Ironmaking

During the 18th Century the increased use of coked coal for smelting led to a rapid growth of many ironworks in Wales. The majority were located in the valleys of the South Wales Coalfield, where there was a large supply of coal and iron ore.

However, two ironworks were located in Pembrokeshire, one at Blackpool in Canaston Woods and the other at Stepaside, near to Saundersfoot.

Blackpool
The first evidence of iron smelting at the Blackpool site comes from a document dated 1635 which grants George Mynne, of Woodcote in Surrey, a lease of the...

'...decayed mill called Canaston Myll, with free liberty of the river and other waters, the right to erect buildings for melting iron within one mile of the mill, and a proportion of timber for the use of the iron works...in the woods of West Wood, Toft Wood, Pickhill Wood, Minweare Wood and Penglynes Cliffs.'

This document suggests that ironsmelting had previously been undertaken at the site and it is suggested that the ironmaking was carried out on the site from the beginning of the 16th Century. Blackpool was probably chosen as the site of an iron works because of it's location next to the river, as a source of power; a sustainable supply of wood for fuel; access to iron ore and flux; and good transport links.

It is likely that production at Blackpool was concentrated in the few years after establishment of the new furnace and forges in the late 1630's when there was extensive removal of wood from the Whitland area. The death of George Mynne in 1648 is likely to have marked the end of iron smelting at Blackpool.

Stepaside
The ironworks at Stepaside was built around 1848, with two blast furnaces. The shell of the casting house is the most prominent remnant on the site next to the Grove Colliery. It ran until 1877 when it was closed due to poor profits.