Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,572 pages of information and 246,142 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Varteg Ironworks

From Graces Guide
Newbridge Colliery Beam Engine made by Varteg Iron Co., in the grounds of the University of Glamorgan, Treforest, Pontypridd

Also Varteg Iron Company

1788 Lord Abergavenny leased land to Thomas Hill of Dennis, Thomas Hopkins and Benjamin Pratt, to build a new ironworks at Blaenavon; the area of the lease (12,000 acres) was much greater than needed for one works so 2 tracts were sub-let; one became the site of the Nantyglo Ironworks; the other, a large area to the west of the valley, and south of Blaenavon, was sub-let to a partnership which founded the Varteg Ironworks in 1802[1].

1803 Works in operation

1806 Forge erected beside the Afon Lwyd to serve the works

By 1819 The works were in the hands of Fawcett, Whitehouse and Co

1820 Wharf established beside the Monmouthshire Canal; permission to run a branch of the Blaenavon Rail Road to the wharf

1826 'Notice is hereby given, that the sub-partnership between the undersigned, Archibald Kenrick, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Ironfounder, and Samuel Kenrick, of the same place, Ironfounder, as Iron-Masters, at Verteg-Hill, in the County of Monmouth (if any such sub-partnership ever existed), was dissolved upon the 15th day of August 1826.—Witness our hands the 23d day of July 1832.'[2]

1830 5 blast furnaces in operation; owner Kenrick and Co.

1839 'MINING. THE IRON TRADE, [From the Mining Journal.] The following paper, on the state and prospects of the iron trade in Scotland and South Wales, in May, 1839, was read before the Liverpool Polytechnic Society, on the 13th June, by Joseph Johnson, Esq., iron merchant, Liverpool; Henry Booth, Esq., President, in the chair. ..... We arrive at the Varteg Iron Co.'s Works, where you will find five furnaces all in blast, four blown with hot, and one with cold air. They produce about 350 tons of pig iron per week, from which they make about 160 tons of bars and rails, about 20 tons of castings for engine uses, &c. and the remainder is sold for foundry purposes.
Pursuing our course further up this valley, we arrive at the works of the Blaenavon Iron Co., '[3]

1843 Works were out of use.

1843 Advertisement: 'VARTEG IRON WORKS, NEAR PONTYPOOL. TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, By Mr. H. M. PARTRIDGE, On the PREMISES, at the VARTEG IRON WORKS, near PONTYPOOL., in Lots, on TUESDAY, the 31st of January, 1843 (unless previously disposed of by Private Contract, of which; due notice will be given), THE WHOLE OF THE ENGINES, MACHINERY, TRAMS, TRAM-PLATES, and Effects, including one Blast-Engine, low pressure, diameter of cylinder 44 inches, with two boilers, each 40 feet long, with tubes: the boilers, 7ft 6in. and 8ft. diameter. This Engine has been used to blow 3 blast-furnaces; a foundry cupola and 7 smiths' fires; 1 high-pressure engine, cylinder 12½in. diameter with fly-wheel, shaft and carriages, working in fitting-up shop ; one high-pressure whimsey engine, diameter of cylinder 19in., with fly-wheel, drum barrel, and boiler, complete; one low-pressure whimsey engine, diameter of cylinder 19in., with fly-wheel, drum barrel, and boiler, complete; one mill-engine, low pressure, diameter of cylinder 44in, with three boilers, complete. 1500 tons of Tram-plates, more or less; 400 Coal Trams, in good repair; 294 Mine Trams, in good repair; 43 large Mine Trams, in ditto; Lathes, Turning Tools, Screwing Machinery, Pit Chains, Ropes, &c. &c. Also, FORGE, and MILL, with 3 sets of Rolls, capable of rolling 250 Tons of Merchant Bars a week, Large Water-wheel, Turning-Lathe, Rolls, Tools, &c.' [4]

1843 Dissolution of the Partnership between Mark Philips, William Fawcett, William Needham, and George Smith Kenrick, as Iron Masters, at Varteg, in the county of Monmouth, under the firm of the Varteg Iron Company[5]


1844 Works advertised for sale by auction

1864 Partridge, Jones and Co began trading at Varteg Works.

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. Gwent local history: The Cwm Ffrwd Rail Road [1]
  2. London Gazette 18 December 1832
  3. Monmouthshire Merlin - Saturday 13 July 1839
  4. Bristol Mercury, 21 January 1843
  5. London Gazette 15 December 1843
  • Visit Torfaen website