Blaenavon Ironworks

About

Blaenavon Ironworks (Welsh: Gwaith Haearn Blaenafon), officially spelled Blaenafon Ironworks since 2024, is a former industrial site which is now a museum in Blaenavon (Welsh: Blaenafon), Wales. The ironworks was of crucial importance in the development of the ability to use cheap, low quality, high sulphur iron ores worldwide. It was the site of the experiments by Sidney Gilchrist Thomas and his cousin Percy Gilchrist that led to "the basic steel process" or "Gilchrist–Thomas process".

The ironworks is on the outskirts of Blaenavon, in the county borough of Torfaen, within the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a World Heritage Site. The site is under the care of Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service. Since 2024, Cadw, who manage the site, use the Welsh spelling "Blaenafon" rather than "Blaenavon" in English.