THE HERITAGE IMAGE REGISTER»Harvey Collection, Low Wood Gunpowder Works

Backbarrow. The area around Backbarrow in South Cumbria is internationally important in the story of the iron industry. It was also a major manufacturer of ultramarine blue (ie the powder similar to dolly blue), gunpowder, charcoal and other woodland products. Contained in this Gallery is a selection of unique photographs from a private Collection, the Harvey Collection. In addition to the photos there is a collection of documents, the entire collection is destined for a local Archive Record Office.


Low Wood Gunpowder Works
A licence to manufacture gunpowder at Low Wood was issued in 1798. Available locally was a plentiful supply of wood for charcoal production and water power. Saltpetre, and sulphur were mainly imported from abroad. Originally the gunpowder was transported by sea but after the opening of the Furness Railway branch to Lakeside a tramway was created with a bridge over the River Leven to the branch line, the trams being pulled by horses. The gunpowder works was plagued by explosions, over the years 21 men were killed at Low Wood. Good accounts of how gunpowder was produced are given in two excellent publications Mein & Sanderson, The Leven Valley, A Secret Past 2011, and Marshall & Davies-Shiel, Industrial Archaeology of the Lake Counties David & Charles, 1969.