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Gunpowder Mills and Production Facilities

Type Object Region Europe Time c. 1480

16th-century European gunpowder mills were specialized chemical works mixing, grinding and corning saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal, with centralized p…

Timeline

  1. c. 1542–1547Ordnance districts of Spain and France · SpainIn the 1540s Spain expanded water-powered gunpowder mills at Toledo and elsewhere, while France centralized production of corned powder under the royal ordnance system to supply the Italian Wars and Mediterranean fleets.
  2. c. 1548–1550England and the Low Countries · EnglandBy 1550, gunpowder works such as Waltham Abbey in England and the saltpeter trade network of Flanders were complementary; state-controlled gunpowder mills became key logistical facilities supporting the expansion of artillery and the navy.

Sources