aberdulais falls, neath

Aberdulais Falls, Neath: archaeological watching brief

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Contents PageSummary ............................................................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. 2 Copyright notice.................................................................................................................. 2

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.1 Project background and commission............................................................................ 3 1.2 Location........................................................................................................................ 3 1.3 Geology ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Archaeological and historical interests ........................................................................ 4

2. Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 6 3. Results ................................................................................................................................. 8 4. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 13

Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 14 Printed sources .................................................................................................................. 14 Appendix I......................................................................................................................... 15 Inventory of contexts......................................................................................................... 15 Appendix II ....................................................................................................................... 16 The Finds by Andy Sherman............................................................................................. 16

Figures Figure 1: Location of development area .................................................................................. 3 Figure 2: Plan of development area and archaeological interests. ........................................ 7 Figure 3: Plan of Cellars A and B........................................................................................... 10

Plates Plate 1:View to northeast of Dan y Graig House .................................................................. 11 Plate 2: View to northeast of Cellar A.................................................................................... 11 Plate 3: Plan view of Cellar A ................................................................................................. 11 Plate 4: View to east of Cellar B.............................................................................................. 11 Plate 5: View to north of sandstone steps leading to Dulais House ..................................... 11 Plate 6: View to northeast of wall (106).................................................................................. 12 Plate 7: View to south of possible threshold (111)................................................................. 12 Plate 8: View to northwest of barrel vaulted cellar (107)..................................................... 12


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Summary

Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust commissioned the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, Contracts Division, to maintain a watching brief during ground works for a new visitor centre at Aberdulais Falls, Neath. Three cellars (one complete with sandstone tile flooring) and foundation walls belonging to the former Dan Y Graig House, demolished during the 20th century, were revealed during excavations. A number of artefacts relating to 19th century domestic activity were also recovered.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the following for their willing contributions to the project; Sian Jones and John Latham of Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust and Brian Lake and staff of John Weaver Construction, the on-site contractors. Archaeological advice was provided by Neil Maylan (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Curatorial Division) the archaeological advisor to the local planning authority.

The project was managed by Kate Howell BSc AIFA and the fieldwork was undertaken by Richard Lewis BA and Charina Jones BSc of the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, Contracts Division. The finds were processed and identified by Andy Sherman BA. The report and illustrations were prepared by Richard Lewis and Charina Jones.

Copyright notice

The copyright of this report is held by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Ltd, which has granted an exclusive licence to Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust and their agents to use and reproduce the material it contains. Plate 1 has been reproduced with the kind permission of Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust. Ordnance Survey mapping is reproduced under license AL10005976, annotations are GGAT copyright.


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1. Introduction

1.1 Project background and commission

Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust commissioned the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, Contracts Division, to maintain a watching brief during ground works for a new visitor centre at Aberdulais Falls, Neath (Figure 1). The footprint of the proposed visitor centre is positioned in the area of Dan Y Graig House, which was demolished in the 1970s; the building was situated at the base of a cliff and overlooked by the former gardens of Dulais House.

1.2 Location

The development area is located on the east bank of the Afon Dulais close to its confluence with the Afon Nedd. To the south are the A465 Heads of the Valley road and the Aberdulais Aqueduct, carrying the Tennant Canal toward the junction with the Neath Canal. The site is located within the grounds of the Aberdulais Falls Tinplate Works museum, which is in the care of Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust.

Based on the 1999 Ordnance Survey 1:50000 explorer 166 map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office, ©Crown copyright, Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Ltd, Licence number AL10005976.

Figure 1: Location of development area

1.3 Geology

Geologically, the area is dominated by the extensive Pennant sandstones, which overlie Millstone Grit, Coal Measures and Carboniferous Limestone. These lower layers emerge at the surface along the valley bottoms, as can easily be identified from the distribution of collieries and Levels. The form of this landscape owes much to the effects of glaciation. The Neath Valley is a typical U-shaped glacial valley, with hanging valleys creating numerous waterfalls. The Neath Valley also has numerous terraces rising one above the other on its slopes, some of which may be remnants of a Pliocene or earlier Pleistocene valley floors. In addition to the primary effects of glaciation, the period of de-glaciation at the beginning of the Holocene also had profound effects on the drift elements of the geological landscape. There is evidence of at least two terminal moraines in the Neath Valley at Tonna and Clyne, where ice sheet melting left ridges of debris. Certainly it seems that much of the lower terracing of the Neath Valley


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consists of late Pleistocene gravel deposits, one part of which forms the raised spur on which the town of Neath is built (George 1970; Jenkins 1974).

1.4 Archaeological and historical interests

Industrial activity (coal extraction) in the Neath Valley was first recorded in the 13th century and copper and iron were worked from Tudor times. By the end of the 17th century a number of significant industrial concerns had developed. A copper works was established at Neath Abbey by a Bristol partnership at the end of the 17th century, although copper working began on the site in 1584. Sir Humphrey Mackworth established his Lead and Copper works at Melincryddan in 1690 and shortly afterwards the Iron forge at Melincwrt was established.

The Aberdulais Falls Tinplate Works was established by the Mines Royal Society in 1584 with Ulrich Frosse as manager. In June 1585 Frosse claimed he could melt 560 tonnes of ore with two furnaces in 40 weeks. Iron working began in 1667 after John Llewelyn of Ynsygerwyn purchased the site; it remained part of the Llewelyn estate until 1953. When the ironworks ceased operations is not known, although the site has been depicted as a corn mill by various artists as early as 1765. The overshot waterwheels powered two mills and the site had several ancillary buildings. A leasehold for the mill was advertised in 1807 describing the larger mill as a flourmill with two French stones, two dressing mills, store lofts, millers house and stables; the smaller mill had two pairs of grey stones used to grind barley (Hayman 1986).

Iron working began again in 1825 and by 1830 William Llewellyn established the Aberdulais Iron and Tinplate Company. The tinplate works were divided between the Upper Works at Aberdulais Falls and the Lower Works 400m to the south on the site of the former Dylais Forge. Tinplate is known to have been in production by 1840 but could have started as early as 1830. The operations at the Upper Works are known to have ceased by 1890, but the Lower Works continued tinplate production through to 1939 (Hayman 1986).

Two tramways connected both the Upper and Lower Works to the wharf on the Tennant Canal. The Aberdulais Aqueduct carried the course of the Tennant Canal past Aberdulais Falls and was constructed in 1823 by the engineer William Kirkhouse. The aqueduct is 104m long, carried on ten masonry arches and continued via a cast iron trough over an earlier navigable cut. At the junction of the Tennant and Neath Canals is a roving bridge, Pont Gam (crooked bridge) with its flanking walls carried on a corbelled series of masonry courses. The only Lock on the canal’s main line is south of the aqueduct, with the Office and Lock-Keepers House (Newman 1995).

Dan y Graig House and cottages were located along the northern side of the A4109 road in the area of the proposed development (Figure 2) and were occupied until 1935; the large house was demolished in October 1978, but was once leased by the local doctor and acted as the local pharmacy from 1912. The doctor’s successor purchased the house and tinplate works from the Llewelyn estate in 1953. The original leasehold for Dan y Graig House included the area of the then abandoned tinplate works and it has been suggested (Hayman 1986) that the industrial remains owe its survival to this single factor. The construction date of the house and cottages is not known, however, these buildings may have originated with the establishment of the Aberdulais Iron and Tinplate Company (1830).

The Upper Works was purchased by Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust in the 1980s and the site underwent a program of consolidation and partial restoration. The reconstructed water wheel sits in the wheelpit of the 1830s tinplate works. The site also includes an impressive masonry header tank (the ‘bastion’), the foundations of the adjoining rolling mills, various walls and an eighteen metre high chimney. The early copper-works may


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have lain south of the river, where a leat leads from the waterfall towards the rear of the 17th century Dulais Rock Public House (Newman 1995).


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2. Methodology All excavated areas were undertaken with a tracked mechanical excavator using a 1.8m wide toothed bucket. The spoil was examined and a walkover survey was undertaken on all exposed areas to identify and recover artefacts of an archaeological nature. A written and photographic record was made of all archaeological features and deposits in accordance with the GGAT Manual of Excavation Recording Techniques. Contexts were recorded using a single continuous numbering system (indicated in bold 101) and are summarised in Appendix I. The excavated area was located in relation to published boundaries (OS grid).

All classes of finds have been retained, cleaned, and catalogued and remain in temporary store until arrangements for final deposition are agreed, in line with the requirements of the Institute of Field Archaeologists’ Standard and Guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials (2001). When substantial quantities of modern material were recovered, an on-site policy of record and discard was implemented.

The project archive will be deposited with an appropriate receiving organisation, in accordance with the UKIC and IFA Guidelines. This archive will comprise the site archive, research archive, artefacts (excepting those that may be subject to the Treasure Act) and ecofacts, subject to the agreement of the site owners. A copy of the archive index will be deposited with the National Monuments Record, RCAHMW, Aberystwyth.

The watching brief was undertaken in October 2005 and January and February 2006.


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Figure 2: Plan of development area and archaeological interests.


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3. Results An area totalling 1678m² was examined revealing two cellars, henceforth A and B, belonging to the former Dan y Graig House (Plate 1). The cellars belonging to the former Dan y Graig house occupied a 32.40m² area at the eastern end of the building’s footprint. Foundation walls belonging to the house were uncovered during the excavation of service trenches to the southwest of the development area and part of an additional cellar was also uncovered with the remains of a possible barrel vaulted stone arched ceiling (Figure 2).

Cellar A (Figure 3; Plate 2 and 3)

Cellar A had coursed walls of undressed lime-mortared sandstone (104) and the interior was finished with lime-plaster and wash. Three walls survive, to the north, east and south; the western wall presumably had already been demolished. The eastern wall was built into the natural incline of the bank, the top of which had sandstone steps leading up the cliff to the gardens of Dulais House (Plate 5). The interior of the cellar covered a 15.20m² area with sandstone tiles (102) extending 0.45m from the eastern wall. Additional flooring in the form of sandstone flagstones (103) was recorded 3.12m from this wall in the area where the southern wall terminates. The floor here extended westward for one metre before being truncated by a north – south aligned cut, presumably a wall or other structural feature removed during demolition. The cellar was filled with demolition debris (101) including significant amounts of 19th and 20th century transfer printed white earthernwares, brown-glazed stonewares, china, local coarsewares and 19th century glass vessels. Animal bones, including a cow rib that displayed clear signs of butchery, were also included as were large quantities of undressed sandstone boulders, brick/tile and roofing slate.

Cellar B (Figure 3; Plate 4)

Adjacent to the southern wall of Cellar A (104) was the second cellar (B), comprising an L-shaped wall (105), 0.47m wide, surviving to 1m in height, and constructed of coursed undressed lime-mortared sandstone. The eastern wall (2.77m in length) was built into the natural incline of the bank and abutted the cellar to the north; the remaining wall (3.8m in length) ran parallel to the southern wall of Cellar A. The construction of Cellar B is presumed to be a later addition as exterior lime-render attached to wall 104 survives on the inside of Cellar B. This smaller cellar covered a 10.57m² rectangular area and the flagstone flooring (103) identified to the west of Cellar A was found to continue the full length of Cellar B. The flooring to the west was truncated by the same north – south aligned cut, which was presumably a wall now removed, identified in Cellar A. The fill of Cellar B (101) included demolition debris and 19th and 20th century domestic ceramics.

Service trenches (Figure 2; Plates 6-8)

Foundation walls belonging to Dan y Graig House were uncovered during mechanical excavation of a service trench to the southwest of the development area. The section excavated comprised of two main walls of coursed undressed lime-mortared sandstone forming an L-shaped plan (106). The wall running northeast-southwest measured 9.6m long by 0.61m thick, with the eastern most end having been previously destroyed. The northwest-southeast wall abutted this at the western end and measured 1.8m in length and 0.82m thick. The interior of both walls were lime-plastered, the total height of the walls was unrecorded as the trenches were only excavated to a depth of 1.01m. Part of a cellar was also uncovered with the remains of a possible barrel vaulted stone arched ceiling (107). The full extent of this feature is unknown as much had been destroyed during demolition of the house. The top half of a wooden boarded door to the cellar at the northern most extent of the excavated area was also


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recorded, however, this was not fully excavated (108). Two narrower partition walls were located adjoining the main wall (109 and 110).

A possible threshold (111) was located to the south of the northeast-southwest wall (106). This comprised a paved area and three lime-plastered stone walls in U-shaped plan and curved brick quoining at the terminals on the interior side. This feature does not match any known entries into the house and therefore could possibly be a window or other internal feature. Only one matrix was encountered which consisted of demolition debris (112), similar to elsewhere on the site (101), including significant amounts of 19th and 20th century transfer printed white earthernwares, brown-glazed stonewares, china, local coarsewares and 19th century glass vessels. The metal objects noted from 112 consisted of a number of iron fittings and fragments of lead flashing consistent with the demolition of a large building.


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Plate 1:View to northeast of Dan y Graig House.

© Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol/The National Trust

Plate 2: View to northeast of Cellar A showing

lime-plastered and lime-washed walls

Plate 3: Plan view of Cellar A showing sandstone

tiles

Plate 4: View to east of Cellar B

Plate 5: View to north of sandstone steps leading

to Dulais House


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Plate 6: View to northeast of wall (106)

Plate 7: View to south of possible threshold (111)

Plate 8: View to northwest of barrel vaulted

cellar (107)


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4. Conclusions The features identified during the present watching brief are elements of the former Dan y Graig House. The earliest features are those associated with the construction of the house and comprise the foundations that were revealed during the service trench excavations, the barrel vaulted cellar and Cellar A.

The domestic small finds recovered suggest an occupational date range between the 19th and 20th centuries, with the exception of three fragments from a single tin-glazed vessel and handle fragment from an 18th-century Brown-glazed Buffware tankard. Based on historical evidence it would appear likely that Dan y Graig House dates to the establishment of the Aberdulais Iron and Tinplate Company (1830), although an earlier 17th/18th precursor may have existed on the site given the extent of industrial activities from these periods. The demolition of the house during the 1970s was extremely thorough and although significant quantities of building material was recorded in the fill of both cellars and over all areas excavated for the service trenches, a greater part of the house must have been removed from the site at this time.


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Bibliography

Printed sources

George, N, 1970, South Wales British Regional Geology (Third Edition). London.

Jenkins, E, 1974, Neath and District. A Symposium.

Hayman, R, 1986, Aberdulais Falls, Industrial Archaeology Review Vol VIII No.2. Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA).

Newman, J, 1995, The Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan. Penguin, London.

Soil Survey of England & Wales (SSEW), 1983, Legend for the 1:125,000 soil map of England and Wales. Harpenden.


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Appendix I

Inventory of contexts

Context Type Depth Description Period 101 Deposit 0m – 1.32m General cellar fill (A and B) Post-

medieval and modern

102 Floor 1.32m Sandstone tiled cellar floor Post-medieval

103 Floor 1.32m Sandstone flagstone floor Post-medieval

104 Structure Cellar A = 0m - 1.32m

Cellar B = 0m – 1.82m

Undressed lime mortared sandstone walls. Cellar A finished with internal lime-plaster and wash. South wall finished with external lime-render.

Post-medieval

105 Structure 0m - 1m Undressed lime mortared sandstone wall, no lime-wash or external render.

Post-medieval

106 Structure 0m - 1.01m Two lime-mortared walls abutting each other and forming an L-shape to the southwest of the development area. Interior face clad with lime-plaster. Generally aligned northeast-southwest.

Post-medieval

107 Structure 0m - 1.01m A partially revealed barrel vaulted stone arched cellar.

Post-medieval

108 Structure 0m – 1.01m The top of a wooden door to cellar 007 at the northern most extent of the excavated area.

Post-medieval

109 Structure 0m – 1.01m Small-truncated internal partition lime-mortared wall, aligned north - south.

Post-medieval

110 Structure 0m – 1.01m Small-truncated external lime-mortared wall aligned north - south.

Post-medieval

111 Structure 0m – 1.01m Possible threshold or window located to the south of wall 106. Comprising a paved area and three lime-plastered stone walls in U-shaped plan and curved brick quoining at the terminals on the interior side.

Post-medieval

112 Deposit 0m – 1.01m Demolition rubble. Post-medieval and modern

All depths are measured from the present land surface and not Ordnance Datum.


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Appendix II

The Finds by Andy Sherman

Cellars A and B

Finds from two contexts including the cellar fill (101) were submitted for examination. The assemblage consisted largely of ceramics, with some animal bone and glass also noted. Context 101 contained significant amounts of 19th and 20th century ceramics including Transfer Printed White Earthernwares, Brown-glazed Stonewares, China and Local Coarsewares. This context also contained 19th century glass vessels, roofing slate and a number of animal bones including a cow rib that displayed clear signs of butchery. Context 102 contained a single red sandstone flooring tile taken as a representative sample.

Service trenches

Finds from a single context (112) were submitted for examination. The assemblage was largely made up of ceramics along with a limited number of metal objects. The ceramics where largely from the 19th and 20th centuries and included significant quantities of Hand Painted and Transfer Printed White Earthernwares, China and Local Coarsewares. Context 112 also included three fragments from a single Tin-glazed vessel and handle fragment from a Brown-glazed Buffware tankard, both dating from the 18th century. The metal objects noted consisted of a number of iron fittings and fragments of lead flashing consistent with the demolition of a large building.

aberdulais falls, neath

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