Chepstow to Tintern

E Finch & Co Ltd, Chepstow

E Finch & Co Ltd began life building the Chepstow railway bridge for I K Brunel in 1852. It developed into a varied engineering company, notably shipbuilding. The company was sold in 1916 eventually becoming the Fairfield Mabey engineering works.

1877 at Risca Museum	1887 plate at Pontypridd	'E Finch & Co Limtd 1892'	1899 plate at Pye Corner
1902 plate at Abercynon	1906 plate on Brockweir bridge	1910 plate in the Forest of Dean

Chepstow - ST 5340 9390

The gun from a German WW1 submarine

Lancaut limekilns - ST 5340 9655

Lancaut limekilns	Lancaut limekilns	Lancaut limekilns	Lancaut limekilns
Lancaut limekilns	Lancaut limekilns quarry	Lancaut limekilns
Lancaut church	Lancaut church	Lancaut woods footbridge, 2006	Lancaut woods footbridge, 2021

Lancaut quarry - ST 5415 9590

Lancaut quarry at work	Lancaut quarry at work	Lancaut quarry
Lancaut quarry	Lancaut quarry loading dock	Lancaut quarry loading dock

The Cold Bath, Piercefield - ST 5248 9684

The ruins of an 18th century cold water plunge bath. The tile-lined pool was fed by water from a stream via a culvert. Later a hydraulic ram was installed in an adjacent brick building.

The Cold Bath, Piercefield

The hydraulic ram, Piercefield

The ram house, Piercefield

Tintern's limekilns

Colwell Grove limekiln - ST 5331 9975

An early 19th century limekiln with two draw holes restored in old quarry in Colwell Grove. Lots of small quarries in the hillside behind them. Look at the base of the wall on the other side of the main track to see some arched construction in the footings.

Colwell Grove limekiln	Colwell Grove limekiln	Colwell Grove limekiln
Colwell Grove limekiln	Arch opposite limekiln

Limekiln Wood limekiln - ST 5320 9955

Behind Colwell Grove deep in the woods and on a heck of a slope are a set of substantial limekilns. There are two separate kilns a few yards from each other, each with double draw holes. Very difficult to get good photos as they are in heavy shadow and 'back a bit, back a bit' will result in serious injury. But they are well worth the effort.

Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln
Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln
Limekiln Wood limekiln	Northern limekiln pot	Southern limekiln pot
Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln	Limekiln Wood limekiln

Porthcasseg Farm limekiln - ST 5237 9761
Reddings Farm limekiln - ST 5313 9910

An almost buried limekiln with two draw holes near Porthcasseg Farm. A small quarry is behind it and another is to the South.
The limekiln at Reddings Farm was marked 'old' in 1900 and has now virtually disappeared.

Porthcasseg limekiln	Porthcasseg limekiln	Porthcasseg limekiln
Porthcasseg limekiln pot	Porthcasseg limekiln pot	Limekiln site at Reddings Farm

Tintern's lead, iron, wire and tinplate Industry

Wyndcliff Woods - ST 5298 9866

There are many old lead workings around Wyndcliff Woods, some dating from Roman times. An air shaft can be found to the right at the top of the '365 steps'.

Old lead level, Wyndcliff

Leadmine airshaft, Wyndcliff

Leadmine airshaft, Wyndcliff

Tintern Ironworks - SO 5140 0027

Tintern ironworks worked from the 16th century to around 1826. The charcoal blast furnace was around 9ft diameter with a waterwheel to work the bellows. The waterwjheel was fed by a leat from the upper pond, carried on short pillars at the works end. Stone pillars carried water to the wheel. At the end of the 1700s the bellows were replaced by iron blowing cylinders - a world first.

A general view of the site	A general view of the site	The blast furnace	The waterwheel pit
The pillars for the leat	Beside the blast furnace	A sketch of the site
The course of the leat	The upper pond and dam	The upper pond and dam	The upper pond and dam
A sketch of the valley	The lower pond	The lower pond

Lower Wireworks, Tintern - SO 5267 0010

Wiremaking began at much the same time as the ironworks and carried on until the Abbey Wireworks Co closed in 1875. It reopened as the Abbey Wire and Tinplate Co in 1880 and closed again in 1901, this time for good.

The site of the wireworks

The site of the wireworks

The site of a turbine

The wireworks branch

Tintern Wireworks railway bridge - SO 5300 0028

Before the branch from the Wye Valley Railway had even opened, the Abbey Wireworks Company had stopped trading. The line remained disused until the early 1880s when the works were taken over by the Abbey Wire and Tinplate Company but this too closed in 1901. From then on the branch was only used by horses for the sawmills and turnery works in the village. The line closed completely in 1935 and most of the tracks were lifted for scrap in 1941.

Tintern Wireworks bridge	Tintern Wireworks bridge	Tintern Wireworks bridge	Isca Foundry bridge plate
Wireworks branch trackbed	Wireworks branch trackbed	Wireworks branch trackbed

Bigsweir, Redbrook and Monmouth

Bigsweir - SO 5382 0512

A pillbox guards Bigsweir Bridge

Pillbox guarding Bigsweir Bridge

Pillbox guarding Bigsweir Bridge

Pillbox guarding Bigsweir Bridge

Pillbox guarding Bigsweir Bridge

Redbrook

Bridges and inclines on the GWR Coleford branch and the Monmouth Tramroad.

Upper Redbrook bridge	Tramroad incline to ironworks	Tramroad incline to ironworks	Tramroad incline to ironworks
Culvert under incline	Redbrook Brewery waterwheel?	Redbrook railway bridge	Redbrook railway bridge

Monmouth - SO 5131 1269

Two pillboxes guard the bridge at Mayhill Station

Pillbox guarding Mayhill Station

Pillbox guarding Mayhill Station

The Wye Valley Railway

Along the Wye Valley Railway from Chepstow to Redbrook

Tidenham Tunnel - ST 5476 9729

Before Tidenham tunnel

Before Tidenham tunnel

Tidenham tunnel

Tidenham tunnel

Tintern Quarry to Tintern Tunnel

Tintern Quarry	Tintern Quarry	Tintern Quarry	Tintern Quarry
Black Morgans Wood viaduct	Tintern tunnel	Tintern tunnel	Tintern tunnel

Tintern Station - ST 5370 0065

Tintern Station viaduct	Tintern Station	Tintern Station	Tintern Station
Tintern Station	Tintern Station coaches	Tintern Station milepost	Brockweir bridge builders plate

Redbrook

Bigsweir to the Redbrook bridge

Redbrook GWR trackbed	Redbrook GWR trackbed	Redbrook railway bridge	Redbrook railway bridge
Redbrook railway bridge	Redbrook railway bridge	Redbrook railway bridge

Monmouth

Wye Valley Railway - SO 5127 1198

The Wye Valley Railway viaduct

Wye Valley Railway viaduct	Wye Valley Railway viaduct	Wye Valley Railway viaduct
Wye Valley Railway viaduct	Wye Valley Railway viaduct	Wye Valley Railway viaduct

Ross and Monmouth Railway - SO 5129 1214

Ross and Monmouth Railway

Mayhill Station bridge, Monmouth	Ross and Monmouth viaduct	Ross and Monmouth viaduct
Ross and Monmouth viaduct	Ross and Monmouth viaduct	Ross and Monmouth viaduct

Monmouth Troy Station - SO 5090 1182

Monmouth Troy Station and tunnel

Platelayers hut at Troy Station	Platelayers hut at Troy Station	Troy Station goods yard
Monmouth Troy tunnel	Monmouth Troy tunnel