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Clydach Upper Forge is a post-medieval and modern iron forge located in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw (reference GM497). The site exploits the rich mineral resources of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, which underlies the landscape and provided both the coal fuel and ironstone ore essential to iron production. This geological sequence, formed during the Westphalian period, comprises mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal seams and ironstone bands, along with ferricrete deposits that accumulated from iron-rich weathering.
The forge represents the industrial development of South Wales during a period when the region's coalfield resources became increasingly valuable for metal manufacturing. Iron forges of this type were typically powered by water or steam, and positioned to capitalise on accessible fuel sources and raw materials. The Upper Coal Measures geology provided everything needed on or near the site: coal for heating, ironstone for smelting and the supporting sedimentary layers that formed the local terrain.
Today, Clydach Upper Forge survives as evidence of Wales' industrial heritage and the exploitation of its mineral wealth. The monument's protected status recognises its importance to understanding post-medieval and modern manufacturing in South Wales, a landscape fundamentally shaped by the interaction between geology, resources and industrial enterprise.
Clydach Upper Forge is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM497. View the official record →
Clydach Upper Forge is a post-medieval and modern iron forge located in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw (reference GM497).
Clydach Upper Forge dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a iron forge. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Clydach Upper Forge 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 GM497.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Earthwork on Kilvey Hill (7.3 km), Crymlyn Bog Second World War Barrage Balloon Site (7.4 km), Hafod Copper Works Musgrave Engine and Rolls (7.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Clydach Upper Forge'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 Upper Forge stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.