Brymbo Steelworks to Benefit From £9,000 in Funding to Safeguard Site

A steelworks site in Wrexham is set to benefit from £9,000 of funding to help safeguard the site and later convert it into a ‘heritage attraction’.

The Brymbo Steelworks will benefit from the Welsh Government funding for works to conserve and make safe parts of the site with the view to convert into a heritage attraction.

The funding is part of a total of £121,404 of Welsh Government funding for projects which will safeguard ancient monuments, from urgent repair work to changes that will increase public access to the sites and interpretation to help visitors understand its historic significance.

Brymbo Steelworks was established by John Wilkinson between 1795 and 1798. It is likely that Wilkinson carried out on the site some of his experiments on steam power and cylinder boring which were of great importance to the Industrial Revolution.

Early blast furnaces with surviving cast houses and ancillary buildings such as those at Brymbo are extremely rare. The grant will fund works to make safe two of the most impressive structures on the site, the cast house and foundry, which will increase the area to which the public can safely access.

The Brymbo Heritage Group is working to convert the iron works and fossil forest into a heritage attraction and educational facility.

Announcing the latest round of funding the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates said: “All over Wales our landscape is scattered with ancient monuments, they shape our communities, tell the story of our past and bring economic benefits through tourism.

“There are also significant social and educational benefits to these sites and I am pleased that we are continuing to support a range of projects both in and around Communities First areas.

“Early this year I introduced the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill which will legislate to better care and protect our important historic buildings and monuments. I am pleased that through these grants we are already supporting exciting conservation projects right across Wales, which will lead the way in protecting our past for the Wales of tomorrow.”