6 Forge Row

Cadw's description

Location

Situated at the base of a steep hillside, on the east bank of Afon Lwyd about 40m south of Cwmavon House. Rubble forecourt wall.

History

An isolated row of early C19 ironworkers houses, probably dating from 1804-6 and built for the workers of the now demolished Varteg Forge (active at this period and again 1823-40) which was situated on a flat site in the valley on the opposite side of the main road from Forge Row. Originally a terrace of twelve the cottages where doubled up when the row was repaired by the British Historic Buildings Trust in 1987-8, the architects were Ferguson Mann.

Exterior

Nos. 1-6 (consec) Forge Row.
A terrace of industrial housing set against a hillside above the road. The hoses in Forge Row have colour-washed stone rubble external walls with plinth and small eaves courses and a gabled roof of random stone slates laid in diminishing courses. Two storeys with a single depth plan. Each house originally with a western elevation of one window bay and doorway each, but now each with two windows and two doors; small paned casement windows of 2-lights, upper windows with flat heads at eaves level, lower windows and doorways with cambered heads. Stone stacks.

Interior

Interiors not inspected at time of resurvey (January 1997) but it is reported that originally each floor had two very small rooms with internal walls probably framed in timber; stone flagged floors; thin soft wood ground floor ceiling joists with small chamfers. Staircases against front walls. Back doors. The cottages were doubled in size when converted in 1987-8 and the interiors now date almost entirely from then, but the staircases are said to survive.

Reason for designation

Graded II* as the finest surviving in-situ terrace of industrial housing in the South Wales valleys.