Black Pins early ironstone workings

Summary description and reason for designation

The monument comprises the remains of ironstone workings in the area around Black Pins on the Cyfarthfa estate, developed when the surface workings alongside the Cyfarthfa Canal became exhausted. The uneven landscape was left by small scale open casting: a mixture of patching at the outcrops and scouring with water was used to excavate seams of ironstone as they emerged on the valley side. The eastern edge of the area has a number of finger spoil tips formed by running out barrows of waste. Leading north-east from the area is the head of a tramroad, showing as a low earthwork. Substantial working seems to have post-dated 1814 and been abandoned by 1870 for works to the north at Winch Fawr (Scheduled Monument GM554).

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance and illustrate our knowledge of the early 19th century iron industry. The monument comprises a particularly clear and well preserved group of remains of early surface mining techniques of patching and scouring associated with Cyfarthfa Ironworks. They have additional importance in association with the later Iron Ore Scours and Patch Workings at Winch Fawr (Scheduled Ancient Monument GM554), which they preceded.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is irregular in shape on plan and measures about 420m from NW to SE by up to 270m transversely.