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Cwmafan copper works flue is a post-medieval industrial chimney located in Wales, protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. The structure stands as evidence of the copper-working industries that flourished across South Wales during the 18th and 19th centuries, when the region's geological resources and proximity to coalfields made it an ideal centre for metal production.
The monument sits upon the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a Westphalian-age bedrock comprising mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete. This underlying geology directly enabled the industrial activities the flue represents: the coal provided fuel for smelting operations, whilst the ironstone deposits supported the broader metalworking industries of the valley. The ferricrete layer indicates the iron-rich conditions characteristic of this coalfield.
As a scheduled monument under Cadw reference GM566, the flue represents an important survival of Wales's industrial heritage. Copper-working flues such as this are relatively rare monuments in their upstanding form, making Cwmafan a significant example of post-medieval industrial technology and the engineering solutions required to manage the emissions from contemporary smelting processes.
Cwmafan copper works flue is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM566. View the official record →
Cwmafan copper works flue is a post-medieval industrial chimney located in Wales, protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM566.
Cwmafan copper works flue dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a chimney. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cwmafan copper works flue 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 GM566.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Chain Home Low Radar Station, Margam (6.3 km), Margam Medieval Bath House (6.6 km), Half Moon Camp (6.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cwmafan copper works flue'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.
Cwmafan copper works flue 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.