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Gadlys Ironworks is a blast furnace ruin situated in Wales, a remnant of the region's industrial heritage from the post-medieval and modern periods. The works exploited the rich mineral deposits underlying the site, where the Pennine and South Wales Middle Coal Measures formations provided essential raw materials including coal, ironstone and ferricrete. These Moscovian-age strata, composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interbedded with workable seams, created ideal geological conditions for iron smelting operations that developed during the industrial expansion of South Wales.
The blast furnace structure represents the technological and economic transformation of the Welsh landscape during iron production's boom years. The site's location reflects the strategic importance of accessing coal measures close to the surface, which powered the furnaces and reduced transport costs for raw materials. The surviving remains document the scale and methods of ironworking before the industry's eventual decline.
The monument is now protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage conservation body, under the reference number GM438, ensuring the remains are safeguarded as evidence of Wales' significant contribution to British industrial history and the geological advantages that sustained this crucial manufacturing enterprise.
Gadlys Ironworks (Remains of Blast Furnace) is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM438. View the official record →
Gadlys Ironworks is a blast furnace ruin situated in Wales, a remnant of the region's industrial heritage from the post-medieval and modern periods. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM438.
Gadlys Ironworks (Remains of Blast Furnace) 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.
Gadlys Ironworks (Remains of Blast Furnace) 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 GM438.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Twyn y Bridallt Roman Camp (4.8 km), Carn-y-Pigwn Round Cairn (5.7 km), Tarren Maerdy cairn (W) (6.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Gadlys Ironworks (Remains of Blast Furnace)'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.
Gadlys Ironworks (Remains of Blast Furnace) stands on Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.