BR160

Iron Furnace SW of Clydach  

14/11/1960  

Designated  

Monmouthshire  

Llanelly  

323251  

213844  

Industrial  

Ironworks  

Post Medieval/Modern  

The following provides a general description of the scheduled monument. The monument comprises the remains of a furnace related to the production of iron. The furnace was founded in the 17th century by the Hanbury family of Pontypool. It was charcoal-fired and one of the earliest iron blast furnaces in the Clydach area, located to take advantaged of local wood supplies and water from the river Clydach which powered the bellows. There were calcining kilns and a forge in the vicinity of the furnace. The furnace was superseded by the coke-fired Clydach Ironworks (BR161) which was built in the 1790s. The furnace remains comprise a stone-built structure with three walls standing to a maximum of 2.5m high, within which three arched openings can be seen. It is built into the slope of the hill. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance and illustrate our knowledge and understanding of the development of the iron industry. An ironworks may be part of a larger industrial complex and their importance can further enhanced by their group value. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.