Heritage Scene - Iron & Steel

            The production of iron by humans began probably sometime after 2000 BCE in south-west or south-central Asia, perhaps in the Caucasus region.  Thus began the Iron Age, when iron replaced bronze in implements and weapons. This shift occurred because iron, when alloyed with a bit of carbon, is harder, more durable, and holds a sharper edge than bronze.  For over three thousand years, until replaced by steel after CE 1870, iron formed the material basis of human civilization in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

            Iron is the fourth most abundant element and makes up more than five percent of the earth’s crust.  Iron exists naturally in iron ore (sometimes called ironstone). Since iron has a strong affinity for oxygen, iron ore is an oxide of iron; it also contains varying quantities of other elements such as silicon, sulfur, manganese, and phosphorus. Smelting is the process by which iron is extracted from iron ore.

Internet searches reveal that the smelting of iron commenced in 1792 at an area of Neath known Neath Abbey.  Neath Abbey itself was built in 1130 and is now a ruin under the care of Cadw.

At Briton Ferry, an ironworks was established on the banks of the River Neath in the l840s. It was reconstructed in the l890s as an iron smelter and closed in l958.  During its life it provided feedstock for the adjacent steelworks.   Iron making at Margam started in 1923 where it is still being produced today.  The blast furnaces were located near the wharf of the deep water docks where iron ore and coal was unload from ships bringing it from source.

These archive photographs are from Google images.  It is assumed that the smaller one is a rare view of the Briton Ferry Iron Works - and the larger one is of the No.1 and No. 2 Blast Furnaces at Margam.  These were located near the wharf where ships brought in iron-ore from abroad.

Later three more blast furnaces were added with No's 4 and 5 located at Morfa - further away from Margam's residential area.

Neath Abbey Iron Works

Image taken in 1998.

The Dolly Engine

In the production of iron and steel, slag is formed, which actually floats on top of the metal - this was dumped as a waste product. At Briton Ferry irons works, and adjacent steel works, it was tipped into a ladle and taken to the East side of the River Neath by a narrow gauge dinky steam locomotive known as the Dolly Engine, pictured above.

At night the sky would appear to light up as the ladles were emptied of their unwanted load.   In present days the slag is broken up and is used on road building and other projects.