Dyfi Furnace

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Furnace by the bridge.

History

Blast-furnace built c. 1755 to smelt iron-ore brought from Cumbria using charcoal from local forests and water-power. Established by the West Midlands firm of Vernon, Kendall & Co. and wholly owned by the Kendalls from 1774, in use until c. 1810. Later converted to a sawmill, for which the large water-wheel was inserted. Illustrated in 1804 sketch by P.J. de Loutherbourg with wheel concealed in lean-to. Restored in 1986 for Cadw.

Exterior

Furnace and associated building, rubble stone with slated roof hipped at W end around square rubble stone furnace chimney. Furnace is a tall tapering stone structure with straight joints to the two-storey rear range that comprised the bellows floor below the charging floor. Built into the bank to give level access to the charging floor. The furnace has two small brick lined porthole vents to the 3 visible faces and numerous put-log holes. The S side has a broad brick arch tapering inwards. The range behind has on S side, another porthole to left and two slots at different levels, with stone shelves over, possibly for lost lean-to roofs. Ground floor has very wide brick arch with keystone to left and door to right with brick head. N the roof carried down slightly to shelter large wooden water-wheel, a reconstruction of a C19 wheel used when the furnace was converted to a saw-mill. Part-blocked brick-arched opening to left of wheel, into counter-weight room.
Rear gable at first floor level has two openings, to left and centre with flat brick heads, left one glazed, broader centre one with timber doors, giving access to charging-floor. Buttress between entries. Two fixed 8-pane windows over with flat brick heads. At right is attached outbuilding with monopitch roof.

Interior

The lower floor of the rear range has a broad brick and rubble stone transverse vault and a brick tapering arched opening to W into furnace base, similar to that on the S side. Stone shelf and steps on rear Nwall. Three oak beams. Two slots cut into the vault for belts to drive machinery on upper floor, connected with the C19 sawmill use. To E is narrower room with higher floor level, the former counter-weight room, with transverse rubble vault. Upper floor has stone and brick paving and very large pine tie-beam trusses with queen-struts and angled struts. Triple purlins.

Reason for designation

Graded II* as one of the outstanding C18 industrial monuments of Wales.