Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
No. 2 Blast Furnace at former Neath Abbey Ironworks
Dyffryn Clydach, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
A Grade II* listed building in Neath Abbey, Neath, Dyffryn Clydach, Neath Port Talbot, designated on 22 December 2003.
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II*
- Broad class
- Industrial
- Date of designation
- 22 December 2003
- Locality
- Neath Abbey
- Town
- Neath
- Community
- Dyffryn Clydach
- Unitary authority
- Neath Port Talbot
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.66434, -3.82620
- Cadw reference
- 82333
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 LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1637 · The fourth table of England. Cornub. Devonia, Somerset etc. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1865 · England and Wales. England No. 6. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Sheet 10. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. . (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1897 · 247 Swansea (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Location
On the W side of the River Clydach in Neath Abbey some 140m N of the junction of Neath Abbey Road and Monastery Road.
History
One of two very large late C18 blast furnaces built for the Neath Abbey Ironworks. They were built in 1793, designed by Peter Price who had experience of furnaces in Great Britain and America. The Neath Abbey Ironworks were developed by two Quaker families, the Foxes of Falmouth from 1792 and Joseph Tregelles Price from 1817. Under Price the works became famous for high-quality engineering products including locomotives, stationary engines and steamships. The works closed in 1886.
Exterior
Blast furnace, very tall rubble Pennant sandstone, square-plan, tapering, built against a rock face for ease of charging. Furnace is some 19.8m high with base approximately 11.6m square. Base is overgrown but has large barrel vault on E side with semicircular arch with double ring of dressed stone voussoirs. Interior is supported by massive cast iron beams and has the remains of a slag notch. At the top of the furnace is the remains of a loading arch.
Interior
The rear of the furnace has a recess and a large chamber, hewn out of the rock wall, for the tuyere or blast pipes.
Reason for designation
Graded II* as one of two blast furnaces at the former Neath Abbey Ironworks which are important monuments to the development of the iron industry in Wales. They are two of the highest masonry blast furnaces ever built and part of the Scheduled Ancient Monument at Neath Abbey Ironworks (GM389).
Nearby in the register
- No. 1 Blast Furnace at former Neath Abbey IronworksIndustrialunder 1 mi
- Neath Abbey IronworksIronworksunder 1 mi
- Former engine manufacturing building at former Neath Abbey IronworksIndustrialunder 1 mi
- Neath Abbey Railway ViaductTransportunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.