Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 1516675
Hob Uid: 1516675
Location : Cumbria South Lakeland Preston Patrick
Grid Ref : SD5489085760
Summary : Pair of charcoal retorts, presumably formerly used to manufacture charcoal at the Gatebeck Low Gunpowder Works (UID 1086908), reset as gateposts at the entrance to the Wakefield company's Cooperage complex (1450456) outside Gatebeck village. Charcoal was made at the Low Works between c 1852 and 1866, after which the company switched to buying supplies externally. The retorts were presumably reset as gateposts at or shortly after the Cooperage complex opened in 1880. One retort was removed and remounted for display at the former Elterwater Gunpowder Works c 2004.
More information : SD 5489 8576. Rare survival of pair of charcoal burning retorts (1850s-60s) re-used as gateposts. (1). The retorts, which stand at the entrance to what used to be a Cooperage complex (SD 58 NW 86) opened outside Gatebeck village by the Wakefield Company to provide barrels and boxes for the Gatebeck Low Gunpowder Works (SD 58 NW 34), were presumably originally used to manufacture charcoal at the Low Works. Charcoal was made here between c 1852 and 1866, after which the company switched to buying supplies externally. The retorts were presumably reset as gateposts at or shortly after the Cooperage complex was opened in 1880. Circa 2004 one of the retorts had to be removed to widen the entrance into what is now a scrap yard. It was donated by the site owner to Langdale Leisure who put it on display at their holiday park developed on the site of the former Elterwatwer Gunpowder Works (2a). Not surveyed, but recorded from documentary evidence as part of the EH: Gatebeck Low Gunpowder Works Survey. See report (2b) in the NMR for full details. Other retorts survive reset as gateposts at the entrance to the Low Works itself (SD 58 NW 94 and 95). (2)

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Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : The Gunpowder Industry, 1993, Cumbria 7
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Marcus Jecock/14-JUN-2006/EH: Cumbrian Gunpowder Industry Project
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Source Number : 2A
Source :
Source details : F Johns, June 2004, The Langdale Estate: Gunpowder Guided Walk, 12
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Source Number : 2B
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Source details : M Jecock, C Dunn, A Hunt, P Sinton, N Archer, M Bentley, T Berry, I Goodall, A Menuge and S Taylor 2009, Gatebeck Low Gunpowder Works and the Workers' Settlements of Endmoor and Gatebeck (RDRS 63-2009), 36-7
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Post Medieval
Monument End Date : 1866
Monument Start Date : 1852
Monument Type : Charcoal Retort
Evidence : Extant Structure

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Post Medieval
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date : 1880
Monument Type : Gate Pier
Evidence : Extant Structure

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Post Medieval
Monument End Date : 2004
Monument Start Date : 1880
Monument Type : Gate Pier
Evidence : Documentary Evidence

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SD 58 NW 96
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Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 2006-02-20
End Date : 2006-06-14

Historic England Research Records

Monument Number 1516675