Gunpowder
1499 - 1538 Oare/Faversham is one of the few places in Britain that can claim to have a long association with gunpowder. Production is known to have started before 1588. It may have been started by the last Abbot of Faversham, John Caslock, in the 1499 - 1538 period. This would make it the earliest production site in Britain. It is said that 36 barrels of Faversham gunpowder were used by Guy Fawkes and his conspirators in their plot to blow up the old Houses of Parliament in 1605.
1650 - 1700 The earliest production reference on the Oare site was in 1694 at which time Peter Azire was advertising.’good shining and unglazed fine gunpowder of all sorts and grains’. Azire was a French Protestant, who fled religious persecution in France in the 1680's and settled in England, where he was granted a licence to build a gunpowder mill.
Francis Grueber, also a French Protestant, inherited shares in six powder mills (later known as the Homeworks) and became involved with production from 1692 at Oare.
1700 - 1750 The two Oare Gunpowder works (upper and lower), situated on the Oare Stream, feeding into Oare Creek, were known to be operating by 1700. By 1701 Francis Grueber operated at the Oare site, supplying gunpowder to the Ordnance Office, which he continued to do until his death in April 1730 aged 72. He was succeeded by his son, Francis Grueber junior, who operated at the Oare works until 1743.
1750 - 1800 The Oare Gunpowder Works was described by Edward Jacob in 1774...Not far from the royal powder mills (Home Works) there were private powder works. These produced considerable quantities of gunpowder for the East India Company and other merchants. These mills were enlarging and improving. Improvements were made in the drying of gunpowder during manufacture.
1800 - 1850 Oare Gunpowder Works, including all the buildings and ponds, were sold to John Hall in 1812 and by 1844 the upper and lower gunpowder works were combined to make a single factory. In 1846 John Hall & Son obtained the patent rights to the manufacture of gun cotton. This was much more powerful than gunpowder and only invented that year. They built the first guncotton factory in the world on the Marsh Works site. However, following a disastrous explosion in 1847, the guncotton factory was immediately closed and the new invention was not taken up anywhere for ten years. Improvements were made to the Oare Works in the 1840's,under the guidance of William Hall, and these are known to have included the new Corning House in about 1845 and also the refurbishment of the Glazing House before 1865. The Corning House was built about 1845 and was originally powered by a waterwheel which drove the machinery at least until 1899.
1850 - 1900 In 1863 the Glazing House had been extended and enclosed within a massive blast wall, which bridged the leat (canal) by two large arched openings.
Reconstruction of the Glazing House took place in the late nineteenth century, when a steam engine was installed. The Oare works secured a continuing certificate in 1876, following the passing of the 'Explosives Act the previous year. A test range and laboratory were built in newly-created woodland to the west.
1900 - 1950 After the First World War there was a reduced demand for gunpowder and in 1918 explosive manufacturers grouped together forming a holding company called ' Explosive Trades Ltd.' In 1920 ' Explosive Trades Ltd ' became 'Nobel Industries. In 1926 they were modernised and 'Nobel Industries' merged to form 'Imperial Chemical Industries', better known as ICI. In 1934 ICI closed the three remaining factories at Faversham - Home Works, Oare Works, and Marsh Works and many of the buildings were demolished. Some of the machinery from Oare was sent to Ardeer, Ayrshire, Scotland. All that remains of the Glazing House are the foundations and two arched openings allowing the leat to pass through the thick blast wall.
1950 - 2000 In the post-war years local historians and the Faversham Society researched the history of Oare Gunpowder Works and maintained local interest in the site. The remains of the gunpowder works were designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1999.
2000 – Now In 2003 Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a significant sum to develop Oare Gunpowder Works. This was done so that the public can appreciate the unique blend of history and wildlife available on site.
1650 - 1700 The earliest production reference on the Oare site was in 1694 at which time Peter Azire was advertising.’good shining and unglazed fine gunpowder of all sorts and grains’. Azire was a French Protestant, who fled religious persecution in France in the 1680's and settled in England, where he was granted a licence to build a gunpowder mill.
Francis Grueber, also a French Protestant, inherited shares in six powder mills (later known as the Homeworks) and became involved with production from 1692 at Oare.
1700 - 1750 The two Oare Gunpowder works (upper and lower), situated on the Oare Stream, feeding into Oare Creek, were known to be operating by 1700. By 1701 Francis Grueber operated at the Oare site, supplying gunpowder to the Ordnance Office, which he continued to do until his death in April 1730 aged 72. He was succeeded by his son, Francis Grueber junior, who operated at the Oare works until 1743.
1750 - 1800 The Oare Gunpowder Works was described by Edward Jacob in 1774...Not far from the royal powder mills (Home Works) there were private powder works. These produced considerable quantities of gunpowder for the East India Company and other merchants. These mills were enlarging and improving. Improvements were made in the drying of gunpowder during manufacture.
1800 - 1850 Oare Gunpowder Works, including all the buildings and ponds, were sold to John Hall in 1812 and by 1844 the upper and lower gunpowder works were combined to make a single factory. In 1846 John Hall & Son obtained the patent rights to the manufacture of gun cotton. This was much more powerful than gunpowder and only invented that year. They built the first guncotton factory in the world on the Marsh Works site. However, following a disastrous explosion in 1847, the guncotton factory was immediately closed and the new invention was not taken up anywhere for ten years. Improvements were made to the Oare Works in the 1840's,under the guidance of William Hall, and these are known to have included the new Corning House in about 1845 and also the refurbishment of the Glazing House before 1865. The Corning House was built about 1845 and was originally powered by a waterwheel which drove the machinery at least until 1899.
1850 - 1900 In 1863 the Glazing House had been extended and enclosed within a massive blast wall, which bridged the leat (canal) by two large arched openings.
Reconstruction of the Glazing House took place in the late nineteenth century, when a steam engine was installed. The Oare works secured a continuing certificate in 1876, following the passing of the 'Explosives Act the previous year. A test range and laboratory were built in newly-created woodland to the west.
1900 - 1950 After the First World War there was a reduced demand for gunpowder and in 1918 explosive manufacturers grouped together forming a holding company called ' Explosive Trades Ltd.' In 1920 ' Explosive Trades Ltd ' became 'Nobel Industries. In 1926 they were modernised and 'Nobel Industries' merged to form 'Imperial Chemical Industries', better known as ICI. In 1934 ICI closed the three remaining factories at Faversham - Home Works, Oare Works, and Marsh Works and many of the buildings were demolished. Some of the machinery from Oare was sent to Ardeer, Ayrshire, Scotland. All that remains of the Glazing House are the foundations and two arched openings allowing the leat to pass through the thick blast wall.
1950 - 2000 In the post-war years local historians and the Faversham Society researched the history of Oare Gunpowder Works and maintained local interest in the site. The remains of the gunpowder works were designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1999.
2000 – Now In 2003 Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a significant sum to develop Oare Gunpowder Works. This was done so that the public can appreciate the unique blend of history and wildlife available on site.