Scheduled Monuments›England›Little forge

Little forge

England
List entry 1002224
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1002224
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.52 hectares
Grid reference
TQ 51333 25997
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Little Forge is a scheduled monument in Sussex, England, protected by Historic England under reference 1002224. The site occupies 0.52 hectares and is located at grid reference TQ 51333 25997. The monument's name reflects its industrial heritage, though it survives today as earthworks and structural remains set within the Sussex landscape.

The forge sits upon bedrock of the Wealden Group, comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formations laid down during the Barremian period of the Early Cretaceous. These local geological resources provided essential materials that would have supported iron-working and other industrial activity at the site. The Wealden geology is characteristic of the wider Sussex Weald, a region historically rich in iron extraction and metalworking.

Little Forge's scheduling as a monument recognises its significance as a surviving example of Sussex's industrial past. The site retains sufficient archaeological and structural interest to merit formal protection, preserving evidence of the ironworking traditions that shaped the Weald's economy and landscape from medieval times onwards.

Little forge is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002224. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Little forge?

Little Forge is a scheduled monument in Sussex, England, protected by Historic England under reference 1002224.

Who is responsible for protecting Little forge?

Little forge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1002224.

What other scheduled monuments are near Little forge?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Iron plat furnace (2.3 km), Medieval moated site with adjacent late medieval Pondbay, Walsh Manor, Crowborough (2.8 km), Medieval moated site, Warren Farm, Shepherd's Hill (3.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Little forge

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Little forge's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Little forge report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Iron plat furnace
2.3 km
Medieval moated site with adjacent late medieval Pondbay, Walsh Manor, Crowborough
2.8 km
Medieval moated site, Warren Farm, Shepherd's Hill
3.5 km
Oldlands furnace
3.8 km
Medieval settlement site in Buxted Park
4.1 km
Hendall Furnace, 390m north-west of Hendall Manor Farmhouse
4.2 km
Pounsley iron furnace
4.4 km
King's Standing
5.6 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Little forge

Little forge stands on Wealden Group, bedrock that formed in the Barremian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Little forge

Battle of Lewes 1264Battle (1264) · ~11.5 milesBattle of Hastings 1066Battle (1066) · ~16 miles
Domesday entry for Alchin, Sussex →
All Scheduled Monuments