To commemorate the medieval iron industry, Jack the Hammer strikes the bell every quarter of an hour, Abinger Hammer, Surrey, England.
Commentary.
Along the A.25 half-way between Dorking and Guildford
this effigy of a farrier beats the bell, on the clock tower, every quarter of an hour.
The inscription above it used to say,
“By me you know how fast to go.”
This is a memorial to the medieval iron industry that thrived
here in the 16th. and 17th. Centuries.
Ironstone in the Lower Greensand rocks of Leith Hill
provided metal for a variety of artefacts from horse-shoes and gates to cannon balls and weapons.
The valley had several forges and “Hammer ponds,”
to provide water-power for the mechanical hammers.
When demand increased, in the Industrial Revolution,
the supply of iron from this area was too sparse.
Greater and cheaper supplies of iron-ore and coal from
Northern England superseded the Surrey industry and it
quickly faded into obscurity.
Now, apart from the traffic, Abinger Hammer is a peaceful
backwater, enjoyed by walkers and day-trip visitors.
The Tillingbourne stream, public house, tearooms, cricket green,
local farm produce, including watercress,
grown in the pure spring water, provide
welcome entertainment from exploring the
natural beauty of the surrounding hills.
I educated children on its geography and history
on many residential visits to this area, and have countless happy memories.
It is a place very dear to my heart!
To commemorate the medieval iron industry, Jack the Hammer strikes the bell every quarter of an hour, Abinger Hammer, Surrey, England.
Commentary.
Along the A.25 half-way between Dorking and Guildford
this effigy of a farrier beats the bell, on the clock tower, every quarter of an hour.
The inscription above it used to say,
“By me you know how fast to go.”
This is a memorial to the medieval iron industry that thrived
here in the 16th. and 17th. Centuries.
Ironstone in the Lower Greensand rocks of Leith Hill
provided metal for a variety of artefacts from horse-shoes and gates to cannon balls and weapons.
The valley had several forges and “Hammer ponds,”
to provide water-power for the mechanical hammers.
When demand increased, in the Industrial Revolution,
the supply of iron from this area was too sparse.
Greater and cheaper supplies of iron-ore and coal from
Northern England superseded the Surrey industry and it
quickly faded into obscurity.
Now, apart from the traffic, Abinger Hammer is a peaceful
backwater, enjoyed by walkers and day-trip visitors.
The Tillingbourne stream, public house, tearooms, cricket green,
local farm produce, including watercress,
grown in the pure spring water, provide
welcome entertainment from exploring the
natural beauty of the surrounding hills.
I educated children on its geography and history
on many residential visits to this area, and have countless happy memories.
It is a place very dear to my heart!