The story began in 1859, when a London businessman leased Eyeworth Lodge and, while others wanted a hunting retreat, planned a remote gunpowder factory. Schultze gunpowder factory (Image: Echo)After several failed schemes, a director fled with the money in 1869, crippling the business and forcing its sale. At its peak, the factory made 20,000lb of sporting gunpowder a week, supplying three-quarters of global annual consumption. Schultze gunpowder factory (Image: Echo)It was created in 1871 by damming Latchmore Brook to supply water for the factory. Schultze gunpowder factory (Image: Echo)After the First World War, newer propellants made its gunpowder obsolete and the factory closed in 1921.