The New Weir ironworks

(Historic Environment Record reference 1589, Ordnance Survey grid reference SO 5590 1560)

In 1661 an Act was passed by Parliament to make the river Wye navigable as far as Hereford before the end of September 1665, and for there to be weekly boats between Bristol and Hereford.

The scheme was never completed by the date given and the project was eventually abandoned. The scheme was restarted in 1688 with the cost being borne by the county. The new plan required the purchase and demolition of all mill and fishing weirs along the Wye, and there was to be no impediment to the navigation between Hay-on-Wye and the sea. This did not go down well with the weir owners, nor with the people of the county who lived too far from the river to benefit but who were still expected to pay for the cost.

Shortly before these plans were laid out the New Weir had been destroyed by ice in the winter of 1683-4. After this the owner, the Duke of Kent, rebuilt the weir and leased it for 99 years to George White who built a forge on the site for the fining of pig iron. In 1695 a new Act for the navigation of the Wye was passed which called for the demolition of all weirs to Chepstow, with the exception of the New Weir. This exception was allowed after much arguing as there had been a weir here since before anyone could remember.

A newspaper at the time recorded that "The Earl of Kent, upon an old Foundation has lately built his Forge, which is one of the best in England, having two hammers and three Chaferies or Fineries which can work in the driest time of summer. There were besides, a dwelling house for a tenant, stables, warehouse and outhouses and several dwelling-houses lately built for above 30 families, costing together about £4,000."

The act did require the Duke of Kent to install a lock at his own expense, as well as a rent-free house for a lock keeper whom the Duke was to pay £10 per year for opening and closing the lock. The forge was allowed to stay.

After the death of George White in 1720 the New Weir Works were taken over by his son, also named George. In 1753 George White retired from the business and granted a 14-year lease of the site to Mr. John Partridge, an ironmonger from Ross, for a £270 annual rent.

At this time the works seem to have consisted of fineries and puddling mill for the turning out of manufactured iron as sheet and rod iron. The pig iron for fining was brought from Tintern by river and from Carmarthen by vessel to Llandogo and from there by barge. John Partridge condensed the forge at New Weir into one unit with the forge at Lydbrook, both of which were served by his large furnace at Bishopswood.

The lease continued in the family until the death of Mrs. Osborne of Monksmill in Gloucestershire in 1798, when the contract ceased and the forge closed down. In 1814 the weir was damaged in severe frosts and soon after the remains of the weir, lock and forge buildings were demolished.

[Original author: Miranda Greene, 2005]