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- Title
The 1788 Boulton and Watt Engine House at Ecton: Archaeological Excavations 2012-14.
- Authors
Barnatt, John
- Abstract
Archaeological excavations undertaken at the iconic 1788 Boulton and Watt winding engine house at Ecton were undertaken in 2012-14 for the National Trust, the site owner, as part of a conservation and interpretation scheme of works. A watching brief in 2012 recorded several archaeological details under modern piles of rubble around the building that were being removed. In 2013 the modern fill of the engine room, which was about 2m deep and placed here when the building was converted to a field barn, was removed to re-expose the 1788 floor levels and what was left of the plinths that supported the steam engine. In 2014 two trenches were dug outside the building, to east and north, to further investigate flues first identified two years before, which relate to the introduction of new boilers during the long life of the engine, which worked for over 60 years from 1788 to the 1850s. These excavations have added significantly to our understanding of the site. We now know that when the engine was installed in 1788 the way it was supported on its timber frame was modified in subtle ways from that shown on the Boulton and Watt design drawings. The fill used to raise the floor level did not derive from when the building roof was lowered in c. 1930, as some had assumed, but dated from late 19th or early 20th century when conversion to a field barn happened. Much of the material probably came from outside the building to the east, when a small yard was created and rubble from wrecked flues and other walls were removed. The 2014 excavations showed for the first time that the steam engine boiler had been replaced not once but twice. The first new boiler, interpreted as probably a haystack boiler installed in 1809 to replace an original of similar type, had an external flue to the north leading to a new free-standing chimney. The second replacement was a long boiler, interpreted as probably of 'wagon' type and installed in c. 1820-25, which was erected extending outside the building to the east. The bases of its flues remained and led to the free-standing chimney. Earlier features found in 2014 included a slag-block floor laid in 1788 as a coal storage area to the east of the building. There was also a pre-1788 whim-gin wall, which surrounded the horse walk rather than being confined to the high retaining wall visible today to the east.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; ARCHAEOLOGICAL excavations; ENGINE houses (Railroads); ECTON Copper Mines (England); MINE design &; construction; PLINTHS
- Publication
Mining History, 2016, Vol 19, Issue 5, p38
- ISSN
1366-2511
- Publication type
Article