2-319-883 - Peter Thompson/Heritage Images

Bonawe Iron Furnace, Taynuilt, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Built in 1753, this foundry processed iron ore brought by sea from Furness in Cumbria using charcoal produced from the abundant local forests. Much of the iron produced was used to make cannonballs. In 1781 42,000 cannonballs were produced at Bonawe, ranging in weight from 3lb to 32lb. The furnace closed in 1876, mainly because technological advances such as the use of coke rather than charcoal meant that iron could be produced more cheaply in northern England and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.