text: William Brownrigg and Anthony Bacon (a London merchant born in Whitehaven) leased the mines in  at Merthyr Tydfil.  Wood was brought in to build a forge for them there and he reached Merthyr in April 1766.  The forge had six races leading off the river Taff, for a clay mill, two stampers, two hammers, and a chafery.  In addition there were air furnaces, in which the iron was heated during the refining process.  A drying shed for the pots and other buildings.
  A blast furnace,  high and blown by blowing cylinders was begun to be built that autumn, but was probably not completed until the following year.  In the meantime, pig iron was needed for the forge to work, so Wood arranged for the owners to take over the nearby Plymouth Furnace.  Wood returned to Lowmill in January 1766, but was back at Merthyr in April.  He remained there as manager until his death in 1774.  His widow stayed there until her death in 1799.