Last use of furnace 20th March 2004. Although we had to remove the roof of the smelting shelter, the furnace was able to be left so that its fate might be monitored.

26th August 2004. It had survived the summer in remarkably good condition. Only minor repairs would have been needed after the first 5 months in order to use the furnace again.

8th November 2004. Heavy rain in September caused the failure of much of the furnace away from the blowhole.

19th January 2005. Continued degradation of the collapsed parts of the furnace has occured, but there is little change to the upstanding parts apart from a large block fallen from the wall opposite the blowhole.

22nd April 2005. The collapsed clay has now become much more comminuted, the upper part of the wall opposite the blowhole has fallen, but much of the upstanding parts of the furnace have changed little in the 7 months since the initial collapse. Had all the furnace been fired been fired as thoroughly as the blowing wall it might well have survived the year.

17th May 2005. The furnace now appears submerged in the new season's growth. Nettles have taken a strong hold around the base and Herb Robert on the broken shaft.

8th June 2005. The furnace is now largely hidden in the undergrowth.

11th July 2005. The furnace is now almost completely hidden in the undergrowth, as the stems of the vegetation become more woody.

22nd September 2005. Despite the thick growth, the blowing wall of the furance survives remarkably intact.

14th November 2005. As the growth dies back in autumn the relative lack of damage to the furnance during the summer months is revealed.

20th December 2005. The early part of the winter has seen a significant fall of material from the outside of the blowing wall, mainly as finely comminuted debris. The other sides have changed relatively little.