Norfold House Steam Mills (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, August 13, 2011, 22:08 (4854 days ago) @ unknown

I would say "no".
You may have seen the very recent thread here re nail working..
As the various sites show nailmaking just requires a basic small forge with a bellows, so no different than a typical blacksmiths shop. You don't need a large oven or furnace, in fact quite the opposite due to the handmade nature of the process.
Two sites with photos are here, they both show and describe small "sheds" with no obvious chimney at all.
http://sedgleymanor.com/trades/nailmakers2.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewfield/548276301/

I'm not an industrial archeologist as such just a metal basher with a perchant for the Industrial Revolution, but to me the size of the base (oven?) area and the general shape is very reminiscent of the "bottle" kilns used in the Black Country for glass making or the Potteries for clayware, photos here
http://www.thepotteries.org/bottle_kiln/index.htm

There is a traditional brickworks still working not far from Steam Mills towards Cinderford, but brick kilns are much wider and lower dome shapes.

I look forward to now being corrected !