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to Cardiff, thus saving the railway transport thence of the ore which has already 

 travelled so many miles by sea. Before quitting this subject, it may be mentioned, 

 as affording an insight into the imperfection of the smelting furnaces of a few 

 centuries ago, that a tenant within the last half century demanded and obtained 

 permission of the proprietor to remove some of the heaps of dtSbris at one of the 

 Forges on the Kentchurch estate. The result of re-smelting the scoriae proved 

 profitable. At that period such refuse was worth 30s. per ton, whereas now it 

 would not be worth more than 8s. or 10s., and would hardly pay its transport for 

 a long distance, when the ore from Spain containing as much as SO per cent, of 

 iron is so readily obtained. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the 

 Roman iron scorioe in Dean Forest were similarly re-smelted on an extensive scale. 



It would be interesting to carry out extensive excavations at this Peter- 

 church Forge, as possibly, by the discovery of pottery and coins some olue might 

 be afforded as to its history, as has been the case in other localities not very far 

 distant. At Ariconium near Weston-under-Penyard, close to the old mansion of 

 Bollitree, have been found Roman forges and smelting furnaces, probably em- 

 ployed for smelting the iron ore from the Forest of Dean,* which abounds in 

 traces of Roman occupation, whence ore was transported from Lydney, over the 

 Severn to Aust, and thence to a fabrica or smithery for making weapons at Bath, 

 which was established by the Emperor Adrian. Forges were established by the 

 Romans at Monmouth. Proceeding to latter times, in Appendix 1 to the Volume 

 of the Transactions of our Club for 1868, page 270, we find notice of a paper dated 

 " Wormeloe Hundred, Herefordshire, January 29th, 1695," wherein is stated that 

 "there are several furnaces and forges for the spending of woods in Herefordshire; 

 as Peterchurch Forge, Strangwood Forge, Llancillo Forge, Pontrilas Forge, 

 St. Wannard Furnace, Bringwood Forge and Furnace," and reference is also 

 made to some others. We have a place called Kilforge in the parish of Balling- 

 ham, on the boundary of Little Dewchurch parish, but we have not yet learnt the 

 locality of the Forge there. A map of the sites of old forges in our county, 

 " Gloomerys " or " Bloomeries " as they are called, forms a subject deserving the 

 attention of any member who could find interest, time, and opportunity for 

 collecting them. 



Snodhill Castle, in the parish of Peterchurch, distant about two miles, was 

 now visited, where, sheltered by its ruins, and by the shade of six old yew trees 

 growing around its ancient Keep, the members assembled had the pleasure of 

 listening to a paper (given in extenso below), by the Rev. Thos. P. Powell, who 

 from his knowledge of the locality was so well fitted to give its history, so far as 

 it can be learnt ; any record left unmentioned in the handbook of his father was 

 now sure not to escape notice. 



Snodhill Court, an interesting example of a country mansion, now used as a 

 farm-house, was next visited. It was rebuilt by William Prosser whose initials 

 and date, W. P. 1665, occur in three places on the stone work outside. The house 

 has a fine hall, with stone corbels supporting an oak ceiling, and a fine oak 



•For old Roman workings of iron ore see " the Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon," by 

 Thomas Wright, 5th edition, chapter viii., page 291, recently published, 1892. 



