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Scalefour South West 2009 - Soudley Ironworks - Shropshire & Hereford Area Group
Soudley lronworks evolved on the site of one of the many rich mineral seams discovered in and around the Forest of Dean as the lndustrial Revolution gathered pace through the end of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Towards the end of the 19th century it is likely that Soudley would have shared the fate of many of its fellow mineral workings, under pressure as they were from cheaper imports. With the discovery of a particularly rich seam just as the Great War was starting, Soudley found itself in receipt of sufficient demand for its output to continue profitably.
After the horrors of the 1914-18 war, world prices recovered and Soudley's future once again looked bleak. However, it was saved by the renewed deterioration of European political relations. In World War II, Soudley once again found its order book swollen healthily and so survived as a going concern well into the 1940s.
This history of Soudley serves our purpose admirably and allows us to run the trains we like in an environment we would like to see. We therefore sincerely hope you will forgive us our distortions and enjoy the view!
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Photographs © Mark Tatlow, Nick T Smith and David Brandreth.