Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Machen Forge and Tinplate Works
Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen, Caerphilly, Wales
A scheduled monument in Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen, Caerphilly, recorded as Water Power System (Post Medieval/Modern).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Water Power System
- Period
- Post Medieval/Modern
- Date of designation
- 11 June 1998
- Community
- Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen
- Unitary authority
- Caerphilly
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.59304, -3.15089
- SAM number
- GM516
- Cadw record number
- 3965
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 LibrariesBayerische Staatsbibliothek, MunichUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1588 map "Ortelius, Abraham: Theatro De La Tierra Universal. 0" (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1588 · Ortelius, Abraham: Theatro De La Tierra Universal. 0 (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich)
- 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1906 · 249 Newport (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1913 · Sheet 102. Newport. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- [Kaart] (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The monument consists of a water power system originally serving Machen Forge. The forge was associated with Caerphilly Furnace in 1717 and may have been established in the 17th century, making it early in Wales. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries it was part of the Harford family empire of ironworks and was managed by one of the Harford brothers living nearby at Gelliwastad. The forge expanded into tinplate manufacture in 1826, and was subsequently run in conjunction with the Waterloo Tinplate Works before closing in 1886. Remains of the water power system include a dam, sluices, culverts and waterwheel pits.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of water management systems. 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.
Nearby in the register
- Gelli WastadDomesticunder 1 mi
- War Memorial within Railed EnclosureCommemorativeunder 1 mi
- Church of St JohnReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Rudry IronworksIronworksunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.