The technology of the blast furnace reached England at the end of the 15th century. This talk explores how the Weald became the heart of the country’s iron industry, how guns became a significant product and how the industry was to decline under pressure of expensive raw materials and the development of new technology as the Industrial Revolution got under way.

I am a retired school teacher and, for 40 years, have lectured, primarily about the Wealden iron industry, at conferences and to local societies and adult education audiences. I have also appeared occasionally in a specialist role on radio and television. I gained my MA in Regional and Local History from the University of Brighton in 1993. I am a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and am currently an Honorary Research Fellow of Exeter University. I was Chairman of the Wealden Iron Research Group for 24 years and am now the editor of its annual journal. I am the author of two books: The Wealden Iron Industry, published in 2008, and British Cast-Iron Firebacks, published in 2010.