The Darran Valley

Bargoed to Groes-faen Colliery - SO 1346 0057

BMR Woollen Mill footbridge

BMR Pont Caradoc

Wingfield Colliery sidings - SO 1345 0055

The screens and sidings on the BMR opposite Groes-faen Colliery. Previously the tramways from Bryncoch Colliery had a loading bank here.

Wingfield Colliery sidings

Wingfield Colliery sidings

Wingfield Colliery sidings

Wingfield Colliery sidings

Groes-faen Colliery - SO 1350 0060

Groes-faen aerial ropeway	Groes-faen aerial ropeway	Groes-faen aerial ropeway
Groes-faen Colliery platform	Groes-faen Colliery platform	Groes-faen Colliery platform	Groes-faen Colliery tips

Darran Colliery - SO 1305 0125

Darran Colliery disaster memorial

Darran Colliery screens

Deri Village and Station - SO 1285 0170

Deri footbridge	Deri station subway	Deri Station signal post	Deri Station signal post
Deri goods yard sidings	Deri goods yard sidings	Deri goods yard sidings

In the hills around Deri

Marquis of Bute boundary stone	Marquis of Bute boundary stone	Quarries above Deri	Quarries above Deri
1870s quarry at Tyr-capel	Craig-y-felin quarries

Deri overbridge - SO 1254 0247

The wooden overbridge spanning the BMR main line and the Ogilvie Colliery branch is now a listed structure and was restored in 2010.

Deri overbridge	Deri overbridge	Deri overbridge	Deri overbridge
Deri overbridge	Deri BMR trackbed

Ogilvie Colliery - SO 1202 0298

Ogilvie Colliery winding wheel	Ogilvie Colliery winding wheel	Ogilvie Colliery winding wheel	Ogilvie Colliery winding wheel
BMR underbridge	Ogilvie Colliery drams	Ogilvie Colliery drams	Ogilvie Colliery drams
Ogilvie Colliery airshaft	Ogilvie Colliery airshaft	Guide wheel on the tips

Fochriw and Pentwyn

Pen-y-banc bridge BMR	Capel Siloh BMR, Pen-y-banc	The BMR passing through Fochriw	The BMR passing through Fochriw
Pentwyn Village	Ffynnon Duon Colliery	Ffynnon Duon Colliery	Ffynnon Duon Colliery
Fochriw Colliery site	Levels opposite Pentwyn	Levels opposite Pentwyn	Base of a pylon

Between Fochriw and Rhaslas Pond

A maze of one-time railways, mines and watercourses. One more modern claim to fame is that an early David Tennant episode of Doctor Who was filmed up here. It was called Tooth and Claw, when the Doctor and Rose met Queen Victoria on a Scottish moor, (actually Fochriw!)

Fochriw, 1900	Tunnel Pits, 1900	Rhaslas Reservoir, 1900
Fochriw aerial view, 1945	Fochriw satellite view, 2018	Rhaslas aerial view, 1945	Rhaslas satellite view, 2018

Around Fochriw Colliery feeder pond - SO 0993 0547

Tips, shafts and workings from the late 19th century.

Fochriw tips and workings	Fochriw tips and workings	Fochriw tips and workings
Pulley wheel at Fochriw	Air shaft at Fochriw feeder pond	Air shaft at Fochriw feeder pond

The Brecon and Merthyr Railway - SO 0996 0638

The Brecon and Merthyr Railway bridged the Pontlottyn road here. To the South an embankment ran to Fochriw past the sidings to Fochriw Colliery on the right. A brick-built building near the site of the station may be a permanent way hut. To the North a deep cutting took the line towards Pant-y-Waun Halt but this soon disappears under the opencast tips.

Fochriw P W hut	Looking towards Fochriw	Looking towards Fochriw	Fochriw Colliery branch junction
The B&MR embankment	The B&MR embankment	The B&MR embankment	The B&MR embankment
A culvert undert the B&MR	The B&MR embankment	The B&MR bridge abutments	The B&MR bridge abutments
The B&MR bridge abutments	The B&MR cutting	The B&MR cutting	The B&MR cutting
The B&MR to GWR/RR line

Around Rhaslas Pond - SO 0950 0715

Rhaslas Pond was opened c1818 as one of the largest ponds that formed the Dowlais Free Drainage System. This system of linked ponds primarily fed water to Dowlais and Ivor ironworks.

Rhaslas Pond	Rhaslas Pond	Rhaslas Pond
Rhaslas Pond Outtake pipe	Rhaslas Pond valvehouse

Rhaslas Houses Quarry - SO 0907 0715

Rhaslas Houses were a pair of houses built prior to 1868 with a small quarry behind them and Rhaslas Pit in front. The quarry may have been the source of stone to line Rhaslas Pit shaft.

Rhaslas Houses Quarry

Rhaslas Houses Quarry

Rhaslas Houses Quarry

Rhaslas Houses Quarry

Rhaslas Pit - SO 0927 0702

Rhaslas Pit appears to be a ventilating shaft dating from before 1870 but only known as 'Rhaslas Pit' by 1898. Prior to 1898 'Rhaslas Pit' is shown as just below Lower Four Foot Pit but by then marked as an 'old shaft'.

Rhaslas Pit capped shaft

Rhaslas Pit tips

Rhaslas Pit tips

Tunnel Pit Houses - SO 0932 0632

Tunnel Pit Houses or South Tunnel Houses were built between 1870 and 1890 opposite South Tunnel Pit as a row of four cottages. They were rebuilt into one property, the 'Tunnel Tavern' in the 1970s and I believe it closed and was demolished in the late 1980s. Shepherds Pond above them was part of the Dowlais Free Drainage System of 1818. The 'tunnel' was the B&MR tunnel under the Merthyr Road in 1868 but this had gone by 1898, replaced by a bridge. Of the South Tunnel Pit itself, there's not the slightest trace.

Tunnel Pit Houses

Tunnel Pit Houses

Shepherds Pond valvehouse

Shepherds Pond

Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway

In 1875 the Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway linked Dowlais Ironworks with Pant-y-waun Pit, Carnau Drift, Mine Pits Nos 1 and 2 and Lower Four Feet Pit. It was worked by locos from Dowlais Ironworks. Pant-y-waun Pit, Carno Drift and Mine Pits Nos 1 and 2 were closed c1886 so the railway from Dowlais to Lower Four Feet Pit closed and an extension Southwards to Tunnel Pit and Fochriw opened instead. The sinking of Tunnel Pit commenced in 1859 but was suspended until 1869, coal being raised in 1874 and it closed in 1924. That spelled the end of the Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway and unfortunately very little remains due to the opencast and reclamation work.

Pant-y-Waun mineral railway,1875	Pant-y-Waun mineral railway,1875	Pant-y-Waun mineral railway,1875	Pant-y-Waun mineral railway, 1919
Pant-y-Waun mineral railway, 1919	Pant-y-Waun mineral railway, 1919	Tunnel Pit	Tunnel Pit
Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway	Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway	Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway	Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway
Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway	Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway	Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway	Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway
Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway	Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway

Lower Four Feet Pit - SO 0910 0745

Lower Four Feet Pit probably started work c1856 with Pant-y-waun Pit and was reported flooded in 1868 when a shaft and level are shown on the OS map. At this time 'Rhaslas Pit' was just a few yards away. It was linked to Dowlais Ironworks by the Pant-y-Waun Mineral Railway. By 1898 Lower Four Feet Pit was much reduced and by 1915 is just shown as a pumping station. Nothing but tips are shown on the 1948 map except the 'old shaft' of Rhaslas Pit.

Lower Four Feet Pit	Lower Four Feet Pit	Tramway chair and cill at pit	Tramway chair and cill at pit
Lower Four Feet Pit cable roller	Lower Four Feet Pit lower pond	Lower Four Feet Pit tramway	Lower Four Feet Pit tramway
Lower Four Feet Pit tramway	Lower Four Feet Pit upper pond	Lower Four Feet Pit shaft

New Tredegar

Elliots Colliery and Cwm Syfiog

Mount Pleasant level	Cwm Syfiog boundary marker 'CM'	Cwm Syfiog boundary marker 'T'	Cwm Syfiog quarry tips
Dafalog level, New Tredegar	Dafalog level interior	Dafalog level interior
Elliots Colliery tips	Elliots Colliery tips
Phillipstown engine house	Phillipstown engine house	Phillipstown engine house

Tir-phil - SO 1350 0355

Tir-phil Rising Sun quarry

Tir-phil Graig Rhymney quarries

White Rose Colliery - SO 1405 0385

The amazing 'colliery in a cupboard', probably a drainage level as the main level and second level were at the other end of the tramway which terminated by the BMR here. If you can manage to look through the gaps with a torch, you can see past the wall inside and the steel support rings going down into the hillside. White Rose Colliery was part of Thomas Powell's empire, later Powell Duffryn, working by 1850 and closed in 1908.

White Rose Colliery in a cupboard	White Rose Colliery tramway	White Rose Colliery tramway	White Rose Colliery lower level
White Rose Colliery upper level	White Rose Colliery upper level	White Rose Colliery quarry	White Rose Colliery quarry incline

New Tredegar Colliery - SO 1380 0455

Trackbed to New Tredegar station	New Tredegar Colliery quarry	New Tredegar Colliery quarry	New Tredegar Colliery quarry
New Tredegar Colliery quarry	New Tredegar Colliery quarry	New Tredegar Colliery quarry

Abertysswg

BMR trackbed, Abertysswg

A secret invasion by the LYR

The site of McLarens No 1 Colliery

Bricked-up viaduct over tramway

Lloyds Level or Quarry Level, Mountain Ash - SO 1428 0661

A series of small levels known as Lloyds Level, or Quarry Level to the NCB, were opposite the Mountain Ash Inn, on the road from Abertwsswg to Tredegar. Old levels are shown here in 1899 and 1948 but it appears to have been re-worked (by a man called Lloyd?) in the 1960s. I took a photo while passing in 2010 but thanks to Stephen James for providing a lot more.

Lloyds or Quarry Level, 1958	Lloyds or Quarry Level	Lloyds or Quarry Level	Lloyds or Quarry Level
Lloyds or Quarry Level	Lloyds or Quarry Level	Lloyds or Quarry Level	Lloyds or Quarry Level

Pontlottyn

Troedrhiwfuwch - SO 1296 0446

A vanished village below Pontlottyn

Troedrhiwfuwch bridge

Troedrhiwfuwch bridge

Troedrhiwfuwch tramways

Foundations near Gwrhyd Pit

Rhymney Merthyr Colliery - SO 1215 0555

Rhymney Merthyr Colliery weir

Rhymney Merthyr Colliery weir

Rhymney Merthyr Colliery site

Pontlottyn - SO 1175 0610

Rhymney Station BMR, Pontlottyn	Rhymney Station BMR, Pontlottyn	Rhymney Railway link to Collieries	Rhymney Pit loading dock columns
Gasworks river wall	Mclaren Colliery winding wheels	Pontlottyn Viaduct from East	Pontlottyn Viaduct from West

Rhymney

Bryn-oer Patch

Bryn-oer Patch has been subject to opencasting which has lost almost everything of interest. A few small areas remain where, with a lot of imagination, a taste of industry can be sensed.

Bryn-oer Quarry - SO 1190 0945

An old iron ore quarry marked as 'Old' on the 1875 OS map. It seems to be just one small area untouched by the opencasting work.

An old iron ore quarry on Bryn-oer

An old iron ore quarry on Bryn-oer

An old iron ore quarry on Bryn-oer

Bryn-oer Level and Suzannah's Row - SO 1130 0885

Bryn-oer Level was working by 1840 and appears to have been disused by 1875. It was connected to the Rhymney (Brinore) Tramroad to Trefil and seems to have closed when the tramroad closed. Suzannah's Row was built c1805 for iron and coal workers, probably during Richard Crawshay's ownership of the Union Ironworks. They are now very derelict and protected by stout metal fencing. Suzannah was the sister of Richard Crawshay and married John Bailey, becoming the parents of Crawshay Bailey of Nant-y-glo.

Bryn-oer Level and Suzannah's Row	The site of Bryn-oer Level	Suzannah's Row, Rhymney
Suzannah's Row, Rhymney	Suzannah's Row, Rhymney	Suzannah's Row, Rhymney

Tai-Level-Lo - SO 1142 0866

Tai-Level-Lo, or Tai'r Lefel Glo, consisted of two rows of pre-1846 cottages with coal workings around them. A licenced mine worked 6 levels in the hills above them from 1955 to 1992. The site of the cottages is now a smallholding. Tai'r Lefel Glo translates as 'Coal Level Houses'. John Morgan adds that the Houses were actually called Colliers Row. In the 1881 census his Great Grandparents, grandmother and her brother along with his 2x great Grandmother and 2x great uncle lived in 9 Colliers Row.

Tai-level-glo,1877

The site of Tai-Level-Lo

Mining at Tai-Level-Lo in 1965

Gwaun Fawr Pit - SO 1148 0847

Gwaun Fawr Pit, or Waun Fawr, was probably working before 1840 and passed into the Rhymney Iron Co in 1873. It was abandoned in 1879 but used for ventilation for some years. It was connected to the Iron Co's valley tramway by what appears to be a double track incline. It may well have mined both coal and ironstone.

Gwaun-fawr Pit, 1877	The site of Waun-Fawr Pit	The site of Waun-Fawr Pit
Waun-Fawr Pit incline	Waun-Fawr Pit incline	Waun-Fawr Pit incline	Airshaft on Waun-Fawr Pit incline

Bute Town - SO 1045 0915

Bute Town, originally known as New Town, was built in 1802 for the workers at the Union Ironworks. The model village was renovated in 1979. The reservoir opposite is shown on the 1840s tithe map. The LNWR / GWR railway link from the MTAR at Rhymney Bridge to Rhymney passed under the entrance road.

Bute Town, Rhymney	Bute Town, Rhymney	Bute Town, Rhymney
Bute Town, Rhymney	Bute Town reservoir, Rhymney	Bute Town reservoir, Rhymney
The LNWR/GWR trackbed	The LNWR/GWR trackbed	The LNWR/GWR trackbed

Nant Llesg Pit - SO 1050 0830

Nant Llesg Pit and Pitwellt were ironstone mines either side of Nant Llesg House, open by 1875 and disused by 1898. By 1915 a series of large water tanks and buildings were built in the grounds of Nant Llesg House but are now disused. The Rumney Ironstone Railway to the limestone quarries at Twynau Gwynion ran past the site.

Nant Llesg, 1875	Nant Llesg, 1915
Water tank building	Water tank building	Water tank building	Water tank building
Small square tanks	Small square tanks	Small square tanks
Large round tank	Large round tank	Nant Llesg ironstone shaft	Reservoir at the ironstone shaft
Bryn Pyllog tips	Bryn Pyllog tips

Rhymney Town

Old Rhymney was riddled with the Rhymney iron Co's tramways running through it. They connected the ironworks with small levels, the brickworks, the brewery and sidings on the main railway line. Over the years re-building has changed the scene but some routes can still be followed. The tramway from Twyn Carno, past the brickworks and brewery site is a pleasant riverside walk and the route to the tunnel under 'The Lawn' is a lane and footpath up to the site of the tunnel.

Rhymney town tramways, 1899	Hospital and railway line	Rhymney Iron Co's offices	Riverside tramway trackbed
Rhymney Station and '231 010'	Mural on the wall of the 'Castle Hotel'	The site of Rhymney brickworks	Rear of Oakridge factory, Rhymney
Rhymney brickworks tramway	Rhymney brickworks tramway	Rhymney brickworks tramway	brickworks coal levels tramway

Union Ironworks, Llechryd - SO 1085 0917

This is an 1802 upper blast furnace on the site of the Union Ironworks, the first ironworks in Rhymney. A Boulton and Watt 24cyl, 5 stroke (double) blowing engine was supplied in 1801.

Union Ironworks blast furnace	Union Ironworks blast furnace	Union Ironworks blast furnace
Union Ironworks blast furnace	Union Ironworks managers house	Union Ironworks noticeboard

Rhymney Tramroad to Tredegar - SO 1110 0925

On the North Western side of the stream towards Bryn-brith Pit, along the hedgerow, investigations have found evidence of a tramroad. This is should be the first 2'9" tramroad to Tredegar. The small header pond, below the original Bryn Bach pond, still exists.

Tramroads near the Union Ironworks	The original Tredegar Tramroad	The original Tredegar Tramroad	The original Tredegar Tramroad
The original Tredegar Tramroad	The original Tredegar Tramroad	The original Tredegar Tramroad	The original Tredegar Tramroad
Feeder pond near Bryn-brith	Feeder pond near Bryn-brith

Twynau Gwynion and the Rhymney Limestone Railway

The extensive limestone quarries at Twynau Gwynion were originally connected to Dowlais Ironworks until 1825 when Morlais East quarries became that ironworks main source of limestone. The Bute Ironworks took over these quarries and the Rhymney Limestone Railway was opened.

Rhymney Limestone Railway, 1884

Rhymney Limestone Railway, 1884

Rhymney Limestone Railway, 1884

Rhymney Limestone Railway, 1884

The Rhymney Limestone Railway leaves Rhymney - SO 1050 0830

The embankment of the Rhymney Limestone Railway near Nant Llesg ironstone mine

Rhymney Limestone Railway

Rhymney Limestone Railway

The Rhymney Limestone Railway heads to Twynau Gwynion - SO 00746 0978

The trackbed of the Rhymney Limestone Railway can be seen behind the Asda supermarket, running through the lost village of Pengarnddu up to a large embankment over Nant Morlais where the quarries begin.

The railway behind Asda	The railway at Pengarnddu	The Nant Morlais embankment	Nant Morlais
The leat sluice at Nant Morlais	The leat sluice at Nant Morlais	Tramroad at the embankment

Twynau Gwynion quarries - SO 0650 1060

Once over the Nant Morlais, the main line carried on to the end of the quarries at the county boundary. Many tramroads and railway branches ran off to the right to serve what ultimately became some quite large quarries.

Twynau Gwynion main line	Twynau Gwynion main line	Twynau Gwynion main line	Twynau Gwynion main line
The first quarry loop	The first quarry loop	The first quarry loop junction	The second quarry loop
Twynau Gwynion quarry branches	Twynau Gwynion quarry branches	Twynau Gwynion quarries	Twynau Gwynion quarries
Twynau Gwynion quarries			The first tramroad to Rhymney

The ganister quarry aerial ropeway - SO 0677 1028

The aerial ropeway ran from a ganister quarry at Twynau Gwynion across the valley to East Morlais quarries for use in Dowlais Ivor works. It was probably built after 1914 as the Rhymney Limestone Railway had closed by then.

The ganister quarry bunker	The ganister quarry bunker	The ganister quarry bunker	The ganister quarry bunker
The aerial ropeway loading point	The aerial ropeway pylon base	The aerial ropeway pylon base	Ganister quarry building
The ganister quarry

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks to :- Adam Everley and Andrew Ralph for more information.
'The Merthyr Historian', the magazine of the Merthyr Tydvil Historical Society