Overview

Until retirement in 2006, my career has been in main-stream primary education, but my research interests are in the iron industry of the Weald of Sussex, Kent and Surrey, focusing on the 18th century, and in cast-iron firebacks. For more than 40 years I have lectured, primarily about the iron industry, at conferences and to local societies and adult education audiences, in small part as an Associate Tutor at the University of Sussex. I have also appeared in a specialist role on radio and television. I gained my MA in Regional & Local History from the University of Brighton in 1993. I am a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and have been a member of the Councils of the Sussex Archaeological Society and the Historical Metallurgy Society. I was Chairman of the Wealden Iron Research Group for 24 years and am now its Honorary Editor. I also edit the Journal of the Antique Metalware Society. I am the author of two books: The Wealden Iron Industry, published in 2008 (The History Press), and British Cast-Iron Firebacks, published in 2010 (HodgersBooks), and recently co-edited Adventure in Iron, by Brian Awty published in 2019 by the Wealden Iron Research Group.

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Research

The iron industry in the Weald of Sussex, Kent and Surrey, especially in the 18th century

British cast-iron firebacks

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