The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Pont Y Cafnau Iron Bridge

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 01090m
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Park
Unitary authority : Merthyr Tydfil
NGR : SO03760714
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL Bridge
Status : Scheduled Monument , listed building II*

Summary :
A cast iron tramroad bridge across the rocky gorge of the river Taff to the N of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks. Probably c1794, and if so, the world's first iron railway bridge. It carried a tramroad and the chairs and seating are still there.

Description :
A cast iron tramroad bridge across the rocky gorge of the river Taff to the N of the Cyfarthfa Ironworks. Probably c1794, and if so, the world's first iron railway bridge. It carried a tramroad and the chairs and seating are still there.

Solidly built masonry abutments support a pair of massive cast-iron 'A'-shaped ties which are mortised into a central vertical 'king post'. The bridge is 18m long and 2m wide and a mesh fence has been added on the S side.

A watching brief uncovered three remaining tramplates at the southernmost extent of the trambridge. These showed no signs of bridge chairs, and there was a small gap and recession of the central template, as if for drainage (E006389, Lewis 2014)

Sources :
, Archwilio App Submission
Crawford, J. , 2017 , Cyfarthfa Coke Works (The Old Thorn Lighting Works) Merthyr Tydfil: Excavation report and analysis
Jenkins, F , 2014 , Digital photographs (1); Pont y Cafnau
Lewis, S. , 2015 , Pont-Y-Cafnau Tramroad Bridge, Merthyr Tydfil Archaeological watching brief
Owen John A. , 1980 , Industrial Archeology in Merthyr Tydfil District. , Merthyr Historian : 3 : 33-37
The Handley Partnership , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database
01/MM Record Card/OS/1977/SO 00 NW
02/PM Mention/Hilling JB/1972/Glam Historian Vol8 pp167-93
03/MM Record Card/OS/1982/SO 00 NW 23
05/PM Desc Text/Cadw/1985
04/PM Mention/Owen J/1980/Merthyr Historian/Vol3 pp33-37
06/PM Map/Cadw/1987/1:2500
09/PM Map/RCAHM/A125-52
08/PM Desc Text/Cadw/Whittle E/1989/AM107
07/PM Desc Text/Cadw/13.1.88
10/PM Mention/Hague DB, Hughes SR & Richards ET/1975/Arch in Wales no158 p87
011/Desc Text/Cadw/ Full Management Report/2007/ Copy in further information file

Events :
E006389 : Pont-Y-Cafnau Tramroad Bridge, Merthyr Tydfil (year : 2015)
E007851 : Cyfarthfa Retail Park, Merthyr Tydfil (year : 2011)

Related records
National Monuments Record NPRN 34860 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/34860/details

Compiled date : 01-06-1980


Images :



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