Dunston Forge (Low Team Forge)

Dunston Forge shown on Ordnance Survey 1st edition map. High Team Forge. The 1st edition Ordnance Survey mapping shows its associated mill races. In June 1735 Theodosia Crowley took leases from the Rev. Robert Thomlinson, Rector of Whickham of a corn mill on the River Team called Teams Bridge High Mill and miln ground on the north side of the mill race, and adjoining Parish Meadow and Thorney closes, and Low Teams Bridge Mill (Dunston Forge?), together with all the slitting mills, steel furnaces, other mills, forges, workhouses, messuages etc. A further steel furnace was erected at the upper Teams Mill between 1735 and 1740. The purchase of these leases was assisted by a mortgage granted by the Rev. R. Thomlinson. His loan of £5100 was still outstanding in 1756. Daniel Walter, a senior clerk from Winlaton was transferred temporarily to the new works to instruct an agent employed in the new purchase at Teams. Angerstein in 1753 found former employees of William Bertram (of Blackhall Mill HER 1017) making German shear steel for the Crowleys at Teams. Good quality iron was cemented, the blister steel drawn down, recemented and faggotted, drawn down, again recemented and faggotted, finally being made into bars of rectangular section about 4 feet long. It was charcoal heated and sold at 10d per pound. The Teams works were still being operated in 1854. The Teams forges used water power to drive the bellows, hammers and rollers - operations carried out included forging pig iron into bar iron, founding pig iron and scrap iron into cast moulds, rolling and slitting bar iron into nail rods, and steel-making. In addition at Teams, bands and hoops were cut for barrels.