# Unknown site, Pontypool, Wales - Jan 2011 (Pic HEAVY)



## Timster1973 (Feb 13, 2011)

Hi all,

History of this place unknown, was a spur of the moment trip following instructions from a fellow photographer so my directions will sound vague! 

This place is situated in Varteg, Pontypool. Go through Ponty and onto Varteg, turn left at the Globe pub which is signposted "The British Industrial Estate" - this place is known as the British. Quite a desolate spot as its mainly motocross riders and dog walkers who use this area. 

This is all I have but I'll be happy to point you in the right direction if required so please PM me if you need anything. 

Pics below


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## nelly (Feb 13, 2011)

Mate, Google is your friend!!!

A quick search on the industrial estates address and remembering the 'SWP' logo on the gate points to "South Wales Profilers Ltd", a sheet metal company.

Hope this helps and I love the photos


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## astro23 (Feb 13, 2011)

Nice pics there! Might have to take a mooch up there one day!


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## welsh-boi (Feb 13, 2011)

have gone up there a few times on the weekends, but never been able to get any pix due to all the bikes, they use it as a meeting place and a repair shop, will have to try and get up there during the week.


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## Timster1973 (Feb 13, 2011)

This was a Saturday mate. No one around.



welsh-boi said:


> have gone up there a few times on the weekends, but never been able to get any pix due to all the bikes, they use it as a meeting place and a repair shop, will have to try and get up there during the week.


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## Timster1973 (Feb 13, 2011)

Nelly, LOL. Yeah how observant considering I use Google for everything else!! As I say "JFGI" 



nelly1967 said:


> Mate, Google is your friend!!!
> 
> A quick search on the industrial estates address and remembering the 'SWP' logo on the gate points to "South Wales Profilers Ltd", a sheet metal company.
> 
> Hope this helps and I love the photos


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## nelly (Feb 13, 2011)

Timster1973 said:


> Nelly, LOL. Yeah how observant considering I use Google for everything else!! As I say "JFGI"



The funny thing is that I just had to use Google to find out what JFGI meant!!!!

Doh!!!


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## rectory-rat (Feb 13, 2011)

Nice place and great pics...
Thanks for sharing 



nelly1967 said:


> The funny thing is that I just had to use Google to find out what JFGI meant!!!!
> 
> Doh!!!



Me too! 

-RR


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## Engineer (Feb 14, 2011)

I suspect the history of this site goes much further back than SWP as the building in the last pic looks like a colliery winder house.

Edit: Formerly the site of the British Ironworks Colliery.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Feb 14, 2011)

Another classic case of shut the pit, 'landscape' the spoil tips, demolish all but the odd useful building and turn the site into an industrial estate - then paying lip service to what went before, vaguely name the site so that the memory of the older generations may be jogged if the subject crops up in conversation.

It is interesting to note that as the mundane modern buildings crumble into dereliction - as similar uninteresting buildings are doing on the hundreds of similar sites up and down the British Isles - it is the original colliery winding house that is once again standing out in testament to what went before and has now been lost.

This site deserves to be remembered as a colliery with all its underlying social history and not just another derelict and bankrupt modern industrial estate.


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## sheep2405 (Feb 15, 2011)

If you go back up and explore the lower side of the British, you will find the iron works, where the colliery is, there is a fair amount of buildings still there and the mine is still visible, it's still flooded but we keep trying to get in there. I have done a couple of reports o. It over the years, if you search they are in the archive sections.


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## sheep2405 (Feb 15, 2011)

Engineer said:


> I suspect the history of this site goes much further back than SWP as the building in the last pic looks like a colliery winder house.
> 
> Edit: Formerly the site of the British Ironworks Colliery.



No, that's another site.


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## sheep2405 (Feb 15, 2011)

Engineer said:


> I suspect the history of this site goes much further back than SWP as the building in the last pic looks like a colliery winder house.
> 
> Edit: Formerly the site of the British Ironworks Colliery.



No, that's another site. 

Sals thread
[ame]http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=3662[/ame]

My thread from a few years back

[ame]http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=3649[/ame]


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## Engineer (Feb 15, 2011)

Looks like the same winder house, perhaps they have incorrectly identified it?

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Brit... to be identified elsewhere as a powerhouse.]


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## sheep2405 (Feb 15, 2011)

This is the original map of the site. Building in blue are still remaining.






This is current site photo






Link to correct photos of British iron works. Adit now are well off track.

http://m52.photobucket.com/albums/sheep2405/UK Urbex/British Iron Works/


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## Engineer (Feb 15, 2011)

Thanks Sheep, the Aditnow pic is this place which is the last pic in the OP, as you say two different places.

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.729419&lon=-3.081946&z=19.5&r=0&src=msl

I'll post again when I get the history of the winder/powrhouse.

Edit: It would appear it was the power house for the Abersychan Lower Navigation Colliery.


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## Vickyvlr (Feb 23, 2011)

Again, WoW.... i love what you do with your shots!

CANNOT stop looking and admiring these!!


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## sheep2405 (Feb 23, 2011)

Thats cool, I been trying to do the underground of that site for years and the water table is dropping rapidly so hopefully this year ill get chance to climb down the ladder.


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## JdM (Apr 27, 2021)

Timster1973 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> History of this place unknown, was a spur of the moment trip following instructions from a fellow photographer so my directions will sound vague!
> 
> ...


Not Varteg which is 2.5 miles further north, its nearest location is Tal y Waun, or Talywain, the site is the 'British' an old mine working area, the building in the above pictures are now in the ownership of G.O.S engineering, so I am informed, a heavy engineering firm in Blaenavon, (or Blaenafon in Cymraeg). The site has been derelict for some years.
Various schemes have been forwarded to devolop the site, but to date nothing seems to be really beyond the talking stage.
The pictures shown do not reveal the sheer size of the British, I would guess it is actually about 1.5km2, problems for development exists due to underground instabilities.
If ever built on it would dwarf its nearby neighbour, Talywain.


But....not Varteg, a small village between the British/Talywain and Blaenavon.


Timster1973 said:


> History of this place unknown, was a spur of the moment trip following instructions from a fellow photographer so my directions will sound vague!
> 
> This place is situated in Varteg, Pontypool. Go through Ponty and onto Varteg, turn left at the Globe pub which is signposted "The British Industrial Estate" - this place is known as the British. Quite a desolate spot as its mainly motocross riders and dog walkers who use this area.
> 
> ...


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