In 1754, Abraham Darby II leased Horsehay Farm with its old corn
mill, pool and dam, for the purposes of creating an ironworks. The
mill stream and pond were insufficient to provide the power for the
furnace bellows, so a system of new pools had to be constructed to
store sufficient water to allow operations to continue during the
summer months.
The first “Old Row” of cottages alongside the pool,
were built by the Coalbrookdale Company in the mid –
1750’s. In the 1830’s the company built the second
“New Row” of cottages for its workers. The dwellings at
the top end of the pool started life as a squatter community, which
reflects the typical irregular pattern of the plots and lanes in
this area. In 1886 the Coalbrookdale Company closed down the forges
at Horsehay, and the pool was taken over by the wildlife that
settled in, on and around it.
Start
The Co-ordinates above are for Parking (room for 10 cars by the
Cod Father) and the starting point for this cache. N52°39.692
W002°29.113
THIS IS NO LONGER A MULTI CACHE, GO TO FINAL STAGE CO_ORDINATES
AS BELOW
Final Stage – 3 Prong Tree
Go to N52°39.824 W002°29.045