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The houses at Forgeside are built in “rows”. These are a fine example of purpose built workers houses, though now only rows C to E are left. The old forge building is a redbrick structure that was erected in the 1920’s and housed the machinery required for the forgeside complex to produce its own electricity. The Forgeside Ironworks were constructed in the early 1860’s to replace those in Garnddyrus and Blaenavon town as the land was “Freehold” so the Blaenavon Company did not need to pay ground rent to the Lords of Abergavenny. The site was also on more open ground, which at last allowed for expansion and it was also close to the “new” LNWR line that ran from Brynmawr, through Pontypool and onto Newport. The new site had blast and puddling furnaces, rolling mills and a new tyre mill that produced wheels for rail stock. By the 1880’s, the works were hailed as the most modern and advanced ironworks in the world. By 1938, however, it had become so expensive to import raw materials, the works were closed. But the tradition of forging and rolling in the area does not end there as Doncaster’s took over the old tyre mill and press shops in the 1950’s and started forging and rolling alloy rings. Doncaster rings were used to build the jet engines that propelled the Concord aeroplanes. A sample of their rings has been incorporated into a sculpture and seating area at the Varteg Road end of the community. At the corner of C Row and Forge Road to your left and up a little drive, through the railings you can see Coity House (also known as White House), built in the 1860’s by the Blaenavon Iron and Steel Company for their works manager. Up until 1990 it was then used by Doncaster’s as a general administration building. Vacant now, it is a grade II listed building.
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