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Furnace Corridors
The Furnace Corridors area is characterised by the intersection of two perpendicular galleries. It is located near the ancient Firewood House and clearly shows the functionality this building was planned for: one fireman was enough to control the 10 furnaces existing in the entire area.
These corridors display the first dyeing machines used since the 19th century and also present the dyeing process evolution from the Roman time to the present.
One of the corridors is currently an internal circulation area of the University, and there general information about the dyeing processes and the Wool Museum is exposed, in order to recover the memory of the manufacturing building that preceded the University in this place.
The intersection zone of the two corridors, one of them being an internal circulation area of the University.
The Furnace openings where wood was inserted to heat the boilers used in the hot dyeing of yarns and cloths, being visible the chimneys embedded in the wall with their air-holes.
Dyeing Becks or reel becks made of wood and iron. After the middle of the 19th century, these equipments start being steam-driven.
This is an inverted vertical steam engine from the late 19th century. It had been working nearly until the 3rd quarter of the 20th century. The steam engine made a dye-house becks battery work.
Iron reconstitution of one of the existing arches in this area intended to show the water distribution course in this manufacture.
Partial view of one of the Furnace Corridors.
The stairs give access to an amphitheatre that currently occupies the former Firewood house.
Arch with a perfect curve that is in the intersection of the two corridors. In this corridor there are an exemplar of dye-beck, a furnace poker – an object essential to the fireman – a sun tenters representation, a glass flagon where the mordant was kept, and steam ironing engine of the middle of the 19th century.
Inverted vertical steam engine of English origin. Through a belting system, this machine made the several dyeing becks work, which an exemplar is exposed in the perpendicular corridor, previously they worked manually, at the same time with less handwork, leading to a higher income of the production.
Opening first plan of one of ten furnaces existing in the two corridors.
The superior openings were meant to the air circulation. The chimneys were embedded in the granite walls.
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