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Ardeer, Ici Works, Safety Fuse Factory

Factory (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Ardeer, Ici Works, Safety Fuse Factory

Classification Factory (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Ardeer Explosives Factory; Stevenston Site; Nobel's Factory

Canmore ID 79609

Site Number NS24SE 47.02

NGR NS 283 406

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/79609

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council North Ayrshire
  • Parish Stevenston
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Cunninghame
  • Former County Ayrshire

Archaeology Notes

Activities

Note (18 January 2021)

The original Safety Fuse was invented by William Bickford in 1831 (although fuses had been used to ignite black powder or gunpowder in China as early as the 10-12th centuries BP).

Bickford's invention consisted of a 'rope' tube filled with black powder. This allowed a greater control over detonation of blackpowder based explosives as the fuse burnt at a known rate depending on the length of fuse used. Nobel used it with the Dynamite brand (invented 1867) initially. The Safety Fuse production site at Ardeer was on the west side of the site sandwiched between Black, Cast and Rocket Powders, Explosives Research Testing and the Administration areas.

J Dolan and M K Oglethorpe (1996).

References

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