Lead Houses: White Lead Processing at the Chester Leadworks

Abstract

The Chester Leadworks was established on the north bank of the Chester Canal in 1799 and is best known for the production of lead shot for the Napoleonic Wars, although lead sheet, pipes and washers together with white and red lead for paint were also manufactured during its long and distinguished operational life. The iconic shot tower at the heart of the leadworks was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1981, whilst other parts of the complex were subject to incremental demolition between 1984 and 2012. A scheme to repurpose the site for residential use thereafter was preceded by an excavation undertaken by L–P: Archaeology in 2018–19. This targeted the site of the early 19th-century white lead house and represented the final phase of almost two decades of intermittent archaeological investigation. This article synthesises the results obtained from the archaeological study with previous historical research to present a rounded account of this important site with particular reference to the production of white lead.