History

Surviving ranges of former tinplate works founded 1843 as the Primrose Forge and Tinplate Works by William Parsons and sold to William Gilbertson in 1860s, the present buildings probably later C19. The Ynysderw works closed in 1962. The tinplate process involved hot-rolling squares of iron sheet (blackplates), acid pickling, reheating to anneal, the cold-rolling the squares to burnish (whiteplates), annealing and pickling again before dipping in molten tin (tinning), followed by polishing, sorting and packing. The two-storey range here has the characteristic numerous flues of a tinning house, the second range has a long platform for loading or unloading in front.

Exterior

Former Ynysderw works, two ranges in whitewashed rubble stone with brick dressings and asbestos sheet roofs. Both are broad, the one to right 2-storey with flues of former tinning bays in wall between 7 upper windows wide spaced, the ground floor with various blocked openings including arches. The flues in wall are brick to an inverted Y-shape such that each chimney served 2 tinning bays. The other attached at obtuse angle is presumably added, a long single-storey range of 20 bays, the windows large with brick cambered-headed surrounds, and 20-pane iron glazing. Windows were in 3 groups of 6 with large doors between, the left door blocked, the right one enlarged. Left window of middle group of 6 altered to door. Continuous raised platform along front. Three large metal ventilators on roof. Rendered left end wall with large opening to left.

Interior

Interior not available for inspection, said to have large square iron plates to the floors, required for movement of red hot materials. Roofs of lightweight steel trusses, possibly C20. Newman states that it has retained its tinning bays.

Reasons for Listing

Included for its special interest as the surviving portion of a major steel and tinplate works, the principal industrial site in Pontardawe. An extremely rare survivor of a nationally important industry in S Wales.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29504255

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)