Pontypridd to Ynysybwl

The Barry Railway and other spots around Pontypridd

Barry Railway Graig tunnel	Barry Railway bridge	'E Finch' builders plate
Barry Railway trackbed	Gelliwasted pedestrian bridge	Dram in Ynysangharad Park
'Doctors Tramroad' bridge	Doctors Tramroad, High Street	The Doctors Tramroad, 1874

The Glamorgan Canal at Pontypridd - ST 0790 0911

These are locks 31 and 32 on the Glamorganshire Canal, next to the 'Newbridge Chain and Anchor Works', later 'Brown Lennox'. The works opened in 1818 and closed in 2000, having noteably made chains for 'SS Great Britain' and 'Queen Elizabeth II'. Restoration of the lock began in 2010.

The Chain Works lock, 1898	The Chain Works lock	The Chain Works lock	The Chain Works lock
The Chain Works lock	The Chain Works lock	The Chain Works Mission Hall	The Chain Works site today

Ynysybwl

A walk up the Ynysybwl branchline and the site of Lady Windsor Colliery

A stone stile dated 1860	ancient cobbled road	ancient cobbled road	Distance marker
Culvert under the trackbed	Culvert under the trackbed	Darranddu Colliery sidings	Dram at Lady Windsor Colliery
Memorial at Lady Windsor Colliery	Mountain Ash UDC drain cover	Modern bridge over the trackbed	'NCB' gate

Cilfynydd and Abercynon to Pont-y-gwaith

Cilfynydd

Dowlais Cardiff Colliery tips	Coed Trefychan Level	Building at Cwm, Cilfynydd	Nant Cae-dudwg Weir, Cilfynydd
Nant Cae-dudwg Weir, Cilfynydd			Craig-yr-hesg Quarry

Abercynon Colliery or Dowlais Cardiff Colliery

Dowlais Cardiff Colliery monument

Dowlais Cardiff Colliery monument

Dowlais Cardiff Colliery monument

The Glamorganshire Canal in Abercynon

The top lock, lock-uchaf 14-15	Aberdare Canal from junction	The junction lock 16-17	The junction lock 16-17
The junction lock 16-17	Lock-y-waun lock 18-19

The TVR through Abercynon

Original Abercynon incline	Abercynon incline tunnel site	Quakers Yard viaduct, Abercynon
'E Finch' builders plate	Abercycnon loco shed

TVR Llancaiach branch - ST 0870 9465

This is the 1841 branch to Nelson and Llancaiach, high up on the valley side between the Whitehall Golf Course road and the top of the incline down to Ynysydwr.

Original Llancaiach branch	Original Llancaiach branch	Original Llancaiach branch	Original Llancaiach branch
Original Llancaiach branch	Original Llancaiach branch

Cefn Glas Colliery - ST 0801 9685

Cefn Glas Colliery, 1900	Pont-y-dderwen cottage	Pont-y-dderwen cottage	Pont-y-dderwen water channels
Pont-y-dderwen water channels	Pont-y-dderwen Bridge	Pont-y-dderwen Bridge	Cefn Glas Colliery tips
Cefn Glas Colliery canal bridge	Cefn Glas Colliery	Cefn Glas Colliery	Cefn Glas Colliery tips
Cefn Glas quarries	Taff Fechan Water Board sign	Glamorganshire Canal, Cefn Glas	Cefn Glas Tunnel
Cefn Glas Tunnel	Cefn Glas Tunnel	Cefn Glas Tunnel	Cefn Glas Tunnel

Pont-y-gwaith - ST 0808 9757

The site of Pont-y-gwaith ironworks, dating from the 1580s and subject of a 19th c. painting in the National Museum. The bridge replaced a wooden one in 1811. I'm not at all sure what the pill box was protecting, perhaps Merthyr was going to invade Pontypridd at some time. Just below the canal bank there was a row of ten houses, 'Buarth-glas Terrace', sacrificed to the motorway but you can still see the site.

WW2 pillbox, Pont-y-gwaith

Pont-y-gwaith bridge

The Glamorgamshire Canal

The Glamorgamshire Canal

The Merthyr Tramroad

from Abercynon to Pont-y-gwaith

Tramroad at Abercynon	Tramroad at Abercynon	Tramroad at Abercynon	Tramroad at Abercynon
Tramroad at Quakers Yard	Tramroad at Quakers Yard	Tramroad at Quakers Yard	Tramroad at Quakers Yard
Tramroad at Quakers Yard	Tramroad at Quakers Yard	Tramroad at Quakers Yard	Tramroad at Quakers Yard
Tramroad at Edwardsville	Tramroad at Edwardsville	Tramroad at Edwardsville	Tramroad at Edwardsville
Tramroad at Edwardsville	Tramroad at Edwardsville	Tramroad at Pont-y-gwaith Lane	Tramroad at Pont-y-gwaith Lane
Tramroad at Pont-y-gwaith Lane	The TVER Aberdare viaduct	The TVER Aberdare viaduct	The GWR/RR Merthyr viaduct
The GWR/RR Merthyr viaduct	The TVR Brunel viaduct	Ironwork under the TVR viaduct

Plymouth Ironworks - SO 0560 0500

Plymouth Ironworks has long gone and little remains to mark it. The Merthry Tramroad ran in a tunnel under the site and one portal has been reconstructed to mark the 'oldest railway tunnel in the world'. The footbridge is typical but probably not original.

Dowlais Railway incline bridge

Footbridge above tunnel

Merthyr Tramroad tunnel

Merthyr Tramroad tunnel

Merthyr Vale to Pentrebach and Abercanaid

Aberfan

The site of Aberfan Station

The site of Aberfan Station

The site of Aberfan Station

Lower Abercanaid - SO 0575 0360

Canal at Pond Row looking South	Ventilation shaft	Ventilation shaft	Abercanaid air-raid shelter
Abercanaid air-raid shelter	Abercanaid air-raid shelter	Abercanaid air-raid shelter	Abercanaid air-raid shelter
Gethin Colliery incline bridge	Gethin Colliery incline bridge	Gethin Colliery incline bridge	Site of Gethin No 1 Pit

Upper Abercanaid - SO 0518 0431

Canal North of Upper Abercanaid	Canal South of Upper Abercanaid	Quay Row, Upper Abercanaid	Quay Row, Upper Abercanaid
Quay Row, Upper Abercanaid	Upper Abercanaid engine house	Upper Abercanaid engine house	Upper Abercanaid engine house
Upper Abercanaid canal bridge	Upper Abercanaid canal bridge	Upper Abercanaid canal bridge	Upper Abercanaid canal bridge

Blaencanaid blast furnace and ironworks - SO 0374 0459

The ruins of Blaencanaid blast furnace date back to the 1560s, one of the oldest ironworks in Wales. It only stands about 12 ft high and the blast was probably powered by a waterwheel in the stream to the side of it. There are remains of a low level next to it which may have supplied the ironstone to feed it, the fuel being charcoal from the surrounding woodland. The furnace is about 400yds along the path behind the information board.

Blaencanaid blast furnace

Blaencanaid blast furnace

Pentrebach

Hoover factory, Pentrebach

Hoover factory, Pentrebach

Bwllfa level tips, Troed-y-rhiw

Rhyd-y-car

Cwm Pit or Cwm Colliery - SO 0442 0431

Cwm Pit or Cwm Colliery was sunk in 1845 by Robert Crawshay and was the start of the 1766 tub-boat canal to Cyfarthfa Ironworks. Cwm Pit closed in 1910 but was used for drainage until 1924. There is much stonework and many foundations including the base of the chimney shown in the old photgraph.

Cwm Pit, Rhyd-y-car, 1876	Cwm Pit, Rhyd-y-car, 1919	Cwm Pit, Rhyd-y-car, 1964	Cwm Pit, Rhyd-y-car, 1915
Cwm Pit, Rhyd-y-car	Cwm Pit, Cyfarthfa Crossing, 1945	Cwm Pit, Rhyd-y-car

Cwm Pit - The base of the chimney

Cwm Pit chimney base	Cwm Pit chimney base	Cwm Pit chimney base	Cwm Pit chimney base
Cwm Pit iron casting	Cwm Pit shaft cap

Cwm Pit - The Northern abutment of the incline bridge with a recess underneath.

Cwm Pit incline bridge

Cwm Pit incline bridge

Cwm Pit incline bridge

Cwm Pit incline bridge

Cwm Pit - Below the screens with a short tunnel and holes containing iron control rods.

Cwm Pit screens area	Cwm Pit screens area	Cwm Pit screens area	Cwm Pit screens area
Cwm Pit screens area	Cwm Pit screens area	Cwm Pit screens area
Cwm Pit screens area	Cwm Pit screens area	Cwm Pit screens area

Cwm Pit - The steps down to the screens sidings with their alcoves

Cwm Pit Screens steps	Cwm Pit Screens steps	Cwm Pit Screens steps	Cwm Pit Screens steps
Cwm Pit Screens steps	Cwm Pit Screens steps

Cwm Pit - The Northern side of the long wall with it's low culvert

Cwm Pit long wall, Northern side

Cwm Pit long wall, Northern side

Cwm Pit long wall, Northern side

Cwm Pit - The Southern side of the long wall (on the chimney side). This may have been the terminus of the tub-boat canal as there appears to be a recess for boats such as found at Fourteen Locks, Newport.

Cwm Pit long wall, Southern side

Cwm Pit long wall, Southern side

Cwm Pit long wall, Southern side

Cwm Pit Railway - The railway linking Cwm Pit to Cyfarthfa Ironworks superseded the canal c1830 and was truncated to Lower Colliery Row when the colliery closed in 1924. It is now a woodland path passing one of the many Cyfarthfa reservoirs and the tips of Glyndyrys level. It crossed the mountain road on a skew bridge of which the base of the abutments can be seen.

Cwm Pit Railway	Cwm Pit Railway	Cwm Pit Railway	Cwm Pit Reservoir
Cwm Pit Railway bridge	Cwm Pit Railway bridge	Glyndyrys Pit tips	Glyndyrys Pit tips
Glyndyrys Pit tips			Culvert near Canal Level

Lower Colliers Row - SO 0440 0505

Lower Colliers Row, Rhyd-y-car, consisted of about 20 cottages built c1795 probably when the Glamorganshire Canal was opened. They were demolished in 1970 having been surrounded by a maze of coal and iron workings. The ironwork was inside the building in the bottom left corner of the 1950 photo.

Lower Colliers Row, 1950	Lower Colliers Row, 1915	Lower Colliers Row foundations	Lower Colliers Row ironwork
Lower Colliers Row ironwork	Lower Colliers Row ironwork	Lower Colliers Row ironwork	Lower Colliers Row ironwork

Cwmdu Colliery original incline tipping dock - SO 0442 0512

The original c1880 incline from Cwmdu Colliery came down to a stone-built tipping dock on the Cwm Pit Railway right next to Lower Colliers Row.

The c1880 loading dock

The c1880 loading dock

The c1880 loading dock

Cwmdu Colliery second incline tipping docks - SO 0450 0526 and SO 0444 0533

The second incline from Cwmdu Colliery originally dates from c1905 to c1914. It somehow ended at a stone-built tipping dock on the Gethin Railway at SO 0450 0526. During WW2 it was re-instated, working until the late 1950s with a link to a concrete-built tipping dock further up the Gethin Railway

The second Cwmdu incline	The second Cwmdu incline	The second Cwmdu incline
The c1905 loading dock	The c1905 loading dock	The c1905 loading dock	The c1905 loading dock
The c1905 loading dock	The c1905 loading dock

The 1940s concrete-built tipping dock at SO 0444 0533

The c1940s tipping dock

The c1940s tipping dock

The c1940s tipping dock

The c1940s tipping dock

Canal Drift or Canal Level, Rhyd-y-car - SO 0429 0536

Canal Drift or Canal Level was a tub-boat-operated level of the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries, a spur off the Cyfarthfa Canal, a two mile (3.2km.) long tub boat canal built in the 1770s and disused by 1840.

Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car	Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car	Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car	Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car
Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car	Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car	Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car	Canal Drift, Rhyd-y-car

The Vale of Neath Railway in the Taff Vale

Abernant Tunnel - SO 0437 0418

Abernant Tunnel was opened in 1853 by the Vale of Neath Railway between Aberdare and Merthyr Tydvil and is the fourth-longest in Wales. The line closed in 1963 and there are outline plans for re-opening it as a cycle route and footpath. The line was originally broad gauge and was converted to standard gauge in 1873. The line passed under a steel bridge at SO 0448 0427 and a stone bridge at SO 0462 0441 near Merthyr Tunnel Junction

Abernant Tunnel, Rhyd-y-car	Abernant Tunnel, Rhyd-y-car	Merthyr Tunnel Jct bridge	Merthyr Tunnel Jct bridge
Merthyr Tunnel Jct bridge	Merthyr Tunnel Jct bridge	Merthyr Tunnel Jct bridge	Merthyr Tunnel Jct bridge
Merthyr Tunnel Junction

Cyfarthfa Crossing - SO 0478 0466

Cyfarthfa Crossing was a complicated flat junction on the Vale of Neath Railway, The GWR / RR joint line from Quakers Yard and the Gethin Colliery Railway, their connecting spurs and then the Upper Rhyd-y-car Colliery tramroad running underneath them all. If that wasn't enough, the Ynys-fach Railway joined the Gethin Railway a few yards to the North.

Cyfarthfa Crossing is almost hidden by vegatation today.	Cyfarthfa Crossing in 1900	Cyfarthfa Crossing, Rhyd-y-car	Cyfarthfa Crossing, Rhyd-y-car
The Vale of Neath Railway bridge over the Upper Abercanaid Colliery tramway	The VoN bridge at the Crossing	The VoN bridge at the Crossing	The VoN bridge at the Crossing
The GWR / Rhymney bridge over the Upper Abercanaid Colliery tramway and the site of Merthyr Tunnel Junction	The RR bridge at the Crossing	The RR bridge at the Crossing

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading

Thanks for the use of their photographs to :- Coflein, Alan George at alangeorge.co.uk, Dare Valley Visitor Centre, Alan Murray-Rust, RCT Libraries