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Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales

The Bottle Chimney

Brymbo, Wrexham, Wales

A Grade II listed building in Mount Zion, Brymbo, Wrexham, designated on 1 December 1995.

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913) covering the location of The Bottle Chimney, Brymbo, Wrexham, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Designation
Listed building, Grade II
Broad class
Industrial
Date of designation
1 December 1995
Locality
Mount Zion
Community
Brymbo
Unitary authority
Wrexham
Country
Wales
Coordinates
53.07695, -3.06882
Cadw reference
13484

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1608 map "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1795 · To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most… (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales)
  • 1883 · Watershed map England, Wales 3. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1898 · 121 Wrexham (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1901 · Sheet 9 and 10. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Get directions ↗

This record in Cadw's own full report ↗

Cadw's description

Occupies an elevated site to the E of the Brymbo Lead Smelting Works site, between the reservoir and the Minera Road.

Brymbo Lead Smelting Works was established c1792, by John Wilkinson. It continued in use until the 1880s and with little significant change it was then used for a time to manufacture carbon. The bottle chimney ('Brymbo Bottle') was part of the system for collecting lead sublimate in the smelting process: use of a bottle chimney in this way appears to have been distinctive to Wilkinson, and this is the only one to survive. Originally c30m high, it was partially demolished in 1962.

A tapering circular structure now with a height of c6m. Roughly coursed rubble, with 2 openings in the base, with cast-iron lintels.

Significant as the only standing structure associated with Wilkinson's Brymbo Lead Smelting Works to survive. An extremely rare building type, and the only one of its particular type to survive in Wales.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Designated Historic Asset GIS Data, The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), 2026-09-07, licensed under the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment Service · Open Government Licence v3.0
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