IRON! by J Barry Davies and John G Owen. [pub as] The Garth Domain. (a
series describing local places and people as they were) (20) June 2003 44
pp, 50 illus. Published by the Pentyrch and District Local History Society
/ Cymdeithas Hanes Lleol Pentyrch a’r Cylch, c/o Elmdale, Mountain Road,
Pentyrch, Cardiff, CF15 9QP at £2.00 plus postage (inland 60 p)
This is a fascinating account of iron smelting in the villages of Pentyrch
and Tongwynlais, about 6 miles north of Cardiff, in South Wales. The
authors begin by outlining the history of iron smelting from Roman times at
Trellech near Monmouth and at Caergwanaf near Llantrisant. They describe
how, from Roman times to the 16th century, iron ore was smelted in
primitive furnaces known as bloomeries. These furnaces relied on the wind
to create a draught needed to provide the necessary oxygen. Later the use
of water power led to the blast furnace and an example is shown in an
illustration of a blast furnace from nearby Abercarn.
The first blast furnace in Britain was established in the Weald of Kent and
Sussex in 1496 and the two furnaces at Pentyrch and Tongwynlais in the
1560’s were among the first blast furnaces in South Wales.
It is said that the reason for siting a furnace at Pentyrch was because it
was in a frost pocket. The reason for this was that the cold air was denser
and contained more oxygen. Also all the ingredients were there. First
charcoal was used, to be replaced by coal from the local mines. The iron
also came from the coal mines in the form of ironstone. The final
ingredients, limestone and water power were also in abundance. The local
iron was high in phosphorous, which made it brittle. However, this
problem was over come by mixing it half and half with iron ore from
Lancashire. The iron produced was of adequate ductility to produce the thin
plates required for the expanding tin plate industry.
It has always been assumed that the Pentyrch ironworks were established
where they were because of the proximity of the adjacent Lesser Garth Iron
Mines, but the surprising thing is that this paper has confirmed that ore
from this mine was not used until the 1820s.
TO
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