Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a glass factory of the XVIII century

During the construction of a residential complex in the Scottish port district of Leith, the remains of six huge conical furnaces of the 18th century Leith Glassworks were found. Furnaces with a height of 24 to 30 meters and a diameter of about 12 meters at the base once formed the dominant part of the local horizon.

Bottle production was once vital to the UK liquor trade. The first furnace was launched in 1747, and at its peak around 1770, the furnaces of the glass factory produced one million bottles per week.

Although the UK is not a major producer of wine, it still made a significant contribution to the production of glass bottles for this drink. In 1615, James I demanded that the wood used in glass melting furnaces be used to build the warships needed to defend the British Empire. Because of this, coal was used instead of wood, and hotter stoves began to produce more durable glass.

The next innovation appeared in 1633. Kenelm Digby, the founder of the Royal Society in London, changed glass by adding metals and oxides. This led to the creation of bottles that were stronger, thicker, darker and cheaper. Digby is considered the "father of the modern bottle." It was his strong glass that made it possible to drink sparkling wines such as champagne. Prior to this, the glass was too fragile to withstand the pressure arising from fermentation in bottles.

Leith produced millions of bottles to meet the growing demand for wine and whiskey in the British Empire. When the barrels of alcohol arrived at the port of Leith, they quickly poured into bottles from the newly opened factory. There is speculation that the bottles produced at Leyte influenced the shape of the wine bottles that can be seen today. Leith's bottles had a narrow neck and round shoulders, which now dominates the wine industry.

In 1874, the Scotsman newspaper reported that the plant had closed. One of the reasons was the loss of business after the independence of the American colonies. The last glass furnace was demolished in 1912.

Source: http://21mm.ru/