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Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman is a post-medieval blast furnace located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM266. The furnace was constructed to exploit the mineral-rich geology of the locality, where the bedrock comprises the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. This Westphalian-aged sequence provided all the essential raw materials for iron smelting within the immediate vicinity: coal for fuel, ironstone for ore, and mudstone, siltstone and sandstone suitable for furnace construction and refractory lining.
The furnace represents the industrial development of South Wales during the period when local coalfields and ironstone deposits made the region a centre of metal production. The ferricrete deposits present in the Coal Measures geology would have provided additional iron-rich material for processing.
Today the remains stand as testimony to Wales's industrial heritage and the relationship between geology, resources and manufacturing. The survival of these structures, despite the intensive exploitation of the surrounding coalfield, illustrates both the scale of historical iron production and the enduring impact of industrial enterprise on the South Welsh landscape.
Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM266. View the official record →
Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman is a post-medieval blast furnace located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM266.
Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a blast furnace. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman 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 GM266.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Twyn y Bridallt Roman Camp (1.2 km), Carn-y-Pigwn Round Cairn (2.2 km), Tarren Maerdy cairn (W) (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman'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.
Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman 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.