Inside the almost 400 year-old gunpowder works

Established in 1626 by the East India Company, the mills were built to supply gunpowder for overseas military campaigns

Nestled in the Surrey Hills, the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills tell a story of secret explosions, centuries-old craftsmanship, and the rise and fall of one of Britain's most important military supply sites.

Established in 1626 by the East India Company, the mills were built to supply gunpowder for overseas military campaigns.

The site became one of the earliest and most significant gunpowder manufacturing centres in England.

The Evelyn family, who held a royal monopoly on gunpowder production, expanded operations in the 17th century, making Chilworth a hub of industrial activity.

Ken Bare told Secret Surrey: "At the entrance is a tramway, which would have been moveable so that pumps could get up and down the water course.

"It's a really unique site with over 300 years history from the 1600s to the early 1900s.

"It is fairly heavily wooded - it has always been like that as there used to be a belief that the trees help to dissipate any explosions that happened."

The site became one of the earliest and most significant gunpowder manufacturing centres in England

The mills were strategically placed along the Tillingbourne River, which powered the water mills essential for production.

The site includes remnants of over 100 historic buildings, including tramways, water management systems, and bridges.

Today, it's a Scheduled Ancient Monument and part of the Surrey Hills National Landscape, offering heritage trails and nature walks through the woodland.

Mr Bare added: "The hayday of the mills was in the 1700s.

"The Spanish Armada in 1588 changed the UK's view on gunpowder - we couldn't import from Europe anymore and had to make it ourselves.

The site includes remnants of over 100 historic buildings, including tramways, water management systems, and bridges

"The site is made up of three parts.

"The lower works came first in 1626 but the middle works - which are still open to the public to walk in now - came slightly later. It was the main places for work and 1.5km end to end.

"All along the Tillingbourne there would have been little buildings."

Though much of the original infrastructure was demolished, the site remains a rich archaeological and ecological area, managed by Guildford Borough Council.

It received a Green Flag Award for its preservation and public accessibility.