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Lower or Abbey Wireworks, Tintern is a post-medieval iron forge situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MM266. The site exploits the natural resources of its location, built upon bedrock of Upper Devonian sandstone and conglomerate that provided both structural foundation and raw material potential for ironworking. This geological foundation, formed during the Late Devonian period and comprising interbedded layers of sedimentary rock, offered stable ground for the heavy industrial processes required by the forge.
The wireworks represents the industrial heritage of the post-medieval and modern periods, when iron forging and processing formed significant economic activity in Wales. Such establishments typically converted raw iron into useful products, taking advantage of local water power and proximity to ore sources. The Tintern location, within the Wye Valley, provided access to both water resources and the ironstone deposits characteristic of the region.
The survival of the Abbey Wireworks site as an identifiable archaeological monument demonstrates the lasting impact of industrial activity on the Welsh landscape. The remains preserve evidence of production techniques and industrial organisation from a period of significant technological development in metalworking, now safeguarded for future study and public understanding of Wales's industrial past.
Lower or Abbey Wireworks, Tintern is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM266. View the official record →
Lower or Abbey Wireworks, Tintern is a post-medieval iron forge situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MM266.
Lower or Abbey Wireworks, Tintern 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.
Lower or Abbey Wireworks, Tintern 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 MM266.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Peter's Cave (7.5 km), Long Barrow and Round Barrow at Thornwell Farm (8.5 km), Dinham Castle (9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Lower or Abbey Wireworks, Tintern'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.
Lower or Abbey Wireworks, Tintern stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.