Penwyllt Quarry and Limekilns

Penwyllt Quarry - SN 8555 1575

Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry
Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry
Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry	Penwyllt Quarry

Twyn Disgwylfa limekiln - SN 8550 1575

'The Breconshire Coal & Lime Co Ltd' announced the opening of new limekilns at Penwyllt on 6 May 1869.

Twyn Disgwylfa limekiln	Twyn Disgwylfa limekiln	Twyn Disgwylfa limekiln
Twyn Disgwylfa limekiln	Twyn Disgwylfa limekiln

Twyn-y-Ffald Quarry and limekiln - SN 8526 1595

Twyn-y-Ffald Quarry

Twyn-y-Ffald limekiln

Twyn-y-Ffald limekiln and tramroad

Pen-y-Foel Limekiln - SN 8541 1533

Pen-y-Foel Limekiln	Pen-y-Foel Limekiln	Pen-y-Foel Limekiln	Pen-y-Foel Limekiln
Pen-y-Foel Limekiln	Pen-y-Foel Limekiln	Pen-y-Foel Limekiln	Pen-y-Foel Limekiln
Pen-y-Foel Limekiln

Dinas Silica Brickworks, Penwyllt

Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks - SN 8550 1520

Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks	Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks
Northern bank of kilns	Northern bank of kilns	Northern bank of kilns	Northern bank of kilns
Northern bank of kilns	Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks	One of the Southern kilns	Penwyllt brick
Penwyllt brick	Penwyllt brick	Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks	Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks
Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks	Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks	Penwyllt Dinas Silica Brickworks	Tramway leaving the brickworks

Penwyllt Tramroads and Railways

The routes of the tramroads and railways to the silica quarries

The abortive tramroad.1820s	The tramroad to Pwll Byfre, c1820	The zig-zag railway, 1885
The tramway to the quarry, c1900	The tramway to the quarry, c1900

The abortive 1820s tramroad to Pwll Byfre

The original course of the Brecon Forest Tramroad would have seen a loop going up to Pwll Byfre and the formation got very close to it. However it was abandoned due to the lack of coal reserves in the area. Instead an incline from Penwyllt was started but also abandoned before completion c1820.

Behind the SWCC cottages	The route up the hill	The route up the hill	The route up the hill
Looking towards the end	Looking down from the incline	Stone with rope marks	Looking down from the end

The 1885 zig-zag railway to the quarries

The standard gauge zig-zag railway to Pwll Byfre was built in 1885, running from a point North of Penwyllt Station. The brickworks purchased a new Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST locomotive No 1992 named Emily to operate the line and sidings. It didn't lasted for long as the loco was sold in 1902 after the tramway from the brickworks was opened.

The zig-zag railway, 1885	The zig-zag railway opening, 1885
Going down the zig-zag railway	Going down the zig-zag railway	Going down the zig-zag railway	Going down the zig-zag railway
Going down the zig-zag railway	Going down the zig-zag railway	Going down the zig-zag railway	Going down the zig-zag railway

The c1895 tramway from the brickworks to the quarries

By 1895 the complicatons of the zig-zag railway were replaced by a 2′ 3″ gauge tramway running from the brickworks itself. tramway used trucks and gripper cars built by Kerr, Stuart & Co. Ltd. of Stoke-on-Trent. Contemporary photographs and a description of the operation of this inclined railway exist in a June 1903 article published in The Colliery Guardian. In 1904 Kerr, Stuart supplied a new narrow gauge 0-4-2ST steam locomotive of their Tattoo class, No 859 'Gwendolen', and this from the quarries to the cable-operated incline. The works closed in 1939 but remained intact until the early 1950s. 'Gwendolen' slumbered peacefully in her shed on top of the mountain and a fledgling preservation group, the Talyllyn Railway, realised she would make a good source of spares for their own Tattoo class locomotive so plans were put into operation to rescue her from the lonely mountain-top location. Before this was able to happen however, and history is a little vague here, the locomotive somehow came to be wrecked after careering down the incline and she was unceremoniously scrapped on site by R S Hayes of Bridgend in May 1954.

Silica railway incline top	Silica railway looking up the incline	Silica railway at the quarries
Silica railway at the brickworks	The Kerr Stuart gripper car
'Gwendolen' at work in the sand quarries	'Gwendolen' in the engine shed
From the incline foot to the works	Looking up from incline foot	Sleepers on the incline
Getting close to the cutting	The railway to the works	From incline top to the cutting
The cutting looking down	Looking up to incline top	Penwyllt incline top brakehouse

The tramway from incline top to Pwll Byfre

Wern Quarry	Lower middle quarry	Upper middle quarry	Passing the Upper Middle Quarry
A buried tank or boiler	Penwyllt Silica Quarry tramway	Penwyllt Silica Quarry tramway	Silica Quarry tramway sleepers
Penwyllt Silica Quarry tramway	Penwyllt tramway and quarries

Pwll Byfre quarries - SN 8760 1660

The tramroad to Pwll Byfre, c1820	Pwll Byfre quarries	Pwll Byfre quarries	Pwll Byfre quarries
Pwll Byfre quarries	Pwll Byfre quarries	The tramroad to Pwll Byfre

Pant Mawr Rabbit Farm - SN 9016 1468

If you carry on walking over the moorland beyond the quarries you will find the ruins of an abandoned farm and a number of dry-stone enclosures. These were the Pantmawr Rabbit Farm, probably dating from the mid 19th cenury when rabbits were reared for sale in local markets.

Warreners house, Pantmawr

Warreners house, Pantmawr

The Brecon Forest Tramroad

The tramroad running through the brickworks site

At the SWCC cottages	At the SWCC cottages	At the SWCC cottages	The tramroad heads South
Tramroad stone sleeper	To the West of the Station	South of the brickworks	Approaching the brickworks

South of Penwyllt

Near Nant-y-Ffin approaching Coelbren

The BFT looking North	The BFT looking North	Track spike still in its stone sleeper	The BFT looking South
The BFT looking South	The BFT looking South	The BFT looking South

The Neath and Brecon Railway

North of Penwyllt Station

Lime below the embankment	Lime below the embankment	North of Penwyllt Quarry	North of Penwyllt Quarry
North of Penwyllt Quarry	The bottom of the Zig-zag	The bottom of the Zig-zag	Access bridge to Penwyllt Quarry
North of the station	Rails at the quarry	Penwyllt Station	Penwyllt Station looking North

South of Penwyllt Station

Penwyllt Station looking South	South of the station	South of the Brickworks	BFR and NBR coming together
N&BR trackbed	N&BR trackbed	N&BR trackbed

Melin Llech, Coelbren - SN 8360 1231

Melin Llech, Coelbren	Melin Llech, Coelbren	Melin Llech, Coelbren
Melin Llech, Coelbren	Melin Llech, Coelbren

Glynneath Gunpowder Factory

Glynneath Gunpowder Factory - SN 9145 0820

Glynneath Gunpowder Factory was built in 1857 by the Vale of Neath Powder Co, passing to Curtis's and Harvey, later Nobels Explosives Co Ltd and ICI Ltd. The factory closed down at the end of 1931 when Bobbinite was taken off the approved explosive list. Due to the 'explosive' nature of the site it was purged by fire but there are still many intriguing glimpses along the valley. Part of the site was previously Fredericks and Jenners 'Dinas Bridge Fire Brick Works'.

The photos below are in order along the valley starting at the gatehouse.
The numbers on the photos refer to the sites as shown on the maps as far as I can place them.

Gunpowder Factory 1927	Gunpowder Factory 1927	Gunpowder Factory 1927
Search house at main gate	'C&H 1863	Sulphur store #56	Sulphur store #56
Watch house #23	Lower leat #27	Lower leat inflow #27
Lower leat aqueduct #28	Lower leat aqueduct #28	Lower leat aqueduct #28	Turbine house #28
Turbine house #28	Turbine house interior #28	Turbine house interior #28
Pellet press house #29	Tramroad cutting #29	Press house #30	Press house #30
Tramway tunnel #68	Tramroad tunnel #68	Tramway tunnel #68	Tramway tunnel #68
Tramroad tunnel #68	Pellet press #68	Corning House #33	Tramway bridge #34
Tramway bridge girders #34	Tramway bridge girders #34	Middle weir #34	Middle weir #34
Middle weir #34	Middle weir #34	Middle weir #34	Middle bridge weir #34
Middle bridge weir #34	New corning house #34	New corning house #34	New corning house #34
Pump house #35a	Waterwheel pit #35	Expense magazine #37	Turbine house #38
Glazing house #39	Glazing house #39	Glazing house #39	Glazing house #39
Glazing house #39	Dusting house #41	Tramway rails #41
Boiler house #43	Boiler house #43	Boiler house chimney #43	Tramway near boiler house
Upper leat near boiler house	Upper leat near boiler house	Upper aqueduct #45	Upper aqueduct #45
Upper aqueduct #45	Upper aqueduct #45	Truck shop #45
Magazine #46	Magazine #46	Upper weir #63	Upper weir #63
Middle leat on the South bank	Mine on the South bank	Mine on the South bank

Cwm Gored Silica Mines

From Pontneddfechan up the West bank of the river

The Nedd Fechan tramroad, the mines are numbered according to Keith Jones' map.

Nedd Fechan tramroad,1899	Nedd Fechan tramroad,1899	Nedd Fechan tramroad,1899	Nedd Fechan tramroad,1899
Pontneddfechan village, 2017	Nedd Fechan tramroad, 2014	Nedd Fechan tramroad, 2017	Nedd Fechan tramroad, 2017

Grist Mill - SN 9001 0811
Mine No 1 - SN 8998 0827

The mine entrance is 3ft by 6ft with with three passages leading left, right and centre. It is full of water, about 3ft deep over soft mud of unknown depth, as it is difficult to drain being below the level of the pathway.

Pontneddfechan Grist Mill, 2017

Pontneddfechan Grist Mill, 2017

East bank, mine No 1, 2017

East bank, mine No 1, 2017

Mine No 6 - SN 8979 0852

There was an inscribed keystone here reading "J.M.-1873".

East bank, mine No 6, 2017

East bank, mine No 6, 2017

East bank, mine No 6, 2014

East bank, mine No 6, 2014

Mine No 7 - SN 8986 0906

This mine is just below the footbridge has a large entrance 8 feet high and 8 feet. It goes for about 60 feet then veers to the right and ends but it is flooded with water about 2 feet deep.

West bank, mine No 7, 2017

West bank, mine No 7, 2017

West bank, mine No 7, 2017

Cwm Gored Mine, mines Nos 4 and 5 - SN 8990 0875

Or Cwmcorrin Mine / Lluest Mine

leat to Cwm Gored Mine, 2017	leat to Cwm Gored Mine, 2017	Mine magazine, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017
Mine main buildings, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017
Mine main buildings, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017
Mine main buildings, 2017	Mine main buildings, 2017	Cwm Gored Mine tramway, 2017	Cwm Gored upper bridge, 2017

Below Cwm Gored Mine to the lower bridge

West bank, mine no 3, 2017	West bank, mine no 3, 2017	West bank, mine no 3, 2017
Tramroad to middle bridge, 2017	Tramroad to middle bridge, 2017	Tramroad to middle bridge, 2017	Cwm Gored middle bridge, 2017
West bank, mine no 2, 2017	West bank, mine no 2, 2017	Cwm Gored lower bridge, 2017

Dinas Silica Mines

A Brief History

Silica rock was discovered in these here hills in the 1780s and became a principal component of top quality firebricks. The first tramway was built in 1807, the 'Dinas Fire Brick Co' was inaugurated in 1822 and a brickworks built at Pontwalby. Starting as quarries, the workings soon extended underground and the stone taken through the tunnel to the village. The mines were closed from 1921 to 1930 when a new tramway was built down the river and down the incline ramp or chute. The mines were acquired by 'Richard Thomas and Baldwin', owners of Ebbw Vale steelworks who built the aerial ropeway over the hill. Finally the mine closed in 1964 and after a few years of inactivity the site was cleared in the early 1970s.

Dinas Silica Mines, 1904

Dinas Silica Mines, 1918

Dinas Silica Mines, 1964

The upper entrances - SN 9166 0800

There are three entrances here with another somewhere on the hill above that I haven't explored yet.

Mine entrance No 2

Mine entrance No 3

Platform in front of entrances

Aerial ropeway base

Underground - SN 9175 0805

Vast extensive caverns stretching under the mountain. The lower areas are flooded but there's plenty to see without donning breathing apparatus. The mine is open access to suitably careful, insured, helmetted and lit persons - or, better still, join a mining society.

Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine
Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine
Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine	Dinas Silica Mine

The tunnel to the quarry - SN 9165 0795

The tunnel connected the mines to the quarry area until superceded by the aerial ropeway. It slopes away from the entrance so you'll have to paddle to reach the further end, which is blocked anyway.

Tunnel entrance	Tunnel to the quarry	Tunnel to the quarry
Tunnel to the quarry	Tunnel to the quarry	Tunnel to the quarry

The incline chute - SN 9145 0800

The incline ramp or chute connected the end of the upper tramway with the lower tramway down a 50 ft drop at the waterfall.

The incline ramp or chute

The incline ramp or chute

The incline ramp or chute

Mike Stokes visit in 1992

The sadly missed Mike Stokes took these photos n 1992

Dinas Silica Mine, 1992	Dinas Silica Mine, 1992	Dinas Silica Mine, 1992
Dinas Silica Mine, 1992	Dinas Silica Mine, 1992

Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks for information and the use of their photographs to :- Alan Doyle, Mike Stokes and The South Wales Caving Club
'The Brecon Forest Tramroads' by Stephen Hughes
'The Old Gunpowder Factory at Glynneath' by Pritchard, Evans and Johnson
'The Silica Mines of the Little Neath Valley' by by Tony Oldham
'The Caves and Mines of the Sychrhyd Gorge' by Keith Jones
Dinas Silica Mines - a brief history from the Cambrian Mines Trust
Historic photos - Dinas Silica Mines at work by Roy Bowen