11845

 

II  

Designated  

30/05/1980  

22/12/2003  

Former engine manufacturing building at former Neath Abbey Ironworks  

 

Neath Port Talbot  

Dyffryn Clydach  

Neath  

Neath Abbey  

273803  

197678  

 

On the W side of the River Clydach in Neath Abbey some 50m N of the junction of Neath Abbey Road and Monastery Road.  

Industrial  

 

Remains of former engine manufacturing building of Neath Abbey Ironworks. The major N section was burnt out in the 1980s and the notable early cast-iron roof has entirely gone. Originally to the N were two contiguous 2-storey wings with stone walls and cast- and wrought-iron composite roof trusses, externally with slate cladding. The northern wing is thought to date from 1800-10. Wing further S comprises an extension of 1823 with the projecting wing at the S end originally housing a water wheel and steam engine as well as two boring shops. The Neath Abbey Ironworks were developed by two Quaker families, the Foxes of Falmouth from 1792 and Joseph Tregelles Price from 1817. Under Price the works became famous for high-quality engineering products including locomotives, stationary engines and steamships. The works closed in 1886.  

Walls of former engine manufacturing building, rubble stone with some tooled sandstone. Roughly L-shaped of three ranges, the original range to N has lost front wall almost entirely, the added range further S has front wall of higher quality squared tooled sandstone. Original range has front wall missing except for short piece at right showing windows to have had cambered heads with stone voussoirs and keystones. End wall has indications of third or attic floor, left side has two first floor windows and one centrally below similar to front wall, sills and part of jambs of 2 above, and right side has broad cart-entry arch to ground floor and broad large opening above, all with stone voussoirs and all but cart-entry blocked. Rear wall of 8 bays, cambered headed windows with sandstone voussoirs and keystones, blocked in red brick. Step in wall above first floor. Added range has front wall of 6 broad elliptical arched entries under 9 cambered-headed windows. Impost band to ground floor, and remnant of cast-iron glazing. Rear of 10 bays similar to earlier range to left, stone voussoirs to cambered-headed openings, remnant of cast-iron glazing windows with small panes. Doors in sixth bay of first floor and first and sixth of ground floor, the last with very low doorhead. Rear has row of iron brackets for former channel to water-wheel across both ranges. Attached to S is much altered added range with blocked very broad arch with stone voussoirs between 2 blocked roundels, both part obscured by buttresses. Wall then steps down over brick-arched entry to modern garage.  

Against back of front wall of original range are 7 cast-iron piers formerly holding an axial beam along wall. The rear left corner of this range has a masonry indent with cast-iron beam built into wall and carried out to another cast-iron pier. Piers are tapered T-plan with thickened heads. Within garage at S is long wall running back with a very large stone-voussoir arch and a door also with stone voussoirs.  

Included for its special historical interest as substantial remnant of a major early industrial building, group value with the 2 furnaces and other buildings of the Neath Abbey Ironworks. The Neath Abbey Ironworks are a Scheduled Ancient Monument (GM389).