sussex border.

Cinderhill, Leigh, Kent, by B. K. Herbert, published 1995 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 15, article, p.8, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506562]   Download PDF

The last of the 1993/4 forays took place in April with a second visit to Cinderhill bloomery furnace site at Leigh in Kent, TQ 5330 4588. This is recorded in Straker's book, Wealden Iron, but is of unknown date, and in the Spring of 1993, WIRG had failed to find any dating pottery in two small excavations. The location is unusual in that it is over a quarter of a mile from any significant stream. A house to the NE of the site is called The Bloomery, the owners being well aware of this with their garden full of slag.

Fourth Foray on the London-Lewes Roman Road, by B. K. Herbert, published 1995 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 15, article, pp.18-23, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506562]   Download PDF

Work in February 1994 brings up to date four years of retracing the London-Lewes Roman Road described by I. D. Margary in his book, Roman Ways in the Weald. Reference to places on the road are noted by letters in brackets and are marked on the maps, whilst an associated list of map references is given at the end of the article; places situated off these maps have numbers in brackets.

Final Foray on the London-Lewes Roman Road, by B. K. Herbert, published 1995 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 15, article, p.23, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506562]   Download PDF

The March 1994 survey brings to a close the project to re-trace part of the London-Lewes Roman road from south of Edenbridge to Gallypot Street, near Hartfield; the previous forays are listed below. As before, points of interest are noted by letters in brackets and marked on maps copied from Margary's book Roman Ways in the Weald, whilst an associated list of map references is given at the end of the article; places situated off the map have numbers in brackets.

The Wealden Iron Research Group Experimental Bloomery Furnace, by B. K. Herbert, published 1999 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 19, article, pp.3-19, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506566]   Download PDF

This note records the setting-up and results of an experimental iron furnace on Ashdown Forest, Sussex. The Wealden Iron Research Group has been carrying out bloomery furnace experiments for about 25 years, initially under Roger Adams but now with a group of eight volunteers. It was one of the first Groups outside a university to study iron smelting under primitive conditions. Although several pieces of iron were produced, one an impressive 7lbs of high quality steel, it was impossible to make iron to order. The object of these experiments is to build on the knowledge already gained and try to consistently produce wrought iron and steel by the bloomery process.

Two bloomeries near Bletchingley, Surrey, by B. C. Worssam and B. K. Herbert, published 2000 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 20, article, pp.14-22, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/506567]   Download PDF

Straker recorded that a bloomery on the Weald Clay outcrop at South Park, Bletchingley, Surrey, had been shown to him by the landowner, Mr Uvedale Lambert. Mr Lambert had written a two-volume history of Bletchingley, which includes reference to Sir Thomas Cawarden, a 16th-century owner of the estate, who in 1548-49 was head of a commission of enquiry into iron furnaces and fuel in the Weald. Straker wrote of the bloomery: 'It is the most northerly bloomery yet found, being very near the rise of the greensand hills. There is a deposit of Paludina limestone within a short distance, which may have provided the flux. A considerable amount of ancient cinder is spread over the field, and large lumps have been thrown up on the hedges. There are some marlpits which probably yielded the ore.' He gave its location in terms of latitude and longitude, which work out as grid reference TQ 3306 4820. The area was visited by members of WIRG firstly on February 13th 1999, when a reconnaissance was made and two separate bloomery sites discovered, and secondly on February 12th 2000 in order to carry out trial excavation of Straker's site, these visits being made by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Wetter of South Park Farm and of Mr Michael Lambert of Cucksey's Farm.

An Experiment to test Alternative Conjectures about the Covers of Ore-roasting Pits, by Jonathan Prus and Brian Herbert, published 2007 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 27, article, pp.6-10, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/506574]   Download PDF

The ballistic properties of roasting siderite iron ore suggest that ore-roasting pits must have been covered during use. In the absence of archaeological evidence, the experiment described here was designed to test the alternative conjectures that such pits were covered with either mud or with green vegetation.

The location of Etchingham Forge, by Brian Herbert and Tim Cornish, published 2012 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 31, article, pp.28-34, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/506579]   Download PDF

For over a century cartographers placed Etchingham Forge to the S of the railway from Hastings to London. The modern O.S. 1:25,000 map has followed this tradition, along with Straker and Cleere & Crossley. They have placed the forge at TQ 701266 near Forge Cottages (Forge House), and their Gazetteer entries cast doubt on whether a bay ever existed, since the railway passes through the site. The pond "if any", they say, is dry and the working area has "some incomprehensible banks". Recent fieldwork has shown that the working area of the site has been misplaced and was N of the railway, which runs through the pond. In fact, Etchingham Women's Institute identified the location correctly in their 1957 pamphlet.