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Clydach Ironworks and Smart's Bridge is a post-medieval and modern industrial monument located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR161. The site stands upon Lower Devonian bedrock comprising sandstone and conglomerate formed in the Early Devonian period, strata that provided both stone for construction and a stable foundation for heavy industrial machinery.
The ironworks represents the development of Wales's industrial heritage during the period of expanded iron production. Smart's Bridge, integral to the site's infrastructure, facilitated access across the local watercourse, essential for transporting raw materials and finished goods through the works. The combination of water power, proximity to geological resources, and integrated transport routes made such valley locations favourable for iron manufacturing in this region.
Today the remains of Clydach Ironworks preserve evidence of Wales's transition to an industrial economy. The site's archaeological and structural record survives within its landscape setting, with the Devonian bedrock visible in excavated areas and building foundations. Such monuments document the technological and social transformation of Welsh industrial communities and the intensive exploitation of local geological resources that characterised post-medieval manufacturing enterprise.
Clydach Ironworks (remains) and Smart's Bridge is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR161. View the official record →
Clydach Ironworks and Smart's Bridge is a post-medieval and modern industrial monument located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR161.
Clydach Ironworks (remains) and Smart's Bridge dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a ironworks. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Clydach Ironworks (remains) and Smart's Bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is BR161.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Engine Pit, Blaenavon (4.5 km), Blaenafon Ironworks (4.5 km), Aaron Brute's Level and Iron Bridge (4.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Clydach Ironworks (remains) and Smart's Bridge's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Clydach Ironworks (remains) and Smart's Bridge stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.