Melingriffith and Tongwynlais

Melingriffith

Melingriffith Water Pump in 1965 - ST 1420 7997

In 1965, almost before living memory, a bunch of spotty schoolboys from Whitchurch Grammar School were given a project - prepare accurate drawings of the pump. I really doubt if we ever did prepare anything more than rough sketches but we had great fun clambering over the pump, photographing it and taking highly precise measurements using a foot ruler. We weren't allowed to use delicate instruments such as the said ruler so our engineering master, 'Phoz Williams', wielded that. Being the ace photographer of the group, ie. the only boy with his own camera, I took the photos using my state-of-the-art Kodak Instamatic. There were just two settings on that camera, giving results that were 'Poor' or 'Very Poor'. These photos do seem to be in the 'slightly better than poor' category !! One advantage of it being a school project was that we visited the National Museum and were taken behind the scenes to view some original drawings of the pump.

The Melingriffith Water Pump, 1915	Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965	Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965
Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965	Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965	Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965
Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965	Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965	Melingriffith Water Pump, 1965

Melingriffith Water Pump today

The Melingriffith Water Pump, 1915	Melingriffith Water Pump	Melingriffith Water Pump
Melingriffith Water Pump	Melingriffith Water Pump	Melingriffith Water Pump
Melingriffith Water Pump	Melingriffith Water Pump

The Glamorganshire Canal - ST 1430 8046

Melingriffith Lock bridge	Melingriffith Lock bridge	Forest Farm canal bridge
Forest Lock, Glamorganshire Canal	Forest Lock, Glamorganshire Canal	Forest Lock, Glamorganshire Canal
Forest Lock, Glamorganshire Canal	Forest Lock, Glamorganshire Canal	Glamorgan Canal, Middle Lock

Melingriffith Tramway and Tinplate Works - ST 1425 8035

The tramway dates from 1812 as a tramroad linking the Melingriffith Works with the Pentyrch Works. It was converted to a railway in 1871 and connected with the Taff Vale Railway beyound Gwaelod-y-garth. After crossing the River Taffover the 'ironbridge' , it crossed the Taff Vale Railway on the flat at the site of the original TVR Pentyrch Station of 1841. The line closed in 1959 and the crossing and junction with the GWR taken out after 1961.

Melingriffith Works feeder control gates	Old weirs near the works tailrace		Melingriffith tramway ironbridge
Melingriffith tramway ironbridge	Melingriffith tramway ironbridge	Melingriffith tramway ironbridge	Melingriffith tramway ironbridge
Melingriffith tramway	Tramway crossing and Pentyrch Station
Melingriffith tramway, 'Emerald Isle'	Melingriffith tramway, 'Emerald Isle'	Melingriffith Tinplate Works, c1920	Melingriffith Tinplate Works, c1938

Tongwynlais

The Cardiff Railway from Coryton to Tongwynlais

The trackbed and bridges of the Cardiff Railway near Tongwynlais. The line past Coryton at ST 1440 8090 was disused after c1952 when a cut-off at Taffs Well was opened. The trackbed has since been severed by the M4 but is now open to walkers as part of the Glamorgan Canal Nature Reserve.

The end of the line, Coryton	Pendywyallt Road bridge, Coryton	Pendywyallt Road bridge, Coryton	Occupation bridge
Trackbed between bridges	Long Wood viaduct	Long Wood viaduct

Rhiwbina Hill iron mine and limkilns - ST 1471 8313

An iron mine possibly from 1861 and some equally old limekilns at ST 1470 8304 plus some agricultural sites.

Building below Gelli Quarry	Building below Gelli Quarry	The 'Cwm', a smallholding?	The 'Cwm', a smallholding?
Rhiwbina Hill iron mine	Rhiwbina Hill iron mine tips	Rhiwbina Hill iron mine tips	Rhiwbina Hill iron mine tips
Limekilns above iron mine	Limekilns above iron mine	Limekilns above iron mine	Limekilns above iron mine

Tongwynlais, Castell Coch and Forest Ganol

Canalside Cottage, Tongwynlais	Fforest Ganol water valvehouse	Fforest Ganol water valvehouse	Pen-y-bryn Cottage
Castell Coch Ironstone mines	Castell Coch Ironstone mines	Castell Coch Ironstone mines
Castell Coch ironstone mines	Castell Coch ironstone mines	Castell Coch ironstone mines	Castell Coch ironstone mines
Castell Coch slide pits	Castell Coch slide pits	Castell Coch slide pits

Taffs Well

South Wales Forgemasters, now TfW Metro depot - ST 1255 8320

The old 'engine shed' shaped building was indeed the Rhymney Railway engine shed, used to stable the banking loco for the 'big hill'. South Wales Forgemaster has gone and the site is now TfWs depot for the South Wales Metro.

Rhymney Railway loco shed	South Wales Forgemasters	South Wales Forgemasters
'Lawrence & Co Taffs Well'		Stored '398' tram-trains at the Metro depot

The Barry Railway through Taffs Well

Ty Rhiw bridge	Ty Rhiw bridge	Trackbed near Ty Rhiw
Nant Brynnau bridge	Nant Brynnau bridge	Nant Brynnau bridge
Rockwood Colliery bridge	Rockwood Colliery bridge
Graigside Lane bridge	Underpass at Bwlch-y-Maen	Building at Bwlch-y-maen

The Rhymney Railway through Taffs Well

Footbridge near Forgemasters	Bridge over the Cardiff Railway	Rhymney Cottages	Rhymney Cottages
Signal at Rhymney Cottages	Signal at Rhymney Cottages	Signal at Rhymney Cottages	Signal at Rhymney Cottages, 1983
'S' sign near Rhymney Cottages	The 'Spring points' in 1983	Football ground lane bridge	Football ground lane bridge
Graigside Lane bridge	Graigside Lane bridge	Bwlch-y-maen Lane bridge	Tank base approaching Penrhos

The Taff Vale Railway and Cardiff Railway through Taffs Well

TVR river bridge, Taffs Well	TVR river bridge, Taffs Well	A 'Sprinter' approaches Taffs Well,	A 'Sprinter' approaches Taffs Well,
Cardiff Railway from RR bridge	Cardiff Railway from RR bridge	Cardiff Railway from RR bridge

New Rockwood Colliery, Taffs Well - ST 1260 8415
Rockwood Colliery, Craig-yr-allt - ST 1345 8465

New Rockwood Colliery is quite recent in the grand scheme of things, being active from 1906 to 1963 and the buildings are currently in use by light industry. Rockwood Colliery, up in the hills, was linked to New Rockwood Colliery in Taffs Well by a halfmile incline passing through a short tunnel under the Barry Railway.
Craig-yr-allt has a string of diggings along the seam outcrop with some more serious workings at the Eastern end at ST 1385 8510. The Coal Authority sign here names them as 'New Rockwood' but I don't think they were actually part of New Rockwood Colliery.

New Rockwood Colliery, 1948	Rockwood Colliery, 1948	New Rockwood Colliery level	New Rockwood Colliery level
New Rockwood Colliery	New Rockwood Colliery	Tunnel under Barry Railway	Tunnel under Barry Railway
Tunnel under Barry Railway	Tunnel under Barry Railway	Tunnel under Barry Railway	Incline to Rockwood Colliery
Incline halfway point	Incline halfway point	Rockwood Colliery site	Rockwood Colliery site
Rockwood Colliery site	Rockwood Colliery site		Workings on Craig-yr-allt, 1915
Level near Ffwrnes Blwm	Level near Ffwrnes Blwm	Level near Ffwrnes Blwm	Shaft near Ffwrnes Blwm

Bryn Coch Colliery and brickworks - ST 1209 8458

Bryn Coch Brickworks and Colliery is now a bijou housing estate but odd walls can be found under the Rhymney Railway and in the woods above.

Bryncoch Brickworks, 1875	Bryncoch locks and brickworks, 1875	Bryncoch Brickworks wall
Bryn Coch Colliery level	Bryn Coch Colliery shaft	Bryn Coch Colliery incline portal

Craig-yr-allt Colliery - ST 1217 8508

Craig-yr-allt Colliery, in operation by the 1790s, was abandoned around 1878 but it's loading bank can still be found in the rainforest.

Craig-yr-allt Colliery, 1875

Craig-yr-allt Colliery loading bank

Craig-yr-allt Colliery loading bank

Craig-yr-allt Colliery loading bank

Nantgarw

Nantgarw China Works - ST 1203 8544

Nantgarw China Works made fine porcelain from 1813 to 1820, closing until 1833 when it made earthenware, stoneware and clay pipes until 1920. The site became derelict until 1989 when council intervention and the formation of a trust have turned it into a museum and craft centre.

Plan of Nantgarw China Works	Model of Nantgarw China Works	Nantgarw China Works	Nantgarw China Works
Nantgarw China Works House	Nantgarw China Works yard	The pipemakers cottages	The pipemakers cottages
A long-rotted canal barge	Nantgarw China Works boiler	Nantgarw China Works workshops	Nantgarw China Works workshops
Nantgarw China Works workshops	Nantgarw China Works workshops	Nantgarw China Works drying room	Nantgarw China Works drying room
Nantgarw China Works drying room		Nantgarw China Works kiln 2	Nantgarw China Works kiln 2
Nantgarw China Works kiln 2	Nantgarw China Works kiln 2	Nantgarw China Works kiln 2	Nantgarw China Works kiln 2
Nantgarw China Works kiln 3	Nantgarw China Works kiln 3	Nantgarw China Works kiln 3	Nantgarw China Works kiln 3

The Glamorganshire Canal - ST 1202 8541

The Canal bridge at Nantgarw

The Canal bridge at Nantgarw

The Glamorganshire Canal, Nantgarw

The Glamorganshire Canal, Nantgarw

Nantgarw Colliery

And finally a couple of photos from 1974 of Nantgarw Colliery and a distant view of Groeswen Colliery tips.

Nantgarw Colliery and RH loco

Nantgarw Colliery yard

Groeswen Colliery, Nantgarw

Lesser Garth or Little Garth

Modern workings on the Lesser Garth and the Barry Railway, including the tunnel and Walnut Tree Viaduct.

Morganstown and the old dolomite quarries

Morganstown limekilns

Morganstown Quarry loading bank

Dolomite kilns and sidings

Taffs Well Quarry, Lesser Garth

Better known as the Steetley dolomite quarry but owned by Cemex since 2004. The entrance tunnel which breach the old Barry Railway tunnel was opened in 2009.

Lesser Garth dolomite quarry	Lesser Garth dolomite quarry	Lesser Garth dolomite quarry	Lesser Garth dolomite quarry
Lesser Garth dolomite quarry	Lesser Garth dolomite quarry	Lesser Garth dolomite quarry	Lesser Garth dolomite quarry
Lesser Garth dolomite quarry	Lesser Garth quarry and tunnel	Lesser Garth quarry and tunnel	Lesser Garth quarry and tunnel
Lesser Garth quarry and tunnel	Lesser Garth quarry road tunnel	Lesser Garth quarry road tunnel	Aerial ropeway bucket
Aerial ropeway bucket	Aerial ropeway bucket	Aerial ropeway cable	Aerial ropeway guide
Lesser Garth Quarry machinery	Wheaton valve in machinery	Ton Mawr Quarry	Ton Mawr Quarry
Lesser Garth sub-station	Lesser Garth sub-station	Lesser Garth sub-station

Walnut Tree Tunnel and Viaduct

Tunnel North building	Tunnel North portal	Tunnel North portal	Tunnel South footbridge
Tunnel South portal	Tunnel South portal	Tunnel South portal	Tunnel through South portal
Tunnel through South portal	Tunnel through South portal	Walnut Tree viaduct column	Walnut Tree viaduct column
Walnut Tree viaduct column	Viaduct South parapet	Viaduct South parapet	Viaduct South parapet
Viaduct South parapet	View from South parapet	View from South parapet	Viaduct South signal box
Viaduct South signal box

Garth Iron Mine and tramways

Garth Iron Mine, Lesser Garth

With possible Roman ancestry, the Garth Iron Mine was developed by Blakemore and Booker, owners of the Melingriffith tinplate and Pentyrch iron works from 1805. Originally mined from the South, ore was taken down the upper tramroad to the Coed-y-Bedw tramroad and down the incline. In 1842, a tunnel was driven through the mountain to connect with the Coed-y-Bedw tramroad and the upper tramroad was abandoned. Booker went bankrupt in 1879 and the mine was abandoned in 1884.

The mine re-opened from 1926 to 1936 by the 'West of England Ochre and Oxide Co', succeeded briefly by 'F W Watkins' and the 'Garth-wood Co', closing again in 1937. World War 2 saw the mine being renovated for use as an ordnance store but left to become derelict again in peacetime. These details are taken from the late Reg Malpass' history of the mine in his Flickr photo album, click here to read the full story.

Garth Iron Mine, 1874

Underground workings

Underground workings

The Northern workings of the Garth Iron Mine

Dolomite Quarry building	Dolomite Quarry building	Eastern Quarry	Eastern Quarry tramway
Unfinished East adit	Unfinished East adit	Incline up to tramway	Incline to Pentyrch Ironworks
Tramway below ore sorting shed	The ore sorting shed	The ore sorting shed
Tramway to ore sorting shed	Tramway to Coed-y-Bedw levels	WW2 ammunition storage building	WW2 ammunition storage building
West adit	West adit	West adit	West adit
Bridge over Pentyrch Road	Tramroad to bridge	1926 loading dock	1926 loading dock
1926 loading dock	Quarry above West adit

The Upper workings of the Garth Iron Mine

The top of the Lesser Garth is covered with the remains of very old workings that connected to the West by a tramroad

Upper adit 1	Upper adit 1	Upper adit 2	Upper adit 2
Upper adit 2	Upper adit 3	Minor upper adits	Minor upper adits
Minor upper adits	Minor upper adits
pre-1842 tramroad	pre-1842 tramroad	pre-1842 tramroad sleeper

The Southern workings of the Garth Iron Mine

Original entrance	Original entrance	Original entrance	Original entrance
Original entrance	Original entrance	Original entrance	Original entrance
Original entrance	Original entrance	Original entrance	Original entrance
Garth Iron Mine interior	Garth Iron Mine interior	Garth Iron Mine interior	One of the interior shafts
Garth Iron Mine interior	Garth Iron Mine interior	Garth Iron Mine interior	Garth Iron Mine interior
The Blue Lake	The Blue Lake	Modern access ramp	Part of the WW2 lighting system
Ventilation door	The inside of the West adit gate	The inside of the West adit gate	Garth Iron Mine interior
Part of a pumping system	Part of a pumping system	Part of a pumping system	One of the interior shafts
Garth Iron Mine interior	Garth Iron Mine interior

Gwaelod-y-Garth

The Pentyrch Ironworks railway.

The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway
The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The footpath subway	The footpath subway
	The footpath subway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway
The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway	The Pentyrch Ironworks railway

Lan Colliery - ST 1176 8338

Lan Colliery main level	Lan Colliery main level	Lan Colliery main level	Lan Colliery main level
Lan Colliery building	Lan Colliery building	Lan Colliery building
Lan Colliery fanhouse	Lan Colliery fanhouse	Lan Colliery ventilation shaft
Lan Colliery engine house	Lan Colliery engine house	Lan Colliery engine house	Lan Colliery shaft
Lan Colliery tips	Lan Colliery tramway	Lan Colliery tramway

Shafts and levels above Gwaelod-y-Garth

The hillside behind Gwaelod-y-Garth is littered with old shafts, levels and tramways.

Shaft above Lan Colliery	Shaft above Lan Colliery	Shaft above Lan Colliery
Tramway near the Pentyrch road	Small level above Lan Colliery

Cwmdows Colliery and Garth Level - ST 1168 8383

Cwmdows Colliery loading bank	Cwmdows Colliery level	Cwmdows Colliery ventilation shaft	Cwmdows Colliery ventilation shaft
Cwm Dows drainage level	Cwm Dows drainage level	Cwm Dows drainage level	Cwmdows Colliery tips

Garth Rhondda Level - ST 1163 8397

Garth Rhondda drainage level	Garth Rhondda drainage level	Garth Rhondda drainage level	Garth Rhondda drainage level
Garth Rhondda loading bank

Sidrig Level or Old Siding Level - ST 1168 8427

Old Siding Level	Old Siding Level	Old Siding Level	Old Siding Level
Old Siding loading bank	Old Siding loading bank	Old Siding loading bank	Old Siding level

Garth Mountain

Salem Row and chapel

Mount Pleasant Cottages

Mount Pleasant Cottages

Upper Boat to Treforest

Upper Boat Power Station - ST 1020 8685

The coal-fires Upper Boat power station was built in 1902 with sidings off the Taff Vale main line. It closed in 1972 and was demolished in 1976. The sidings were operated by steam. diesel and battery/overhead electric locomotives.

Upper Boat Power Station

Upper Boat Power Station

Cardiff Railway Rhydyfelin viaduct - ST 0870 8820

The Rhydyfelin viaduct was built in 1907, used once and then abandoned due to a long dispute with the TVR. It was 512ft long and rested on 35ft deep iron cylinders filled with concrete. The tunnel through the embankment was 473ft long with a span of 33ft and carried the mill race for the tinplate works.

Treforest Station gates	Cardiff Railway viaduct abutments	Cardiff Railway viaduct abutments	Cardiff Railway viaduct piers
Tinplate Works arches	Tunnel under the Cardiff Railway	Tunnel under the Cardiff Railway	Tunnel under the Cardiff Railway
Rhydyfelin Viaduct	Rhydyfelin Viaduct	Rhydyfelin Viaduct	Rhydyfelin Viaduct construction

The Doctor's Canal, Glyntaff - ST

The Doctor's Canal, Glyntaff, was a spur off the Glamorganshire Canal that met The Doctor's Tramroad from Hafod. The canal was only 1 mile long and built in 1809 by either possibly Dr Thomas or usually Dr Griffiths. It connected with the Glamorganshire Canal at Dynia, Lock 34, in 1813. It lasted about 100 years, being described as derelict in 1918.

The Doctors Tramroad is on the 'Rhondda' page at The Doctors Tramroad

The Doctor's Canal, Glyntaff to Rhydyfelin

The Doctor's Canal basin, 1898

Treforest Tinplate Works - ST 0870 8810

The Treforest Tinplate Works were built in 1833 by William Crawshay II on an 18th century site. It closed in 1939 and the buildings used for many purposes since then, one being used for storing animal bones. The structures include stone buildings with arched dividing walls and a smithy with cast-iron roof trusses similar to Pont-y-Cafnau in Merthyr Tydvil. The waterwheels were served by the millrace from a weir on the Taff. The works was connected to the Taff Vale Railway at Upper Boat to the South and to Pontypridd via the 'Doctors Tramroad' to the North. A spur of the tramroad crossed the river bridge to the 'Doctors Canal' at Rhydyfelin.

Treforest Tinplate Works, 1872	Treforest Tinplate Works, 1898	Treforest Tinplate Works, 1914	Treforest Tinplate Works, 1947
Treforest Tinplate Works	Treforest Tinplate Works

The Casting and Tinning Houses

The casting house	The casting house	The casting house	The casting house
The casting house	The casting house	The casting house	The casting house
The casting house	The casting house	The casting house	The casting house
The workshops	The workshops	The workshops	The workshops
The workshops	The workshops
The tinning house	The tinning house	The tinning house	The tinning house

The Rolling Mill and Smithy

The rolling mill	The rolling mill	The rolling mill	The rolling mill
The rolling mill	The rolling mill	The rolling mill
The works smithy	The works smithy

The Tramway to the TVR at Upper Boat

Treforest tramway, 1965	Treforest Tinplate Works tramway	Treforest Tinplate Works tramway	Treforest Tinplate Works tramway
Treforest Tinplate Works tramway	Culvert under the TVR	Upper Boat weighbridge cabin

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading

Thanks for the use of their photographs to :- Geoff Atkins, Ceri Jones
'The Cardiff Railway' by Eric Mountford, The Oakwood Press