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Dowlais Ironworks

1759 establishments in Wales1987 disestablishments in WalesBritish companies established in 1759Industrial history of the United KingdomIronworks and steelworks in Wales
Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1987Manufacturing companies established in 1759Use British English from August 2015
George Childs Dowlais Ironworks 1840
George Childs Dowlais Ironworks 1840

The Dowlais Ironworks was a major ironworks and steelworks located at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. Founded in the 18th century, it operated until the end of the 20th, at one time in the 19th century being the largest steel producer in the UK. Dowlais Ironworks were the first business to license the Bessemer process, using it to produce steel in 1865. Dowlais Ironworks was one of the four principal ironworks in Merthyr. The other three were Cyfarthfa, Plymouth, and Penydarren Ironworks. In 1936 Dowlais played a part in the events leading to the abdication crisis of Edward VIII, when the King visited the steelworks and was reported as saying that "these works brought these men here. Something must be done to get them back to work", a statement which was seen as political interference. The steelworks finally closed in 1987.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Dowlais Ironworks (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Dowlais Ironworks
High Street,

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N 51.7604 ° E -3.3499 °
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Dowlais Boys and Girls Club

High Street
CF48 3HA , Dowlais Top
Wales, United Kingdom
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George Childs Dowlais Ironworks 1840
George Childs Dowlais Ironworks 1840
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Bethania Chapel, Dowlais
Bethania Chapel, Dowlais

Bethania, Dowlais was a Welsh Independent, or Congregationalist, chapel in South Street, Dowlais, near Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. The cause was established in 1824 and the chapel rebuilt on several occasions in the nineteenth century. The present chapel dates from 1895 but was vastly enlarged and re-modelled in 1910. The building is Grade II listed.Bethania's origins were as an offshoot of the original Congregationalist chapel at Merthyr, Ynysgau. There was a Congrgationalist tradition at Dowlais before the growth of an industrial community there and the family of Gwernllwynisaf (one of the farms) were prominent in the cause at Ynysgau. One of the early leaders was Methusalem Jones (1769–1839), but following disagreements he withdrew and concentrated on leading the cause at Bethesda, which together with Ynysgau had been instrumental in establishing Bethania.A revival took place in South Wales in 1829. At the time, Bethania shared its minister with Zoar, Merthyr Tydfil. Samuel Evans, mister at Zoar since 1810, took care of Bethesda from 1828. Evans died in 1833, aged 56 John Hughes became the minister in 1833. Aged 33 at the time, he remained at Bethania for thirty years, the longest pastorate in the chapel's history. Hughes was a native of Capel Iwan in Carmarthenshire and had trained at the Neuaddlwyd Academy in Cardiganshire. A new chapel which could accommodate 1250 people was opened in 1838. By 1848 Bethania had a Sunday School attended by 600 adults and children. During Hughes's pastorate a new branch of Bethania was opened at Gwernllwyn, Dowlais.On 13 and 14 July 1868, John Evans, a student from Brecon College, was ordained minister at Bethania.Peter Price was ordained minister at Bethania in 1904 and proved to be an vocal critic of the 1904–05 Religious Revival. Price departed from Bethania in 1910 in acrimonious circumstances.The chapel closed in 1998 and the building is now used by an evangelical congregation.