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Cyfarthfa Ironworks

<Click on photographs to enlarge>

Anthony Bacon started Iron production at Cyfarthfa in 1765. Richard Crawshay leased the works from Bacon's family in 1786, and in 1794 became the sole owner. In 1803 he employed 1,500 people and Cyfarthfa Ironworks was said 

to be the biggest in the world. 

 

Richard Crawshay died in 1810, and the works passed to his son William Crawshay. who appointed his son William II as manager, he took the works to it's  greatest production  levels,  and  made many  improvements and developments. His son  Robert Thompson Crawshay  took over in  1847. Robert's  refusal to change  to  Steel production ( Steel was becoming a more popular metal ),  eventually brought  about the works closure in April 1874. 

 

Following Robert's death in 1879,  the  works  was  converted to a Steel production plant,  by his son William Thompson Crawshay, at  a cost of £150,000, and reopened  in 1882. It  again closed in 1910. In 1915 it was reopened to produce pig iron and shell steel during  the Great War. 

 

It finally closed forever in 1919. Dismantling was commenced in 1928.
 

A Cyfarthfa and Hirwaun One Guinea Note.

 
Anthony Bacon's Mantelpiece.

 

Cyfarthfa Works from the Air - circa 1920.

(Photograph courtesy of Gill Thomas)
   

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How a Blast Furnace in works.

Cyfarthfa Works 

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Cyfarthfa Ironworks

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Blast Furnaces- 1881 During reconstruction 

Cyfartha Ironworks was originally driven by water, this was one of the supplies of water.

The weir shown here is on the Taff Fawr, just below Cefn Viaduct, where the water entered a 

Leat or channel (parts of which remain, and can still be seen today), to travel down to the works. 

This was constructed by Charles Wood,  who was contracted to build the furnaces in 1767.

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Pont y Cafnau Bridge, showing the water supply from the Cyfarthfa Lake joining the water supply from 

the Taff Fawr Leat. These waters were used to turn the Water Wheels and later to feed the boilers which 

worked the Blast Engines.

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On top of the Blast Furnaces

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Blast Furnaces 1896     

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The Blast furnaces circa 1890

 
Cyfarthfa Blast Furnaces

 

Cyfarthfa Works 1894      

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In 1802 Nelson made a surprise visit to Cyfarthfa, it is said that 

Richard Crawshay cried with joy, and announced to the workmen,

 "This is Nelson, shout you Beggars!"
Cyfarthfa Works.

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Cyfarthfa Works

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A  Group  Of Mill-Wrights With A Pipe Screwing Outfit

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Casting the Ingot Rail Loading benches

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Castle Rolling Mill Charging the Bessemer Converter

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Bessemer Coverter - Blowing a Cast Tapping the Cuppola
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Pandy Roughing Mill

Transporting the Ingot

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Engine No 14  with the Ingot Moulds 1901

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Coal Truck - 1900 Steam Crane - 1903
   
Cyfarthfa Works C1883 by photographer Edgar Williams of 98 Brecon Road.

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The Cam end of a  Mechanical Hammer

The cam is rotated by the giant wheels which are driven by the Waterwheels. The cam hits the arm of the hammer which in turn forces the hammer down to hit the the iron being worked in the forge.

 
"Cyfarthfa"

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"Cyfarthfa" - built August 1870, bought by the Crawshay Brothers in 1897

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Another locomotive bearing the name "Cyfarthfa"

Carpenter's Shop, 

Originally built as Robert Crawshay's Private Chapel. "The Chapel Of Ease"

To the right is Chapel Row, and in the top left Brychan Place, Brecon Road. Part of this This building exists

to this day.

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Cyfarthfa Works, In it's Prime.

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Cyfarthfa Works, In it's Decay

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Cyfarthfa Works, now derelict, looking from Pwll Wat

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The Ruins
   

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Home Crane

The Raw Material Store Bunkers

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Site of the Coke Ovens

Overshot Water Wheel, near Upper Forge

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Old Waterway Crossing Old Waterway Switch

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Blast Furnaces

Pont y Cafnau Bridge and the Hydro-Electric Station

The bridge is believed to date from 1793. Pont y Cafnau (Bridge of Troughs) was built to carry the tramroad to the Gurnos limestone quarries and to take domestic coal to Cyfarthfa Castle. The Hydro Electric Station generated the electricity for the Merthyr Electric Traction Company to power the Merthyr Tramcars.

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From the Merthyr Express, January 26th 1926

(Courtesy of Peter Rogers)

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The site of the Cyfarthfa Works in 1951.

With Lines Bros in the distance and a Circus in the Park.

 
Hoover Transport occupied the site for a number years

 

Turbine Generators on the River Taff at Cyfarthfa.

Any information on these turbines would be appreciated.

 

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If so, please email us, by clicking the 'Contact Us' button.

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