27086

 

II  

Designated  

12/11/2002  

12/11/2002  

Industrial building at former Ivor Works  

 

Merthyr Tydfil  

Dowlais  

Merthyr Tydfil  

Dowlais  

306748  

208096  

 

Situated on the S side of the site of the former Ivor Iron Works just N of Ivor Street.  

Industrial  

 

Industrial building, the last remaining of the former Ivor Iron Works from the pre-British Steel period. The Ivor Iron Works opened in 1839 as an extension to the Dowlais Iron Works, initially with four blast furnaces. British Steel operated a foundry from the mid C20 which closed in 1987. This building was possibly built as a blast engine house but is more probably the sulphate of ammonia plant completed in 1928 as part of the coke and by-product plants constructed 1922-28. The building is not shown on the OS map of 1900 or a plan of the Ivor Works of 1910 but is marked on a plan of 1928 as a sulphate house. Sulphate of ammonia was one of the by-products of coke production, crude benzyl and tar being others. The building was converted some time between 1930 and 1949 to a general and electrical stores.  

Industrial building, red brick with slate eaves roofs. Two sections both of 2-storeys, the taller E range of 5 bays and the lower W range of 6 bays. Bays divided into sunk panels by raised piers, the E range with panels each floor, the W range with full height panels. Stepped brickwork at top of each panel. Raised plinth broken forward over piers. E range has 5 blocked arched openings to first floor with yellow brick arches, and 3 longer to ground floor in bays 1, 4 and 5, with boarded openings in lower halves, under concrete lintels. Various infills in bays 2 and 3. Right end wall has full-height panels and also 3 to gable, the centre one with blocked roundel. Ground floor flat-roofed building attached to centre and left bays, with 2 similar arched openings on 2-bay end wall, blind arches over long openings with concrete lintels. Rear has 5 square-headed windows with concrete lintels to upper floor and tall blocked arches in bays 1, 2 and 4 with boarded openings under concrete lintels in lower halves, and doors with flat heads in bays 3 and 5, with blocked small openings over. Lower W range has square upper windows with metal small-pane glazing and longer boarded windows to ground floor, except in second bay which has small window. End wall has tall blocked arched openings in outer bays, with boarded openings in lower halves under concrete lintels. Centre bay has narrow door. Three-panel gable has metal roundel. Rear has similar windows above and windows with concrete lintels below, the left bay with broad door.  

Not available for inspection.  

Included for its special historical interest as the last remaining industrial building of the former Ivor Iron Works from the pre-British Steel period, probably a sulphate of ammonia processing plant.