Trummelsberg Ironworks
When arriving at Trummelsberg, one often sees the tall charcoal house pillars made of slag brick first and is impressed by them. They give an idea of how enormous the charcoal house once was and how much charcoal was needed to smelt the ore in the blast furnace. It was the tall pillars of slag stone that once supported the charcoal house.
The first recorded mention of someone living at Trummelsberg, between the lakes Dammen and Stora Kedjen, was in 1580, when a homestead was located there. A little later, in the 1620s, the miner Olav Trummel bought the land, built a smelting hut and a hammer mill by the brook, and named it Trummelsberg—at that time, it was very common for ironworks owners to name their works after themselves.
However, after just over 20 years, the ironworks were sold to Färna Ironworks, which continued ore processing in Trummelsberg. In 1668, they received privileges to build a hammer mill there as well.
The oldest smelting hut in Trummelsberg operated until 1741, when Bastmora Ironworks took over, and the original blast furnace was shut down. However, the hammer mill continued to operate until 1825.
In the mid-19th century, when industrialization took off in Sweden, it was time to build a new, more modern blast furnace. It was a good investment, the business flourished, and soon several new buildings had to be constructed. Today, the blast master’s residence, the small cottage, the blacksmith families’ house, and the manager’s house remain.
The blast master’s residence is the red house with decorative woodwork. The person who supervised iron production lived there. To produce high-quality iron, a skilled blast master was needed, as he determined the process for smelting the iron. Because of this responsibility, he received a higher salary and lived in a fine house.
In the forest to the right of the blast master’s house lies the small cottage. This was the home of the forest warden. He also had an important job. Without forests, there would be no charcoal to heat the blast furnace, so the forest had to be carefully managed. He also ensured that no tenant farmers or others were poaching. The game in the forest belonged to the ironworks owner, and poachers could face severe punishment.
Since Trummelsberg was owned by Färna Ironworks, the owner did not live there but in the manor at Färna. However, the manager and his family lived in the stone house. He ensured that everything at Trummelsberg ran smoothly, that the workers did their jobs, and that iron was produced at the expected rate. He also distributed wages to employees. Salaries were often paid not only in money but also in food, spirits, or firewood.
The manager’s office was also located in the stone house, where he worked when he was not out inspecting activities at the ironworks. He oversaw not only the operations of the smelting hut but also the barns and pigsties from his office.
Unfortunately, only the foundation walls of the barns and pigsties remain, but the residential buildings still stand.
For 40 years, iron production flourished in Trummelsberg, but then it all came to an end. In 1907, the entire operation was shut down. Trummelsberg Ironworks stood abandoned for four years before most of the buildings were demolished. The foundation stones were then used in the construction of Virsbo Church, which was completed in 1937.
FACTS
A site with 300 years of iron production history. An old ironworks area with beautiful slag stone ruins and newly restored charcoal house pillars.
Feel free to read the hiking brochure linked to this page.
The Bruksleden hiking trail passes through the area. Stage maps are available on the Bruksleden website. An overview map is also available via the digital outdoor guide Naturkartan.
If you visit Trummelsberg and want to continue toward Bockhammar/Skinnskatteberg, you can do so, following general traffic regulations. There are also options for reaching barbecue areas and a swimming spot in Trummelsberg.
Please be mindful of current conditions, the surroundings, and local residents.
Current Notice:
Due to a dam failure at Sågsjön, the bridge crossing at the site is no longer in place. A temporary passage has been established, but caution is advised.
