Proof House Approximately 10 Metres South South West Of Gate House, Marsh Works is a Grade II listed building in the Swale local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 December 2001. Laboratory.

Proof House Approximately 10 Metres South South West Of Gate House, Marsh Works

WRENN ID
spare-cornice-birch
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Swale
Country
England
Date first listed
14 December 2001
Type
Laboratory
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Proof House, located approximately 10 meters south-southwest of Gate House at Marsh Works in Faversham, is a disused building from between 1800 and 1810, originally part of the Royal Gunpowder Factory established in 1786. Constructed of brick, it features a pyramidal slate roof.

The building has a square single-cell plan, with a segmental-arched doorway and flanking sash windows. A lantern is situated on the roof to allow light in and fumes out.

The Marsh Works played a significant role in improving British gunpowder production during the Napoleonic Wars under William Congreve, who established a saltpetre refinery in 1789 to enhance the quality of gunpowder ingredients. The proof house, a laboratory for testing gunpowder, was added during the early 19th-century refurbishment of the refinery, making it likely the oldest example of its kind. The refinery was privatized after World War I and closed in the 1920s. The Proof House is associated with the late 18th to early 19th-century saltpetre refinery at Marsh Works, which is noted as the best preserved of its type in the country and comparable to similar facilities in France and Sweden.

More on this building

Sign in or create a free account to unlock:

  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • No related consent applications matched
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
Create free account

Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.

Nearby listed buildings

  1. Gate House Marsh Works Grade II 26 m
  2. Refining House (Building 19) at Former Marsh Gunpowder Works Grade II 324 m
  3. Office, Stores and House (Building 10) at Former Marsh Gunpowder Works Grade II 371 m
  4. East Crystallising House (Building 11) at Former Marsh Gunpowder Works, Workshop Area Grade II 376 m
  5. West Crystallising House (Building 18) at Former Marsh Gunpowder Works, Workshop Area Grade II 397 m
  6. Melting House (Building 20) at Former Marsh Gunpowder Works, Workshop Area Grade II 412 m
  7. Earth House (Building 5) at Former Marsh Gunpowder Works, Workshop Area Grade II 413 m
  8. Oare Windmill Grade II 448 m
  9. Former Brents Tavern Grade II 547 m
  10. Davington Farmhouse Grade II 591 m