Earthwatcher's photos with the keyword: slag

Limb Valley Bole Hill lead smelting site The walking stick is located on a small heap of slag adjacent to the 'holly smelter' site on the left. The holly tree is growing over the stone-walled remains of what was almost certainly a lead smelting bole, high up on the northern edge of the Bole Hill Plantation in the Limb Valley, and possibly of 18th or early 19th century age. A small square feature, depicting a building or structure of some sort appears on the 1st edition six-inch to one mile Ordnance Survey map published in 1854. It was probably disused even then, as the map shows the plantation all around it. Subsequent editions of the maps fail to show it, although curiously the feature has been resurrected on the latest OS maps, even though the structure has long since disappeared! There are many 'Bole Hills' in Sheffield and along the west-facing sandstone and gritstone escarpments of the Eastern Edges. Their elevated locations were ideal for wind-blown furnaces ('boles') for smelting lead ore which was brought in by pack-horses from the Peak District mines further to the west.

Limb Valley Bole Hill lead smelting site A closer view of the small heap of slag adjacent to the 'holly smelter' site. The holly tree (just out of shot) is growing over the stone-walled remains of what was almost certainly a lead smelting bole, high up on the northern edge of the Bole Hill Plantation in the Limb Valley, and possibly of 18th or early 19th century age. The slag pieces have a ropy and porous, almost frothy texture, indicative of its former semi-molten condition. A small square feature, depicting a building or structure of some sort appears on the 1st edition six-inch to one mile Ordnance Survey map published in 1854. It was probably disused even then, as the map shows the plantation all around it. Subsequent editions of the maps fail to show it, although curiously the feature has been resurrected on the latest OS maps, even though the structure has long since disappeared! There are many 'Bole Hills' in Sheffield and along the west-facing sandstone and gritstone escarpments of the Eastern Edges. Their elevated locations were ideal for wind-blown furnaces ('boles') for smelting lead ore which was brought in by pack-horses from the Peak District mines further to the west.

Limb Valley Bole Hill lead smelting site A close-up view of a piece of slag from the 'holly smelter' site slag tip, adjacent to the stone-walled remains of what was almost certainly a lead smelting bole, high up on the northern edge of the Bole Hill Plantation in the Limb Valley, and possibly of 18th or early 19th century age. The slag has a ropy and porous, almost frothy texture, indicative of its former semi-molten condition. A small square feature, depicting a building or structure of some sort appears on the 1st edition six-inch to one mile Ordnance Survey map published in 1854. It was probably disused even then, as the map shows the plantation all around it. Subsequent editions of the maps fail to show it, although curiously the feature has been resurrected on the latest OS maps, even though the structure has long since disappeared! There are many 'Bole Hills' in Sheffield and along the west-facing sandstone and gritstone escarpments of the Eastern Edges. Their elevated locations were ideal for wind-blown furnaces ('boles') for smelting lead ore which was brought in by pack-horses from the Peak District mines further to the west.

Limb Valley Bole Hill lead smelting site A close-up view of a piece of slag from the 'holly smelter' site slag tip, adjacent to the stone-walled remains of what was almost certainly a lead smelting bole, high up on the northern edge of the Bole Hill Plantation in the Limb Valley, and possibly of 18th or early 19th century age. The slag has a ropy and porous, almost frothy texture, indicative of its former semi-molten condition. A small square feature, depicting a building or structure of some sort appears on the 1st edition six-inch to one mile Ordnance Survey map published in 1854. It was probably disused even then, as the map shows the plantation all around it. Subsequent editions of the maps fail to show it, although curiously the feature has been resurrected on the latest OS maps, even though the structure has long since disappeared! There are many 'Bole Hills' in Sheffield and along the west-facing sandstone and gritstone escarpments of the Eastern Edges. Their elevated locations were ideal for wind-blown furnaces ('boles') for smelting lead ore which was brought in by pack-horses from the Peak District mines further to the west.

Originally uploaded for the Guesswhere UK group. As well as the location, GWUK bonus points were available for - the name of the hill - the identity of the feature behind me - the identity of the mound This is a view westwards from the Burbage valley. The distant hill on the centre skyline is Higger Tor, comprised of Rivelin (Chatsworth) Grit. On the extreme left skyline is the northern slope of the Carl Wark hill fort. Behind me is Burbage Edge, a popular spot for walkers and climbers. The low mound in the foreground is believed to be a slag heap from a medieval bloomery (iron-smelting site). More details about this and other archaeological features in this area can be found in this report: www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/mftf/downloads/publications/... v6_27-07.pdf The small dark object on the mound is a piece of slag. This was found in the surrounding bracken and placed on the mound by me for the purposes of the photo. It can be seen in more detail here:

From near the location of a bloomery slag heap thought to be of medieval age, Burbage valley, near Sheffield, South Yorkshire. This was not found in situ on the bloomery slag heap but a few metres away in bracken.

This was taken around 1989 at the then British Steel's stainless steel plant at Tinsley, Sheffield. The raw steel is melted in an enormous electric arc furnace and impurities rise to the top of the molten steel as slag. The molten slag is tapped off into a cone-shaped crucible which is then picked up by the special transporter as shown, trundled outside and tipped into a large pit. When it is cool, the solidified slag is broken up and used as hardcore in construction projects. The photograph was taken using a 135 mm telephoto lens from around 150 m away and I could feel the heat even at that distance. The now defunct Sheffield airport was built on this site. Scanned from a Kodacolor print .

Just playing around in Photoshop!