Carron Iron Works

Carron Iron Company's first furnace opened in 1760, and by 1800 it was the largest smelting works in Europe, with 1,000 employees. James Watt, the 'father of steam power', had his first momentous engine made at Carron; the Adam brothers designed fireplaces and domestic appliances for the company; Henry Shrapnel developed his devastating exploding shell there.

 

A key reason for the company's fame was the invention of a small naval cannon, called the carronade. The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed in December 1778 for the Royal Navy. It was used up until the 1860s, most notably on HMS Victory proving to be a significant contribution to the British cause at Trafalgar. It was also used  in the American Civil War.

 

The launch of the 'carronade' began the Falkirk area's long involvement with the munitions industry. 'The Iron Duke' of Wellington trusted Carron-made artillery beyond all others. And world-famous names like Henry Shrapnel and Alfred Nobel came to the area to develop munitions that would be produced by generations of local workers for peacetime as well as for the two world wars.