hose at
which twelve Winchester bushels of iron mine should be delivered at the
following places:--St. Wonnarth's furnace 10s., Whitchurch 7s., Linton
9s., Bishopswood 9s., Longhope 9s., Flaxley 8s., Gunsmills (if rebuilt)
7s., Blakeney 6s., Lydney 6s.; at those in the Forest, if rebuilt, the
same as in 1668--Redbrooke 4s. 6d., The Abbey (Tintern) 9s., Brockweare
6s. 6d., Redbrooke Passage 5s. 6d., Gunpill 7s., or ore (intended for
Ireland) shipped on the Severn 6s. 6d.

Most of these localities exhibit traces of former iron manufacture having
been carried on at them up to the commencement of that century, as at
Flaxley, Bishopswood, &c., charcoal being the fuel invariably used, and
their situation such that water power was at command. The prices
severally affixed to the places above named indicate a discontinuance of
the mines on the north-east side of the Forest, those adjoining Newland
and in Noxon Park being at this date the chief sources of supply,
agreeably with the allusions to iron-pits existing there which occur in
the proceedings of the Mine Law Court about that time. The mode then in
use of operating upon the iron ore, as described in MS. by Dr. Parsons,
will be found in Appendix No. V.

Andrew Yarranton, in his book of novel suggestions for the "Improvement
of England by Sea and Land," printed in 1677, remarks as follows:--"And
first, I will begin in Monmouthshire, and go through the Forest of Dean,
and there take notice what infinite quantities of raw iron is there made,
with bar iron and wire; and consider the infinite number of men, horses,
and carriages which are to supply these works, and also digging of
ironstone, providing of cinders, carrying to the works, making it into
sows and bars, cutting of wood and converting into charcoal. Consider
also, in all these parts, the woods are not worth the cutting and
bringing home by the owners to burn in their houses; and it is because in
all these places there are pit coal very cheap . . . If these advantages
were not there, it would be little less than a howling wilderness. I
believe, if this comes to the hands of Sir Baynom Frogmorton and Sir
Duncomb Colchester, they will be on my side. Moreover, there is yet a
most great benefit to the kingdom in general by the sow iron made of the
ironstone and Roman cinders in the Forest of Dean, for that metal is of a
most gentle, pliable, soft nature, easily and quickly to be wrought into
manufacture, over what an