Cannop and Forest of Dean Chemical Works

The Cannop Chemical Works was one of several 'steweries' or 'distilleries' established in the 19th century on land leased from the Crown in the Forest of Dean. They provided outlets for large quantities of otherwise unsaleable timber.

c.1835 The Cannop works was established by the Cannop Chemical Co., near the crossroads at Speech House Road.

By 1841 the owner, George Skip, had 8 retorts producing pyro-ligneous acid (from which lead acetate was made) and wood-tar (boiled down to yield pitch for caulking ships' bottoms).

c.1844 He erected another distillery at Oakwood.

1858 the lessees of the works were the Forest of Dean Chemical Co.

The works subsequently passed through various hands.

1870 The under-tenant, J. P. King, began making lamp-black under the patent of J. E. Lundgren.

1880 T. L. Nicholas and his partner, D. Fry, described themselves as 'naphtha manufacturers', were still making pyroligneous acid and also sulphuric acid (from imported Sicilian sulphur), which they sold to local tinplate works for 'pickling' iron.

1894 Thomas Newcomen (1859-1937) purchased the works; he also bought the neighbouring Lydbrook Chemical Co. Newcomen was to continue in the trade for many years.

1902 Newcomen abandoned the Cannop works and it fell into decay.

1913 A large modern distillation plant was built 50 yards to the south by the Office of Woods.

1966 The buildings of the old works were demolished.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Archives of the British chemical industry, 1750-1914: a handlist. By Peter J. T. Morris and Colin A. Russell. Edited by John Graham Smith. 1988.