Tal-y-llyn Railway Tunnel

Cadw's description

Location

In the hamlet of Tal-y-llyn in a garden of a house converted from the former station.

History

A very early tunnel of 1812-16, part of the Hay Railway (tramway) whose main function was the distribution of coal and iron from the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal at Brecon northward to Herefordshire, the River Wye and a wharf at Eardisley. Contract for the construction of the first 4.75 miles (7.7km) of the track from Brecon to Llangors Lane including tunnel through Brynderwen Bank let to Robert Tipping a miner from Newnham Glos. Opened to traffic by John Hodgkinson, engineer to Hay Railway, 1816. Enlarged and adapted 1862 for use by the Brecon and Merthyr Railway, and first steam locomotive reached Brecon on 1 January 1863, the railway being officially opened in May of that year. It resembles the portals for the mountain tunnel S of Talybont. Near the former station platforms, 674 yds (616m) long, now reputedly partly infilled, with corresponding portal no longer visible.

Exterior

Railway tunnel portal of now disused railway, now blocked with breeze blocks and metal doors. Built of coursed rockfaced large stone blocks. Round arched tunnel entrance edged by a continuous course of quoins and voussoirs, each block in turn edged by a narrow flat band. Full height buttresses on either side; above arch is a plat band of tooled stone with parapet topped by rectangular coping slabs. Abutments to sides are of snecked stone and the band is rockfaced stone; no parapet. Rubble terraced retaining walls at right angles on each side. Former railway was contained in a narrow channel of coursed stone, ramped down as it approached tunnel, now filled with water.

Reason for designation

Included for its special importance as an early railway tunnel from first quarter of C19.