The Raby Furnace

Large blast-furnace built on a quarried site beside a culverted stream. The furnace is about 8 m square at base, tapering slightly to the top, and stands about 3 m away from the quarried face, to which its upper part is linked by a vault extending to the full width of the furnace. The furnace survives to the height of the charging area, which is now an adjacent public road. Coursed Pennant stone rubble including arches on three faces. Small holes at regular spacing in facing stonework. The interior is only accessible above boshes level, where it is about 4 m diameter, tapering upwards to about 2 m diameter at top: most of the vitrified firebrick lining, in header fire-bricks, survives.

At front (W) is the working arch, of segmental form, about 4.5 m span, behind which the throat masonry has partially collapsed. In the left and right sides (N and S) there are narrower arches for blast pipes.

At high level the rock against which the furnace is built has been partially faced in masonry. There is a masonry wall in same stonework as the Furnace, aligned N/S, on E side of stream to the N of the furnace.