A new publication from the Surrey County Archaeological Unit, ‘Glassmaking in the Weald: Survey, excavation and scientific analysis 2010-2018′ by David Dungworth, Colin Clark, Paul Linford, Tom Munnery, Sarah Paynter and Rob Poulton, provides the first comprehensive review of this important industry to be published for over 50 years. Supported by Historic England, nineteen of the 46 known sites were investigated, which identified furnaces and other glassworking evidence with three selected for small-scale excavation.

At Glasshouse Lane the last firing of the furnace was dated to 1555-1650, the structural remains at Imbhams Farm to 1515-1565, whilst Lordings Farm revealed much glassworking debris and a ditch enclosing the glassworks complex. Other glassworking sites have been broadly assigned an early (potentially 13th century to 1560s) or later (1560s to 1620s) period following the arrival of glass makers from continental Europe. The later sites occur over a wider area, with more continuous and intensive production, until it was brought to a rapid end by James I’s 1615 prohibition on the use of wood as a fuel for glassmaking.

The publication is available to order from https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/archaeology/archaeological-unit/spoilheap-publications’