Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Remains of Blast Furnace at Melin Court
Resolven, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Blast Furnace
- Period
- Post Medieval/Modern
- Date of designation
- 23 April 1982
- Community
- Resolven
- Unitary authority
- Neath Port Talbot
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.70269, -3.70234
- SAM number
- GM416
- Cadw record number
- 389
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
University Library, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamBayerische Staatsbibliothek, MunichDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1588 "Ortelius, Abraham: Theatro De La Tierra Universal. 0" (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich).
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The monument comprises the remains of an early charcoal blast furnace which operated between 1708 and 1808. Buildings include: casting house, blast furnace, air (re-melt) furnace, wheel pit and culvert and other building to the south of the blast furnace. Melin Court ironworks was one of the last charcoal ironworks in Britain. The reason for the final closure of the works in 1808 is not clear, although the most likely reason is the superior efficiency of steam over water power in providing the blast for the furnaces.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance and illustrate our knowledge and understanding of the development of the iron industry in Wales. It retains significant archaeological potential, with the strong possibility of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. A blast furnace may be part of a larger cluster of industrial monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.
Nearby in the register
- Melincwrt Independent ChapelReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Llwyn-coedwr FarmhouseDomesticunder 1 mi
- Bridge over Neath Canal at Abergarwed LockTransportunder 1 mi
- Jerusalem Independent ChapelReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.