The Upper Works, formerly the property of Lord Gage, at the time when the
High Meadow Estates belonged to the family, are now owned by Messrs.
Russell, the late Mr. Russell having bought them from the Crown in 1818.
His son, Mr. Edward Russell, writes:--

"We have since then considerably improved and enlarged them, and are
now employing about 100 hands. We manufacture wire for fencing, as
also for telegraph purposes, of which we can roll from 40 to 50 tons
per week. We likewise make charcoal iron for horse-nails and smith's
work, besides that for agricultural purposes, using the Cinderford,
Shropshire, and Staffordshire iron, especially the former."

Other works, resembling those just described, are being carried on by Mr.
James Russell at the Forest Vale Iron Works, near Cinderford. When
perfected, they will employ not less than 60 pairs of hands, and will
supply considerable quantities of iron rods for telegraphic and other
wire, as well as chain-cable iron, the adjoining furnaces affording the
requisite metal.

All the iron ore supplied from this neighbourhood to these different
works is derived from one or other of the following iron mines, whose
present extent may be thus particularized. {61}

The _Shake-mantle_, _Buckshraft_, and _St. Annal's_ pits, on the
_eastern_ side of the Forest, constitute that exceedingly important range
of mining operations, from which the Cinderford furnaces have long
obtained their chief supply of iron ore. These are four in number,
having a height of 43 feet, an extreme breadth of 14 feet, that of the
hearth being 6 feet. They make 500 tons every week of the finest
hot-blast iron.

A peculiar interest attaches to the first of these three pits, owing to
its being the oldest mine still at work in this vicinity, though it dates
no earlier than 1829, so recently has iron mining been resumed in this
part of the district. Buckshraft was begun in 1835-7, and that at St.
Annal's in 1849, each originating in the increasing demand for iron ore
at the adjoining blast furnaces. They all descend to the same vein of
red hematite, as well as to one common "level." This runs from one to
the others, almost in a direct line two miles long. The shafts are
severally 70, 160, and 221 yards deep.

Upwards of 36,000 tons of rich ore have been annually obtained from these
iron mines for many years, leaving a transverse area of cavernous
workings about 70 yards wide. B