7/5 Dyfi Ancient Iron Foundry

On my drive from Bangor, Wales, to my next stop, I drove past this building and decided to turn around and check it out.  I was not sure what it was, but it was old and big, so worth a stop, and it wasn't even raining today!

This furnace was built in 1755 and produced up to 150 tons of iron each year.  That might not sound like much, but it was a lot for that time.  This image gives some history.  Note that the village it is in is called Furnace!  

The foundry was abandoned in 1810, and later became a sawmill.  It was renovated in 1988 as a historical furnace.  I was the only person visiting, but there are a lot of explanatory signs.  

The water wheel that powered the foundry's bellows to produce a fire hot enough to melt iron ore.  

 The other side of the building, showing the opening for the main furnace. 

 

 

This sign warns of danger in visiting ancient sites in both Welsh and English. 

 

Water enters this wheel from the little box in the upper left part of this photo.  

 

 

 A sign says this is not the original wheel, but it is one that was used here after iron production ended.  

My car is parked across the street, along that little road.  There is a larger parking lot about 400' back, but it was easier to park here.  Next door to the ruins is a private home.  

 

 

Like a lot of industrial facilites during the 1800a, this one was built along a river with substantial falls to provide adequate and consistent power.   

This waterfall barely fits into the photo because it is so tall.  Very impressive, and yet cars just keep driving past in on the nearby roadway!

 

 

If they look, cars driving by can easily see the lower part of the falls.   

 

 

Slightly to the right of the middle of this photo is the original trough that provided water from above the falls to turn the bellows wheel.   

If you walk around the opposite side of the building, you can see the furnaces that produced iron from iron ore.  

 

Remains of the main furnace is behind this screen.   

A very hot fire was originally made from charcoal, but then later coal was used.  The big wheel operated two bellows--one pushed air out, while the other sucked it in at the same time.  This produced a hot enough fire to melt iron ore.  

That was all there was to see, so I got in my car and continued to head south.