BC (Blaenavon Company) Ironworks continues something I’ve been circling around for months, exploring the individual faces behind the industrial transformation that reshaped South Wales. While previous works touched on the Tonypandy Riots and the iron furnaces of Merthyr Tydfil, this piece draws me deeper into Blaenavon, where a barren hill became an industrial heart.

Blaenavon Ironworks

This piece has had me exploring and learning more about the ironworks of South Wales, particularly the Blaenavon Ironworks. Beginning in 1787, it completely changed the landscape from a barren hill to an industrial hub. Coal, iron ore and limestone, natural resources soon plundered for the site, fueled its growth into the 1860s.

To support this transformation, houses, schools, pubs and chapels were all thrown up to accommodate the incoming workforce. It’s a reminder that these weren’t just industrial sites, they were communities built from scratch, entire lives shaped by the rhythm of the furnaces.

Unlike other iron works in South Wales, the site adopted steel (although it later became the maintenance department for the steel works and collieries). This adaptability speaks to the constant evolution these places underwent to survive.

The BC in the corner references the initials that can be found on a cast iron boundary marker for “Blaenavon Company” near the site today. Simple letters in iron, outlasting the industry that cast them.

The Print

BC Ironworks measures 297 x 210mm, part of a limited edition run of just 30. Each print is hand-carved and printed onto 300gsm paper.

Hwyl fawr,

Daniel

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