Welsh Journals

building in Clwyd, and it is to be hoped that some of the buildings whose importance Mr Hubbard has demonstrated, will be afforded statutory protection. This reviewer has learned a great deal, and has already found the book invaluable during his own fieldwork. It is likely to remain the standard work on the built environment of Clwyd for very many years: it should be obligatory reading for all architects and planners within the county, and is to be highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of buildings in Clwyd. Aberystwyth A. J. PARKINSON Compiled by C. J. WILLIAMS. Industry in Clwyd: An Illustrated History. Clwyd County Council, 1986, pp. 96, illustrations 117. £ 4.50. Some years ago this writer was invited to review in another place an illustrated account of the industrial development of Wales. In what proved otherwise an attractive volume, its great fault lay in its almost total avoidance of the industrial history of Clwyd. Slate production and shipping in Gwynedd and coalmining and steel and tinplate manufacture in south Wales were all well covered, but hardly anything was revealed about north-east Wales. Although the great expansion of the South has tended to overshadow Clwyd an underlying theme in this present book too there were some real achievements of industrial venture and activity in the old Flintshire and Denbighshire which fully merit this compilation of pictures, sketches and photographs by Mr C. J. Williams. There can be few who are as knowledgeable about the industrial archaeology and history of Clwyd as Mr Williams and he has drawn together a highly illuminating collection of illustrations, more often than not using the wealth of material preserved at the Ruthin and Hawarden record offices. While a picture might be worth a thousand words, a few words of commentary are always helpful and here the compiler has succeeded in producing pithy and informative intro- ductions to the various activities that are covered by the volume. He has supplemented these by invaluable references to specialist books and articles dealing with each activity. In addition, the pictures themselves are invariably well labelled and often additional points of detail are provided to enlighten and entertain the reader. Over twenty forms of industrial activity are covered by the volume, from the early mineral operations of the Stuart age to the advanced technologies on the threshold of the third millenium. The monochromatic character of the bulk of the illustrations heightens the historical theme. For example, there is a wonder- fully grainy photograph of Brymbo Ironworks around 1860 and a steamy atmos- pheric one of Afonwen paper mill around 1900. The great impact of coal and mineral extraction and of iron and steel manufacture is thoroughly examined. A series of photographs of the Shotton works reveals a spectrum of stages in the manufacture of steel, while there are several on-bank depictions of pits and shafts