In January of this year the Bristol team was commissioned to undertake a watching brief and excavation of three test pits in order to gather the information necessary to enable resurfacing of the paths and walkways around the World Heritage Site.
The Blaenavon Ironworks was set up in 1787 to exploit the local resources: coal, limestone and iron ore. The remains that can be seen today include the Foundry, Cast House, several furnaces, Engine row (a row of cottages built in 1778 to attract skilled workers to help set up the Ironworks) and perhaps the most impressive the Balance Tower. The Balance Tower, built around 1839, was a counterbalance that was used to lift materials, powered by the weight of water (see image below, left).
The purpose of the three test pits was to uncover a sample of these tracks to identify the level of preservation of both the metal rails, and the wooden sleepers (see image above, right). The rails, of a rare type and possibly unique to the ironworks, were found to survive incredibly well. The same could not be said about the wooden sleepers, which were reminiscent of muddy tissue paper. The findings will be used to allow measures to be taken to keep the amazing industrial history of Blaenavon alive for another two and a half centuries.
By Simon Flaherty and Kit Lavis