Conservation Work at Duddon Iron Furnace

Tender description

The Duddon Iron Furnace is located near to the village of Broughton In Furness (NGR SD 1964 8829) in the south west area of the Lake District National Park. The Furnace is a Scheduled Monument and is Grade II* listed (List Entry 1068577 and 1336077). It comprises the best surviving charcoal fired furnace complex in the South Lakes, and is of high national significance. The site was subject to a major programme of consolidation in the 1980s and was awarded a Civic Trust Award in 1992. The blast furnace was established in c.1737 by the Backbarrow Company in partnership with the Cunsey Company, closing in 1867. The site was surveyed in 1994 by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) as part of a project to record sites associated with the Furness Iron Industry (English Heritage 2000). In 2015, Historic England was notified by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) that the lintel supporting the wall above the main entrance to the charcoal barn had split leaving it vulnerable to collapse. Following a site inspection by the Heritage at Risk team in July 2015 the site was put on the Heritage at Risk register and closed to the public. A structural survey has been undertaken of the entire site. The structural engineer report recommended a series of repairs and general consolidation across the whole site. Following the award of a grant from Historic England, the LDNPA is now seeking contractors to tender for this work. This invitation is issued under the provisions of the LDNPA’s Contract Standing Orders. Keywords: Conservation, Restoration, Lime, Repair, Historic