Great forge of Buffon
Full details
| Authors & editors | Taylor-Whitehead, W J [Author] |
| Publisher | Editions Grande Forge de Buffon |
| Languages | English (main text) |
| Medium | Book |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN | 295165281X |
| Topics | Wind & watermills > Other Europe (not GB) > France |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | Translated by W. J. Taylor-Whitehead. This booklet relates the story of Georges-Louis Le Clerc, Count of Buffon, a famous naturalist, who, in 1768, obtained Letters Patent from Louis XV to build a vast water-powered forge at Buffon, near Montbard, Burgundy, France. The buildings, machinery and production cycle of steel and cast iron are explained in detail. The factory was water-powered from a tributary of the River Armançon, a short distance from the old mill. Les Moulins d'en Bas, which was demolished during the construction of the Forge. It is well illustrated with photographs, maps, plans and drawings. A chapter describes life at the forge which, at its height, employed 400 people, many seasonal workers. 17 workers' cottages were provided to house 70 people . It was self sufficient with a chicken run, pigsty, orangery and bread oven with a nearby farm providing livestock and vegetables. There was also a chapel on site. In 1860, Roch-Joseph Guenin, forge master at Clairvaux, bought the forges and Buffon has remained in the same family since then. Between 1866 and 1872, the great forge was converted into a Roman cement factory with a small railway built to transport limestone and cement sacks to and fro the nearby canal. Roman cement production continued until 1916 and a fire destroyed a large part of the factory in 1923. Since then the property has been a private residence. The final sections in this book provide a biography of Buffon, his life and work as a naturalist. Section headings: The founding of the Great Forge; A conception of an ensemble [factory] and its evolution; The design of the ensemble [factory]; The hydraulic arrangements; The furnace; The bellows; The refinery of the forge; The platinum hammer; The foundry; The cleaning and preparation of the minerals - the raw materials; Life at Buffon; The same family since 1860; Buffon: his life and work; The natural history; Button: his life - a timeline; Glossary; Chronological guide; Bibliographic sources; Photographic sources. |
Copies held
Accession no. 230079
- Shelf location: A4 W 03 - France
- Donor: Owen Ward Collection