Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Cast house at Cefn Cribwr Ironworks
Cefn Cribwr, Bridgend, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II*
- Broad class
- Industrial
- Date of designation
- 2 October 1997
- Locality
- Cefn Cribwr
- Town
- Cefn Cribwr
- Community
- Cefn Cribwr
- Unitary authority
- Bridgend
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.53837, -3.65808
- Cadw reference
- 18957
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesNational Library of Scotland
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Location
The ironworks lies at the bottom of the Nant Iorwerth Coch. The casting house adjoins the furnace on the N side.
History
John Bedford came from Kings Norton near Birmingham to Monmouthshire, and moved to Cefn Cribwr c.1771-2, where he started an ironworks, a colliery and a brickworks close to the same site. He considered himself expert in furnace building, in quarrying, the production of compass needles and in the casting of ordnance, and wrote of his theories, probably to the detriment of completing the ironworks, which was not achieved until 1782. Bedford died in 1791, and the ironworks with the other enterprises on the same site, were taken over by Bryant & Co. in 1824, possibly in anticipation of the opening of the Duffryn, Llynfi and Porthcawl Tramway in 1828, relocating the iron production on another nearby site. The ironworks was acquired by Ogwr Borough Council in 1987 and the casting house consolidated in 1991 and laid out as an important element in the Waun Cimla Country Park.
Exterior
The casting house, adjoining the furnace to the N, is built of rubble stonework, approximately 12.2 metres long and 9.75 metres wide, originally with a low pitched slate roof. One N gable door with three large oculi over for ventilation and smoke extraction, and openings in the side walls, one on the E, with an 18in brick arch, having rail access for tramway trucks. The building has lost its roof, the S gable where it adjoins the furnace, and part of the side walls after the works went out of use.
Interior
The sand casting floor has been reconstructed after 1987.
Reason for designation
Included at Grade II* as a part of the small ironworks of the late C18, which has survived largely unaltered as production moved elsewhere. Of group value with the other listed items of the ironworks.
Scheduled Ancient Monument: 4/3487GM417(BRI)R.
Nearby in the register
- Blast Engine house at Cefn Cribwr IronworksIndustrialunder 1 mi
- Cefn Cribwr ironworks, the furnace and charging houseIndustrialunder 1 mi
- Cefn Cribwr IronworksIronworksunder 1 mi
- Calcining kilns at Cefn Cribwr ironworksIndustrialunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.