Union Ironworks on the east side of the Rhymney River in about 1800-02, and it soon became the property of the Crawshay Ironmasters, managed by Richard Johnson. In 1825 a new ironworks was begun on the opposite bank on land owned by the Marquis of Bute.

Bute Town was built nearby to house the ironworkers; it comprises Middle Row (NPRN 19336), Collins' Row (NPRN 18379) and Lower Row (NPRN 19260). The settlement was constructed to a high standard, the plan was probably based on James Adams' planned village at Lowther in Cumbria of 1765. The architectural style is classical. It was originally conceived as a larger model village and the foundations of a fourth row were laid to the south, but the exhaustion of the ironworkings did not justify further development of the village. On the Rhymney Ironworks Company map dated 1838, the year after the company was formed though the map was later, the settlement is called New Town; it later became known as Bute Town.

Since listing in 1973 and a renovation programme in 1979 the terraces have gradually recovered a more homogeneous appearance, for example, by removal of pebbledash cladding from some exteriors and standardisation of windows into two pane horned sashes. The doors are now all boarded with a glazed panel. This applies only to frontages as the rears and side windows have not been standardised. The original windows are however likely to have been similar to the small pane iron framed windows in the Museum on Lower Row and the masonry is likely to have been rendered. The re-furbishment of the entire settlement won a Prince of Wales Award and one house is internally fitted as a museum, open at certain times.

RCAHMW, 24 June 2011

Sources:
Cadw listing number 13548
A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of South East Wales, AIA, 2003