THE Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield Lock was unique in being the only national arms manufactory in the world to have a gun-stock drying facility constructed on site.

The same factory would also become the first of its sort in Britain to fully mass produce weapons with the system of interchangeable parts.

In 19th century Britain production of small arms was hindered by the prolonged drying periods for the required wood. Seasoning by natural drying methods could take between three and five years.

The British Army and Navy were faced with a serious shortage of serviceable weapons because of the erratic supply of fully seasoned walnut gun-stock blanks.

George Lovell (1789-1854) played a key role in the implementation of new methods which were to revolutionise gun making in this country.

As Board of Ordnance Inspector of Small Arms, he scoured the country for existing drying methods which could be adopted for a gun factory.

His travels took him to Davis & Symington's in London, which owned the patent for a heating chamber that removed moisture from wood and other substances through the applications of currents of heated air.After being initially impressed by the process . A ventilated room 24x18 ft and 15 ft to the roof was formed with double walls and doors.

Lovell carried out extensive investigations into the compatibility and suitability of the Davis & Symington process under the particular conditions required for gun manufacture. After positive results, he wrote a report to the Board of Ordnance recommending the installation on site of the Davis and Symington model.

But the method proved very expensive after certain modifications of the original model were accounted for. The royalty payments charged by the company were also high but after negotiation these were brought down.

The Government, which was becoming increasingly desperate to find a solution to the crisis, finalised the purchase, and a drying chamber was built at Enfield, completed in September 1848.

In time the significance of this would be shown in the dramatic reductions of time scales in gun making, thus enabling the factory to become the first British mass producer in January 1857.