Former Tramroad Bridge (partly in Pontllanfraith Community)

Cadw's description

Location

E of the main thoroughfare from Penmaen/Oakdale to Pontllanfraith (B4251) near Woodfieldside, crossing the country lane to Cwm Philkins.

History

Sir Benjamin Hall, the industrialist 1802-1867, built a tramroad in 1814 to transport coal from collieries in the Sirhowy Valley to the tramroad and canal system of the Ebbw Valley leading S to Newport. It linked the Western Valley Tramroad with Manmoel in the Sirhowy Valley and thus was one of the few early cross-country E/W lines. Benjamin Hall was the son-in-law of Richard Crawshay of Cyfarthfa Ironworks who bought the Abercarn Estate for him on his marriage. His son, also Benjamin Hall, became the First Commissioner of Estates to Queen Victoria and gave his name to Big Ben; he became Lord Llanover following his marriage to Lady Llanover. The tramroad, known as Hall's Road and appearing thus on the Tithe Map of 1846, was laid with edge rails to standard gauge by 1860; theTithe Map also indicates the unusual width of the bridge. The tramroad crossed the GWR Aberdare extension of 1857 at Pennar junction by Glanbraenar just W of the tunnel near Newbridge and is shown on first edition OS map as also serving the Tir Philkins Colliery adjacent to this bridge. The route of the early Penllwyn tramroad on the E bank of the Sirhowy is close though different; it extended S to Pontllanfraith and unlike this line appears not intact on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Map of 1886.

Exterior

A narrow but deep angled bridge carrying the former tramroad and later railway across a narrow lane. Of rubble stone with roughly dressed voussoirs, quoins and keystone and rockfaced stone to the rebuilt areas and parapets; some blue brick repairs. E facing uphill side has putlog or drainage holes; a near right angled right sloping abutment is built against the arch's voussoirs; the wall to left, almost a revetment to the steep bank, is much wider; close-set rubble coping to both sides, a shallow offset at base and above the narrow arch, and a projecting coping above on which the later parapet of rockfaced stone has been erected. W facing side is similarly asymmetrical with wide curving revetment to left, narrow offset at impost level, slanting abutment with brick buttress to right; moulded brick coping to each side. On top the parapet is not central over tunnel arch.

Interior

There is a break in the vault with the final uphill 1/5th section at a higher level probably to accommodate the rising ground.

Reason for designation

Included as a bridge believed to date substantially from the time the tramroad was built in 1814.