© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Site of Hirwaun Ironworks is a post-medieval and modern ironworks situated in Wales. The works exploited the rich mineral resources of the underlying geology, where Pennine and South Wales Lower Coal Measures formations provided essential raw materials including coal, ironstone and ferricrete. These Westphalian-age deposits of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone created ideal conditions for iron production, combining fuel and ore in close proximity. The site developed as part of Wales's significant industrial heritage, drawing on centuries of knowledge in ironworking technology.
The ironworks operated within a landscape shaped by extensive coal and mineral extraction. The geological foundations—particularly the seams of coal and ironstone—made this location economically viable for metal production during the post-medieval and modern periods. The ferricrete deposits provided additional iron-rich material that could be worked alongside mined ores, whilst local coal supplied the necessary fuel for smelting operations.
Today the site is protected as a monument of industrial heritage under Cadw reference BR157, recognising its importance to Wales's economic and social history. The visible remains document the technological and infrastructural achievements of iron production in Wales, preserving evidence of the extractive industries that shaped the landscape and communities of the region.
Site of Hirwaun Ironworks is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR157. View the official record →
Site of Hirwaun Ironworks is a post-medieval and modern ironworks situated in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR157.
Site of Hirwaun Ironworks 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.
Site of Hirwaun Ironworks 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 BR157.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Garn Bica (5.5 km), Castell Nos (5.7 km), Rhos-Gwawr cairn cemetery (6.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Site of Hirwaun Ironworks'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.
Site of Hirwaun Ironworks stands on Pennine Lower Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Lower Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.