New pages added 24 September [What is iron?] [ What do you need to make iron?] [Why is the history of iron important?] [How is iron made?] [Children in the iron industry][Why was iron made in certain parts of Wales?] [Who made iron in Wales?] [What was iron used for?] [A basic early charcoal iron furnace] [What was the effect of the iron industry in Wales?] [Hirwaun: The establishment of the ironworks in 1757] [Merthyr's main ironworks] [Dowlais Ironworks in Merthyr (established 1759)] [Dowlais Ironworks 1800-1840] [Evidence: The sale of Hirwaun ironworks 1813] [Evidence: The remains of an iron works] [Cyfarthfa Ironworks in Merthyr (established in 1765)] [Plymouth Ironworks at Merthyr] [Penydarren Ironworks in Merthyr] [Evidence: Merthyr's early iron production]

By 1786, Homfray, in partnership with his three sons (Jeremiah, Thomas and Samuel) and George Foreman had erected a furnace and other buildings at the Penydarren site. Samuel Homfray built Penydarren House which was the first of the Merthyr Ironmaster's mansions. Penydarren shared the success of the other Merthyr ironworks and a second furnace was built in 1796. Further expansion at the Penydarren site was always difficult because of the surrounding hills, however it is estimated that the works was comparable to Dowlais by 1800. The Penydarren works was famous for the locomotive trials of Richard Trevithick in 1803-4. The Homfrays were renowned as being aggressive and difficult masters and often in conflict with their men and their fellow iron masters. The works specialised in producing finished wrought iron products and expanded greatly after 1814. The difficulties in expanding the scale of the operation caused problems when iron making technology changed and the works struggled in the tougher competition of the 1850s. The works was largely closed by 1859.

Below: A detail from Thomas Hornor's 1817 painting of Penydarren forge. This is the rolling mill, the figure on the extreme right can be seen standing in front of a 'two high' roll. Finished rails or bars can be seen on the truck in the foreground. At the extreme left the glare of the red hot iron can be seen shining through the circular windows of the puddling shed.