Talywain

Abersychan (Twyn-y-ffrwd) incline - SO 2700 0390 to SO 2629 0403

The Abersychan (Twyn-y-ffrwd) incline ran from the MRCC tramway in Abersychan to Talywain. It was a standard-gauge incline opened around 1858 and shown as 'old' by 1902 to replace the tramway which followed the route of the B4246 to The British. Most of the incline can still be followed as a public footpath or a rough track. The bottom has been lost under the main road but the incline top area is still well-defined. The line from incline top to The British crossed the LNWR on the surviving bridge (SO 2610 0423) and sidings are still shown as still in use up to 1953.

Abersychan incline, lower section	Abersychan incline, lower section	Abersychan incline top	Incline sidings tunnel
Abersychan incline looking down	Incline top, bridge over LNWR	Incline top, bridge over LNWR	Viaduct and Incline, c1981

Around Talywain

Garndiffaith Junction, 1969	LNWR Commercial Road bridge	Farm Road bridge abutments	Harpers Road lane LNWR bridge
LNWR goods shed, Talywain	LNWR goods shed, Talywain	LNWR goods shed, Talywain
Talywain Viaduct	Talywain Viaduct from the incline	Talywain Viaduct from Cwmsychan

Andy Coldridge took this panorama of the viaduct in 1981 or 1982

Talywain Viaduct, c1981

Talywain Viaduct, c1981

Talywain Viaduct, c1981

Talywain Viaduct, c1981

Cwm Ffwrd

The Cwm Ffrwd valley was the home of John Vipond's Lower Varteg Colliery, a long-lived complex of mines, which have been landscaped out of recognition. However, the 1899 adit has been restored with a couple of drams in front. It can be found at SO 2558 0493 but is rather hidden and out of context in a dip in the ground. The filled-in girder bridge that takes the lane over the colliery branchline is at SO 2572 0473.

Further up the valley there was a long stone-built culvert under the spoil tips (SO 2508 0537). This has partly collapsed but the lower end contains iron hoop reinforcements.

Lower Varteg Colliery

The Cwm Ffrwd valley was the home of John Vipond's Lower Varteg Colliery, a long-lived complex of mines, which have been landscaped out of recognition. However, the 1899 adit has been restored with a couple of drams in front. It can be found at SO 2558 0493 but is rather hidden and out of context in a dip in the ground. The filled-in girder bridge that takes the lane over the colliery branchline is at SO 2572 0473.

Further up the valley there was a long stone-built culvert under the spoil tips (SO 2508 0537). This has partly collapsed but the lower end contains iron hoop reinforcements.

Lower Varteg Colliery, 1880	Lower Varteg Colliery, 1901	Lower Varteg Colliery, 1920
Golynos and Garndiffaith	Lower Varteg GWR branch bridge	Lower Varteg GWR branch bridge	Lower Varteg GWR branch bridge
Lower Varteg Colliery c1968	Lower Varteg Colliery c1968	Lower Varteg Colliery c1968	Lower Varteg Colliery c1968
Lower Varteg Colliery	Lower Varteg Colliery	Lower Varteg Colliery	Lower Varteg Colliery
Lower Varteg Colliery site	Lower Varteg Colliery level	Lower Varteg Colliery level	Lower Varteg Colliery stables
The air shaft of Deakins Slope	Lower Varteg Colliery tips	Lower Varteg Colliery tips	Lower Varteg Colliery tips
Lower Varteg Colliery tips	Culvert at Lower Varteg Colliery	Culvert at Lower Varteg Colliery	Culvert at Lower Varteg Colliery

Graig Wen and Graig Ddu - SO 2528 0500

There were two levels behind the now-demolished 'Graig Wen House' followed by an area of quarrying with a third level and an unmarked boundary stone at the end of the straight lane, which seems regular enough to have been a tramway. As the lane climbs towards to the 1980s Graig Wen Colliery an overgrown pond and watercourse can be traced heading back downhill towards The British Ironworks. Further on, the Graig Ddu farmhouse sits ruinously at the top of the track.

Cwm Ffrwd and Graig Wen, 1880	Cwm Ffrwd and Graig Wen, 1901	Graig Wen Farm	Graig Wen House level 1
Graig Wen House level 1	Graig Wen House level 1 tips	Graig Wen House level 2 tips	Graig Wen House levels tips
Access lane to Graig Wen levels	Graig Wen House quarry area	Graig Wen House quarry area	Graig Wen quarry level
Graig Wen quarry level	Reservoir or water course	Reservoir or water course	Graig Ddu Farm

Graig Wen Colliery - SO 2485 0521

Graig Wen Colliery opened in 1980 and had closed by 1987. Both levels are visible along with the course of the double track tramway between them which was built to 2'9" gauge.

Graig Wen Colliery, view over site	Graig Wen Colliery, view over site	Graig Wen Colliery, metal box	Graig Wen Colliery, metal box
Graig Wen Colliery, Eastern level	Graig Wen Colliery, Eastern level	Graig Wen Colliery, Eastern level	Graig Wen Colliery, Eastern level
Colliery trackbed between levels	Colliery trackbed between levels	Colliery trackbed between levels	Colliery trackbed between levels
Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level
Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level
Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level	Graig Wen Colliery, Western level

Blaengaefog rifle range - SO 2400 0538

There is a most unusual Markers Hut at this rifle range, it looks like an upturned boiler of some kind, he was a brave man, that marker, whoever he was!

Blaengaefog rifle range	Blaengaefog rifle range	Blaengaefog rifle range	Blaengaefog rifle range
Blaengaefog rifle range	Blaengaefog rifle range	Blaengaefog rifle range	Blaengaefog rifle range
Blaengaefog rifle range	Blaengaefog rifle range

Waun Wen Boundary Markers

Waun Wen Boundary Markers

These boundary markers are scattered over Waun Wen above Graig Wen Colliery. 'W&BM' stands for Wentsland and Bryngwyn Manor but what does 'AM' and 'ABM' signify? Aberystruth or Brynmawr, perhaps? If you happen to know, please let me know, too. The '1896 No4' suggests that Nos 1 -3 are lurking up here somewhere. John Matthews has come up with more iron markers as well as some stone examples.

Boundary marker, 'AM'	Boundary marker, 'W&BM'	Boundary marker, '1896     No 4'	A headless 'W&BM', Waun Wen
'W&BM', Waun Wen	'W&BM', Waun Wen	Boundary marker, 'AM'	Boundary marker, 'H'
Boundary markers, Waun Wen	Boundary marker, 'ABM'

Varteg Hill Colliery and Cwm Glo Colliery

Varteg was the other centre of John Vipond's operations, based around the 3 mile long branch from the LNWR at Blaenavon Junction to Varteg Hill Colliery Top Pits. The trackbed is now a well-established track and can be easily followed from the Varteg Road. The reservoir of the Pontypool Gas and Water Co, opened by 1902, is the first site to be met on the right (SO 2629 0681).

Varteg Zigzag Railway

The zig-zag railway linked Varteg Hill Colliery to Lower Varteg Colliery through a series of 5 reverses. It was built before 1917 after which the LNWR line to Blaenavon probably fell out of use. Originally it started with a tight loop but this was later changed to another reverse .

Zigzag upper route in 1917	Zigzag upper route 1948	Zigzag middle route 1948	Zigzag lower route 1948
Varteg Zigzag Railway, Top level 0	Varteg Zigzag Railway, Top level 1	Varteg Zigzag Railway, Top level 1	Varteg Zigzag Railway, Top level 1
Varteg Zigzag Railway, Top level 1	Varteg Zigzag Railway, Top level 1	Level 1 down to level 2 on left	Level 2 sleeper
Level 2 down to level 3 on right	Level 3 towards level 2	Level 3 on left, level 2 on right	Level 3 towards level 4

Varteg Incline - SO 2617 0640

Viponds incline ran from the colliery down to the MRCC at Cwmavon. It can be followed as far as the information point on the Varteg Road after which it is heavily overgrown. 100 yards below the top of the incline the first stage of the zig-zag railway crosses it on the way down to Talywain.

Varteg Incline looking down

Varteg Incline looking down

Varteg Incline from Lasgarn

Varteg Incline from Lasgarn

Cwm Glo Colliery - SO 2616 0628

A little further along in a dip is the green corrugated adit shed of Cwm Glo Colliery (or Cwm-y-Glo Colliery) which was active from 1992 to 1997. Until 2008 the haulage engine and compressor building was still standing but has now gone. The screens, loading dock, rails and safety brake can be found but the site is slowly being stripped.

Cwm Glo Colliery switchgear	Cwm Glo Colliery switchgear	Cwm Glo Colliery switchgear	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill
Cwm Glo Colliery safety brake	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill
Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill
Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill
Cwm Glo Colliery, Varteg Hill	Cwm Glo Colliery lower level	Cwm Glo Colliery lower level	Cwm Glo Colliery lower level

Varteg Hill Colliery - SO 2606 0621

The area known as 'The Lighthouse' has foundations, pits and walls along with multi-coloured extensive tips. These are the remains of the washery and engine sheds that served the many mines in the area. To the North along a long tramway were Mine Slope and New Slope (originally Varteg Slope) and Waun Hoskins Slope, all buried by opencast workings.. A branch from New Slope ran up an incline to the Ventilating Fan, an old trial shaft. The top end of the incline survives.

Varteg Hill Colliery in 1880	Varteg Hill Colliery in 1899	Varteg Hill Colliery in 1917	Varteg Hill Colliery in 1948
Varteg Colliery ironmongery	Varteg Colliery shaft	Unknown building	Varteg Arch under the railway
Varteg Colliery tips	Colliery tips from Talywain	Varteg Colliery tips
Varteg Colliery tips	Varteg Colliery tips	Varteg Colliery tips

Ventilating Fan - SO 2557 0678

To the North of the railway were Mine Slope, New Slope and Waun Hoskins Slope, all buried by opencast workings. A small reservoir and the earthworks of a ventilating fan with a short but solid incline embankment below it have survived.

Ventilating fan shaft incline

Ventilating fan shaft site

Opencast operations on Varteg Hill

Opencast operations on Varteg Hill

Varteg Top Pits (or Upper Varteg Hill Colliery)

Bracey's Pit - SO 2592 0584

The site of Bracey's Pit ( Brace's Pit or Bracy's Pit) is on the South as the line to Upper Varteg curves round to head across country towards Top Pits. Braceys Pit was shown as disused by 1886. The line heads across a high embankment with the slight remains of old levels and tramways to the North across the dip.

Trackbed below Blaenavon road	View from Graig Wen	Embankment near halfway point	Trackbed near Colliery
Wire hawser in the trackbed	Wire hawser near the trackbed	Wire hawser near the trackbed	Railway chair near the colliery
Culvert under the trackbed	Culvert under the trackbed

Varteg Top Pits (Upper Varteg Hill Colliery ) - SO 2453 0629
Varteg Red Ash Level - SO 2400 0632

Old sleepers appear in the trackbed as the two remaining buildings of Varteg Top Pits loom closer. Part of the stone-built engine house and stable block and a newer brick-build building, believed to be the canteen and office, remain in agricultural use (SO 2453 0629). A small reservoir and the base of another building are to their left. In front of them are the ruins of the loading area, screens or coke ovens and the top of a filled-in shaft, now a mound but still a depression in 2008. A little further on, behind the spoil tip are the brick magazine and an older, ruined stone magazine. There's little but earthworks to see at the site of Red Ash Colliery and Graig-Ddu Quarry (SO 2404 0660).

Varteg Top Pits in 1899	Varteg Top Pits in 1917	Varteg Top Pits in 1948
Varteg Top Pits	Varteg Top Pits	Varteg Top Pits	Varteg Top Pits
Varteg Red Ash Level	Varteg Red Ash Level	Varteg Red Ash Level
Sleepers near Top Pits	Varteg Top Pits headshunt	Iron pipe in embankment	Foundations of compressor house
Foundations of compressor house	Foundations of compressor house	Foundations of compressor house	Varteg Top Pits filled-in shaft
Varteg Top Pits canteen	Varteg Top Pits canteen	Varteg Top Pits stables	Varteg Top Pits stables
Varteg Top Pits buildings	Varteg Hill Colliery buildings	Modern powder store	Older, stone-built powder store
Level pit prop on waste tip	Varteg Top Pits tip

Varteg Village

Cwm Ffrwd Tramroad and its two inclines

Original incline - SO 2668 0566

At the end of Gladstone Terrace are the foundations of the engine house for the original plateway incline of c1802 down to the Blaenavon Railroad.

Cwm Ffrwd inclines	Tramroad to 1st incline	Incline engine house	Incline engine house
Incline engine house	Incline engine house	Cwm Ffrwd incline top	Incline below engine house

Second incline - SO 2664 0600

The second incline ran down from the appropriately named Incline Row in Varteg village.

Stench pipe next to tramroad

Course of tramroad to 2nd incline

Cwm Ffrwd second incline top

Cwm Ffrwd second incline

Varteg Ironworks and Four Houses - SO 2627 0578

In the field to the South of the site of 'Four Houses' a substantial stone wall exists with a large iron reinforcing plate. This was the site of the Varteg Iron Co's furnaces and the stone work is probably part of it. Varteg Furnaces were built in 1802 and after a few changes to the owning partnerships the works were out of use by 1843 when the site seems unsuccessfully put up for auction. The site came into the possession of Partidge Jones in 1864 but whether they used it as an ironworks is doubtful. The 1879 OS map shows site cleared and called 'Old Furnaces'.

Varteg Ironworks in 1843	Varteg Ironworks auction, 1843	Varteg Ironworks c1870s	Foundations of Four Houses
Stonework from Varteg Furnaces	Stonework from Varteg Furnaces	Stonework from Varteg Furnaces	Stonework from Varteg Furnaces
Tramroad sill, approx 2'6" gauge	Tips to South West

LNWR Varteg Station and bridges - SO 2683 0603

The iron bridge carries 'Snail Creep', the footpath over the railway trackbed which provided access to the station. The platform is on the Western side and there are the ruins of part of the station buildings. Further up, an intricate and sloping iron bridge carries Shop Lane over the LNWR at SO 2674 0623. Next, the stone abutments of the bridge over the LNWR (SO 2669 0640) carried the Varteg Incline down to GWR.

Varteg LNWR station	Varteg LNWR Station footpath	Varteg LNWR Station	Varteg LNWR Station building
Snail Creep bridge, Varteg	Snail Creep bridge, Varteg	Snail Creep bridge, Varteg
Shop Road bridge, Varteg	Shop Road bridge, Varteg	Shop Road bridge, Varteg
Varteg incline abutments	Varteg incline abutments	Varteg Incline milepost

Upper Five Houses

Upper Five Houses, Varteg	Upper Five Houses, Varteg	Upper Five Houses, Varteg	Upper Five Houses, Varteg
Foundations at Upper Five Houses	Stonework at Upper Five Houses	Tips at Upper Five Houses	Tips at Upper Five Houses
Tips at Upper Five Houses	Tips at Upper Five Houses	Tips at Upper Five Houses	Tips at Upper Five Houses
Spring Cottage from tips

Around and about Varteg

Varteg from the Lasgarn tramway

Stonework near Pembroke Terrace

Cwmavon

Cwmavon Village

The Westgate Arms or Railway Inn	Beili Glas ironworkers cottages	The Westgate brewery	Forge Cottages
Quarry behind The Westlake Arms	Quarry behind The Westlake Arms		MRCC trackbed at Glebelands
Pen-yr-heol Farm, Cwmavon	Pen-yr-heol Farm, Cwmavon	Capel Newydd Farm, Cwmavon	Glebelands Farm, Cwmavon

Graig Quarry - SO 2710 0740

An old quarry on the Eastern side of the valley and connected to the MRCC by an incline. There seem to be the remains of tramroads in the quarry area to the limekiln. The top end of the incline exists as do a number of small 'caves' in the quarry face.

Graig Quarry limekiln	Graig Quarry limekiln	Graig Quarry tramroad	Graig Quarry tramroad tiebar
Graig Quarry	Graig Quarry	Graig Quarry	Graig Quarry
Graig Quarry	Graig Quarry

Gallowsgreen Quarry - SO 2665 0690

A surprisingly deep and extensive quarry to the West of the LNWR is accessed by an iron underbridge.

Gallowsgreen Quarry bridge

Gomers Castle Quarry and Inn - SO 2660 0706

A small quarry to the West of the LNWR and closed by 1901 was accessed by a partly-filled iron underbridge. There is a very large and substantially-built limekiln here, complete with the remains of the brick chimney. A short incline, shown as rail-less in 1882, runs down to the GWR next to the old Gomers Castle Inn which was open until at least the 1920s. Cwmavon reservoir at SO 2688 0710 is still in use.

Gomers Castle incline bridge

Gomers Castle incline

Gomers Castle limekiln

Gomers Castle limekiln

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks to John Matthews for providing some more boundary markers and to Andy Coldridge, Gwyn Jenkins, Graham Morley, Richard Morgan,
Alan Murray-Rust and Steve Thomas for addition photos and information.
Graig Wen Colliery has a chapter in 'Small Mines of South Wales' Vol 1 by Adrian Booth from the Industrial Railway Society.