The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Swansea Vale Railway

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 01699.0w
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Quarter Bach
Unitary authority : Carmarthenshire
NGR : SS7122413921
Site Type (preferred type first) : POST MEDIEVAL Railway

Summary :
The Swansea Vale Railway had its origins in a series of tramways built along the valley from the eighteenth century onwards. During 1845 work began to construct a private mineral railway to carry coal from Swansea to Pontardawe.

Description :
The Swansea Vale Railway had its origins in a series of tramways built along the valley from the eighteenth century onwards. One tramway, built in 1819 from Llansamlet to Swansea harbour, may have been the scene of an early steam locomotion experiment in its first year, when there is some evidence that one of George Stephenson' s engines was used. In the railway mania of the 1830s and 1840s schemes were discussed for a railway up the western side of the Swansea Valley, where most of the industries were located, but these were abandoned because of the cost. Instead a group of coal owners banded together to build a private mineral railway, which did not require an Act of Parliament, up the eastern side of the valley. (06)

Work began in 1845 and, after problems in the early years, an Act of Parliament was obtained in 1855. In the same year the railway reached Pontardawe, and carried up to 1000 tons of coal a day. In 1860 the first passengers were carried, and in 1861 the railway was extended to Ystalyfera. In 1876 the line was bought by the Midland Railway. (06)

Industries that were built close to the railway often had their own sidings. The Glanrhyd tinplate works had a number, controlled by a signal box at the junction with the main line. This signal box is no longer visible, although it is possible that surviving parts are concealed by thick undergrowth. (06)

Passenger services on the Swansea Vale Railway were discontinued in 1950 and, as factories closed down and mines were worked out, freight diminished. In 1964 the line was shut down and the track lifted. (06)

Sources :
Bowen, F , 2011 , Canolfan Glandwr, Prince of Wales Dock, Swansea: Archaeological desk-based assessment ( © GGAT)
Evans, E.M. , 1992 , Archaeological Desk Top Study of Tawe Valley Project ( © GGAT)
Geake H , 1990 , A4067 Swansea Valley Route Stage Three Pontardawe to Ynysmeudwy An archaeological Assessment. ( © GGAT)
01/PM DESC TEXT//REYNOLDS/PR//SUMMER 1980/SVHS NEWSLETTER/BUILDING THE SWANSEA VALE RAILWAY*
02/PM DESC TEXT//REYNOLDS/PR/1977/MORGANNWG/CHAUNCY TOWNSENDS WAGGONWAY VOL XXI p42-68*
03/PM DESC TEXT////1980/SVHS NEWSLETTER/p4 JAMES PALMER BUDD*
04/PM MAP GGAT COLLECTION///1919 ed/OS/GLAMORGAN SHEET XXIV 5 XXIV 1 XV 13*
05/PM DESC TEXT/BOWEN/RE/1966-7/J OF SE WALES INDUS ARCH SOC VOL 1 No2 p39*
06/Pm Desc Text/GGAT/1990 APR/A4067 SWANSEA VALLEY ROUTE: STAGE 3 PONTARDAWE TO YNYSMEUDWY: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT/GGAT SMR Report Archive
map/OS/1881

Events :
E001075 : A4067 SWANSEA VALLEY ROUTE PONTARDAWE TO YNYSMEUDWY (year : 1990)
E003929 : Tawe Valley Project (year : 1992)
E004012 : Canolfan Glandwr, Prince of Wales Dock, Swansea (year : 2011)
E005398 : Former Diwhurst Factory and Adjoining Land, Ystalyfera, Neath-Port Talbot (year : 2005)
E007840 : SA1 Port Tawe, Swansea (year : 2002)
E007045 : Swansea North Sub-Station, New Overhead Line (VE), Swansea (year : 2010-12)
E008010 : Jockey Street, Swansea (year : 2016)
E008448 : Land South of Samlet Road, Llansamlet, Swansea (year : 2021)

Related records
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.1w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.2w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.3w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.4w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.5w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.6w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01046.26w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01046.13w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01615w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 02655w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 02656w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.7w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.7w
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 01699.1-8w

Compiled date : 08-11-1997


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