18959

 

II  

Designated  

02/10/1997  

02/10/1997  

Calcining kilns at Cefn Cribwr ironworks  

 

Bridgend  

Cefn Cribwr  

Cefn Cribwr  

Cefn Cribwr  

285108  

183428  

W  

The ironworks is located near the bottom of the Nant Iorwerth Coch, on the S side of the brook. The calcining kilns stand to the S of the top level of the charging house, while the battery of coking ovens lie further to the S at the same level.  

Industrial  

 

John Bedford came from Kings Norton near Birmingham to Monmouthshire, and moved to Cefn Cribwr c.1771-2, where he started an ironworks, a colliery and a brickworks close to the same site. Calcining was a later development in the early technology of iron founding, which combined coke with limestone products. One battery of coking ovens lies some 10m further S, served by the same tramway - these now survive only at foundation level. Bedford died in 1791, and the ironworks with the other enterprises on the same site, were taken over by his son, then by Bryant & Co in 1824, possibly in anticipation of the opening of the Duffryn, Llynfi and Porthcawl Tramway in 1828, relocating the iron production on another site nearby. The ironworks was acquired by Ogwr Borough Council in 1987 and has since been consolidated and laid out as an important element in the Waun Cimla Country Park.  

Built of local sandstone, and brick made on site. The structure consists of a central segmental brick-arched tunnel vault with finely laid facing stone voussoirs, through which ran the plateway directly to the upper part of the charging house. The plateway consisted of simple rectangular section fish-bellied rails in 4ft (1.22 metre) lengths set to a 4ft 6in (1.4 metre) gauge and held by cast iron chairs each twice bolted to large stones set in the track formation. To either side of the central arch, similar but slightly narrower arches open from the N side to the calcining kilns, each consisting of a brick lined 'V'-shaped oven. The upper section of the kilns is lost.  

 

Included at Grade II as an important element in the small ironworks of the late C18, which has survived largely unaltered as production moved elsewhere. Of group value with other elements of the ironworks. Scheduled Ancient Monument: 4/3487GM417(BRI)R.