The Pottery, Nantgarw

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of a 19th Century porcelain and pottery works. Founded by William Billingsley (1758-1828), the pottery had two short-lived phases of procelain production: from 1813-1814 and 1817-1822. The pottery closed in 1822 because of technical difficulties. The Nantgarw pottery works produced high quality porcelain of international renown. The pottery re-opened in 1833 and continued in use until 1920 producing earthenware and clay tobacco pipes.

The pottery works comprised: three kilns, boiler, throwing sheds, drying rooms, store houses, dipping shed, pipe workshop, grinding shed, clay heap and various other warehouses. Adjacent to the works, the Glamorgan Canal enabled pottery to be transported to Cardiff.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of pottery and porcelain manufacturing techniques and processes. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.