Picture to come.
Building
Alum works
Period: 16th–17th century
Alum, the main mordant for fixing dyes, was imported into 12th-century England. It was not made in England until Thomas Challoner established the first works at Guisborough, Yorkshire, around the turn of the 17th century, after Italian supplies were cut off at the Reformation. Shale was quarried and burned for months, then leached; human urine was added to the liquor. The Yorkshire coast industry ran until 1871.
Caveats (confidence: high)
The National Trust source places the start in the 16th century; the Guisborough works is usually dated c.1600.
Sources: nationaltrust.org.uk
Built from
- Alum works