Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Quakers Yard Railway Viaduct
Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
A Grade II* listed building in Quakers Yard, Merthyr Tydfil, Treharris, designated on 4 January 1988.
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II*
- Broad class
- Transport
- Date of designation
- 4 January 1988
- Locality
- Quakers Yard
- Town
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Community
- Treharris
- Unitary authority
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 51.65962, -3.31911
- Cadw reference
- 11514
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1637 · The fourth table of England. Cornub. Devonia, Somerset etc. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1895 · Sheet 11. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1906 · 249 Newport (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1913 · Sheet 102. Newport. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Location
Crossing the Afon Taf just S of Edwardsville.
History
Railway bridge over the Afon Taf of 1840-1 by I K Brunel built for the Taff Vale Railway, opened April 1841, doubled in width before 1861. A remarkable early railway bridge of massive construction with octagonal piers necessitating deep chamfers to the arches. The viaduct crosses the line of the Penydarren tramroad on the N side of the river.
Exterior
Railway viaduct over the Afon Taf. Very tall slightly curving viaduct of 6 arches, the original viaduct upstream and only visible from N. Massive rock-faced squared masonry and highly modelled octagonal piers, the rock-facing tooled at edges, banded 3 times with broad 3-course bands of tooled masonry, and the capitals of 6 stepped courses of rock-faced stone. Remarkable arches deeply splayed at edges, the splays in tooled stone as also the arch soffits. Rockfaced stone in spandrels, big coved string course in tooled stone and rock-faced stone parapets with ashlar copings. Splayed out ends to abutments.
Addition of matching scale is simpler, having regular piers, caps in 2 courses, arches with rock-faced stone voussoirs and vermiculated keystones. Coved string course breaks forward over keystones.
Reason for designation
Graded II* as one of the most remarkable bridges by Brunel to survive in Wales.
Nearby in the register
- Greenfield Bridge, Penydarren TramroadTransportunder 1 mi
- Lock HouseDomesticunder 1 mi
- Victoria Bridge, Penydarren TramroadNo class recordedunder 1 mi
- Merthyr Tramroad: Pont y Gwaith section and associated bridgesTramroadunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.