From fossils to coal, iron to steel, closure to regeneration, Brymbo has a rich story to tell. Now, thanks to initial National Lottery support, it’s one step closer to sharing its history as part of a major visitor attraction.

Brymbo Iron and Steel Works was originally built in the late 1790s by prominent industrialist and cast iron pioneer John ‘Iron Mad Jack’ Wilkinson.  A major site of innovation and industrial productivity, it was at the forefront of industrial revolution. 

‘Iron Mad Jack’ pioneered the manufacture of cast iron and invented a precision boring machine that could bore canon and cast iron cylinders, such as those used in the steam engines of James Watt and Matthew Bouton.  In fact, his boring machine has been credited as being the world’s first machine tool.

Wilkinson also improved the efficiency of blast furnaces, and led the early development of the world’s first metal single span bridge - the ‘Iron Bridge’ - in Shropshire.

The ironworks started producing steel from 1884 onwards but sadly works ceased operation in 1990 and since then the remaining buildings on the site have laid empty, slowly deteriorating. 

The Brymbo Heritage Trust now aims to transform them along with the nearby Brymbo Fossil Forest into a major visitor attraction, learning centre and vibrant local space known as Brymbo Heritage Area.

With this initial National Lottery grant, the Trust can now grow and engage the full range of design, engineering and legal professionals needed develop fully costed proposals, ahead of a second stage application in late 2019. If that application proves successful the building work will get underway in 2020 with the facilities opening a year later.