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art of making iron was known prior to the Romans coming to Britain in 55
B.C.; for instance, the Silures used weapons made of iron. During the Roman
occupation iron-smelting became more common. Among the ruins of the Roman
fort at Penydarren Park some iron nails were discovered, and, when Morlais
Castle was built around 1270, iron ore was mined in a quarry which is now
filled by the Goitre Pond. A plate bearing the date 1478 was found in the
ruins of a small furnace on the banks of the Taf, near Abercanaid. These
early furnaces were very much like primitive lime-kilns, ruins of which
may still be seen in many parts of the district.Anthony Morley established
furnaces at Pontygwaith in 1583. Morley was involved in a law suit and became
bankrupt. Perhaps the distance of the furnaces from the more populous districts
which needed the iron had something to do with this failure.Of the local
iron works that became important and flourished during the 19th century
and after, the Dowlais iron works have the longest history. In 1748, Herbert,
Lord Viscount Windsor, granted to Thomas Morgan of Ruperra, the "buildings,
advantages and privileges of Marchnad y Waun, together with twenty acres
of land in the Parish of Merthyr Tydfil, with power to work mines and veins
of iron and coal, and all quarries of stone and tiles, and full liberty
to make and sink pits, and erect lime-kilns."In 1757, the lease passed
to Thomas Lewis who two years later formed a company to erect a furnace
for the making of pig iron. This was the "Myrthy Furnace," the
forerunner of thr Dowlais Works.Merthyr Tydfil, like other districts on
the northern outcrop of the South Wales coalfield, was fortunate enough
to possess good supplies of the things necessary to make iron. An abundance
of iron ore and limestone was found near the coal seams, and the woods provided
a good supply of timber. In addition, there was plenty of running water
which could be used to work the engines and for many other purposes, such
as scouring, or cleaning, the ore. |