Dyfi Furnace

Twelve miles north of Aberystwyth, on the main road to Machynlleth, lies this picturesque old relic from Wales' industrial past.

The furnace here was originally constructed around 1755 for smelting iron ore, with fuel obtained from local woods and stored upstairs in the building. At this time, the waterwheel would have powered a huge pair of bellows which supplied compressed air vital for the blast furnace's operation. Most of the pig iron would have found its way to forges in the Midlands.

Apparently, the furnace only lasted for about 50 years before being abandoned. Some years later it was turned into a sawmill and a new waterwheel was installed to drive the machinery. This later waterwheel is the one that has been restored and is viewable today.

There is now no admission fee charged for entry to this site which means you can wander around at leisure, but this does unfortunately mean that you can no longer go inside the building.

The waterfall nextdoor, where the River Einion drops, completes the picturesque scene. You may also like to venture further, to the nearby RSPB nature reserve at Ynys-hir.

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