Not the usual sort of thing that I do but having been on lockdown for 3+ months generally put paid to anything that was in the pipeline as summer growth had taken over and waiting till it all starts to die back again in autumn seemed like a less arduous way to go. Until, of course, we went back into lockdown again last week but that is another story.
But it did give a chance to do a few of the local things that always seem to be put on the back burner and a second lockdown gives the chance and time to actually upload the photos and reports !
HISTORY
Cyfarthfa Ironworks was one of five important iron and steel works in the Merthyr Tydfil area and, like Dowlais, was for a while the largest ironworks in the world. The location was ideal, with abundant raw materials. Cyfarthfa operated for more than 150 years and was run by members of the Crawshay family for almost a century. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the remains of furnaces, kilns and other structures can still be seen.
The Cyfarthfa Ironworks date from 29th August 1765, when Anthony Bacon (1717-86) and William Brownrigg (1711-1800) leased 405 hectares of land, 13km long and 8km wide, for 99 years at a rent of £100 per year from William Talbot (1710-82, 1st Earl Talbot) and a Michael Richards. On 22nd July 1777, Bacon bought Brownrigg’s shares in Cyfarthfa for £1,504 15s 5d (£1,504.77) and went into partnership with Richard Crawshay (1739-1810). They began to manufacture cannon for the Board of Ordnance.
Cyfarthfa produced bar iron, a form of wrought iron made by laboriously hammering pig iron to lower its carbon content and alter its malleability. Cyfarthfa's growth took a new direction in 1787, when Crawshay and Cockshutt visited the Fontley Foundry at Gosport in Hampshire, where Henry Cort (c.1741-1800) had developed a balling (reverbatory) puddling furnace (pat. 1784) for refining pig iron. Used in conjunction with Cort's grooved rolling mill (pat. 1783), the process facilitated the manufacture of good quality bar iron. However, the partnership was dissolved on 22nd September 1791, and Crawshay continued alone. In 1792, the works’ foundry manager Watkin George (c.1759-1822) became a partner, a position he would hold until around 1805. In 1794, Anthony junior sold the ironworks to Crawshay and he became the outright owner.
By 1823, the works’ had eight blast furnaces producing 24,587 tonnes of pig iron and was also manufacturing wrought iron rails. However, it was to be overtaken by Dowlais as the world’s largest ironworks.
In 1824-25, William Crawshay II, dubbed the "Iron King", spent £30,000 on building the ornate Cyfarthfa Castle at Merthyr Tydfil. It was designed by English architect Robert Lugar (1773-1855) and located on a parkland estate north east of the ironworks. It remained the family seat until 1899. To match this grandeur, by 1830, the ironworks site employed 5,000 people and reputedly had 193km of tramways and 11km of canals. Its industry consumed 91,440 tonnes of iron ore, 40,640 tonnes of lime and 20,320 tonnes of coal annually.
The former blast furnaces form the northern part of the stone retaining wall. Originally seven, during the 1880s modernisation the sixth from the north was replaced by the great stone arch and the spaces between the furnaces were infilled with stonework to form a new charging ramp for Bessemer furnaces. The blast tunnel behind the furnaces enclosed by the charging ramp is open at the northern end and is also accessible from small tunnels associated with each furnace. It is almost as high as the furnaces themselves and roofed with arched brickwork. The furnaces are partly supported by iron cross-members from the rear wall. The smaller tunnels associated with each furnace are approx. 2m high, narrow, brick-lined and arched. Within the smaller tunnels the bases of the furnaces can be inspected. The white brick lining is visible at these points as is the rubble filled into the furnaces following their closure. Large diameter cast iron pipework associated with the blast is lying dislodged in a recess forming a continuation of the blast tunnel to the rear of the arched opening.
The blast furnaces in their heyday
Unfortunately today, thanks to the foresight of Methyr Tydfil councils over various years, very little remains.
THE VISIT
1. Blast Furnace
2. Fork
3. Light
4. Arch
5. Passage
6. Furnace 1
7. Furnace 2
8. Support
9. Rock and brick
10. All that is left...
Thanks for looking !
But it did give a chance to do a few of the local things that always seem to be put on the back burner and a second lockdown gives the chance and time to actually upload the photos and reports !
HISTORY
Cyfarthfa Ironworks was one of five important iron and steel works in the Merthyr Tydfil area and, like Dowlais, was for a while the largest ironworks in the world. The location was ideal, with abundant raw materials. Cyfarthfa operated for more than 150 years and was run by members of the Crawshay family for almost a century. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the remains of furnaces, kilns and other structures can still be seen.
The Cyfarthfa Ironworks date from 29th August 1765, when Anthony Bacon (1717-86) and William Brownrigg (1711-1800) leased 405 hectares of land, 13km long and 8km wide, for 99 years at a rent of £100 per year from William Talbot (1710-82, 1st Earl Talbot) and a Michael Richards. On 22nd July 1777, Bacon bought Brownrigg’s shares in Cyfarthfa for £1,504 15s 5d (£1,504.77) and went into partnership with Richard Crawshay (1739-1810). They began to manufacture cannon for the Board of Ordnance.
Cyfarthfa produced bar iron, a form of wrought iron made by laboriously hammering pig iron to lower its carbon content and alter its malleability. Cyfarthfa's growth took a new direction in 1787, when Crawshay and Cockshutt visited the Fontley Foundry at Gosport in Hampshire, where Henry Cort (c.1741-1800) had developed a balling (reverbatory) puddling furnace (pat. 1784) for refining pig iron. Used in conjunction with Cort's grooved rolling mill (pat. 1783), the process facilitated the manufacture of good quality bar iron. However, the partnership was dissolved on 22nd September 1791, and Crawshay continued alone. In 1792, the works’ foundry manager Watkin George (c.1759-1822) became a partner, a position he would hold until around 1805. In 1794, Anthony junior sold the ironworks to Crawshay and he became the outright owner.
By 1823, the works’ had eight blast furnaces producing 24,587 tonnes of pig iron and was also manufacturing wrought iron rails. However, it was to be overtaken by Dowlais as the world’s largest ironworks.
In 1824-25, William Crawshay II, dubbed the "Iron King", spent £30,000 on building the ornate Cyfarthfa Castle at Merthyr Tydfil. It was designed by English architect Robert Lugar (1773-1855) and located on a parkland estate north east of the ironworks. It remained the family seat until 1899. To match this grandeur, by 1830, the ironworks site employed 5,000 people and reputedly had 193km of tramways and 11km of canals. Its industry consumed 91,440 tonnes of iron ore, 40,640 tonnes of lime and 20,320 tonnes of coal annually.
The former blast furnaces form the northern part of the stone retaining wall. Originally seven, during the 1880s modernisation the sixth from the north was replaced by the great stone arch and the spaces between the furnaces were infilled with stonework to form a new charging ramp for Bessemer furnaces. The blast tunnel behind the furnaces enclosed by the charging ramp is open at the northern end and is also accessible from small tunnels associated with each furnace. It is almost as high as the furnaces themselves and roofed with arched brickwork. The furnaces are partly supported by iron cross-members from the rear wall. The smaller tunnels associated with each furnace are approx. 2m high, narrow, brick-lined and arched. Within the smaller tunnels the bases of the furnaces can be inspected. The white brick lining is visible at these points as is the rubble filled into the furnaces following their closure. Large diameter cast iron pipework associated with the blast is lying dislodged in a recess forming a continuation of the blast tunnel to the rear of the arched opening.
The blast furnaces in their heyday
Unfortunately today, thanks to the foresight of Methyr Tydfil councils over various years, very little remains.
THE VISIT
1. Blast Furnace
2. Fork
3. Light
4. Arch
5. Passage
6. Furnace 1
7. Furnace 2
8. Support
9. Rock and brick
10. All that is left...
Thanks for looking !
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