Cyfarthfa Ironworks Totally Explained

Everything about The Cyfarthfa Ironworks totally explained

The Cyfarthfa Ironworks was a major 18th century and 19th century ironworks located in Cyfarthfa, on the north-western edge of Merthyr Tydfil, in South Wales.

The Beginning

The Cyfarthfa works were begun in 1765 by Anthony Bacon, who in that year built the first blast furnace there. The smelting of iron ore was originally accomplished with charcoal, but diminishing supplies of charcoal from local wood soon forced Bacon to use coal instead. Bacon directed activities at the works until his death in 1786, when the small but prosperous works were taken over by the owners of a small operation in Carmarthenshire. These owners maintained the modest capabilities of the Cyfarthfa works until Richard Crawshay gained sole ownership in 1794.

'The Crawshay Heyday'

Richard Crawshay 1794-1810

Under Richard Crawshay, the Cyfarthfa works rapidly became an important producer of iron products. England was involved in various naval conflicts during this time around the British Empire, and the demand for cannon and other weapons was great. The Cyfarthfa works became critical to the success of the war effort, so much so that Admiral Nelson paid a personal visit to the works in 1802. The Crawshay family crest included a pile of cannon balls in token of the crucial role of their ironworks. Richard passed on the responsibility for the works to his son, William, but the latter was less committed to the business than his father.

William Crawshay II 1788-1867

William Crawshay II was appointed by his father William Crawshay to manage the works after Richard's death in 1810. By 1819, the ironworks had grown to six blast furnaces, producing 23,000 tons of iron. The works continued to play an enormous role in providing high-quality iron to fuel the voracious appetite of the Industrial Revolution, with the Tsar of Russia sending a representative to view the production of iron rail. During this time, the Cyfarthfa works lost its position as the leading ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil to its longtime rival, the Dowlais Ironworks.
It was also during this period that Crawshay had built a home, which became known as Cyfarthfa Castle. The buildings were erected in 1824, at a cost of £30,000 (equivalent to £2,104,964.72 in 2007) (External Link

). They were solidly and massively built of local stone, and designed by Robert Lugar, the same engineer who had built many bridges and viaducts for the local railways. It was designed in the form of a "sham" or mock castle, complete with crenellated battlements, towers and turrets, in Norman architecture and Gothic architecture styles, and occupied by William Crawshay II and his family. It stood, and still does, amid 158 acres of landscaped parkland, and overlooked the family-owned iron works just across the river.

Robert Thompson Crawshay 1847-1879

Robert Thompson Crawshay was the last of the great Crawshay Ironmasters, as foreign competition and the rising cost of iron ore (much of which had to be imported as local supplies were exhausted) exacted a heavy toll on the Cyfarthfa works. Robert was reluctant to switch to the production of steel, but by 1874 the works was forced to close for a long and costly changeover that wasn't complete until 1884, five years after his death.

Decline and Final Closure

The Cyfarthfa works didn't convert to steel production nearly as early as many other Merthyr Tydfil works, and the Crawshay heirs were unable to guide it back to its earlier commanding position in the market. By 1910, the steelworks had been forced to close again, and while it was briefly reopened in 1915 to aid in the production of materials for World War I, the works closed for the last time in 1919. It fell into disrepair until it was dismantled in 1928. The failure of the works was a devastating blow to the local community, as it had depended heavily on the works for its economic livelihood.

The Works Today

Portions of the enormous complex that formed the Cyfarthfa works remain intact today, including six of the original blast furnaces.

Further Information

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