The Thames Plate Glass Company, Leamouth, London: archaeological and technical investigations

Abstract

SUMMARY Excavations took place in 2007 on the site of the Thames Plate Glass Company works at Leamouth, which operated during the middle of the 19th century when glass manufacturing technology was highly sophisticated and the market for all types of glass was rapidly expanding. Most notably, there was an increasing demand for ever larger areas of high-quality plate glass, for which the company became a significant supplier. The excavations provided the first opportunity to examine the material remains of a plate glass-works in Britain (and possibly the world) and, in particular, investigate the various technological and production processes involved.