Former Towpath Bridge to Glamorganshire Canal

Cadw's description

Location

Beside the footpath to the Afon Taff railway bridge and about 50m north west of Oak Cottage.

History

The Glamorganshire Canal was built by a consortium of Merthr Tydfil businessmen, led by the ironmaster, Richard Crawshay, to ease the carriage of their products down to Cardiff and the sea. It opened in 1794 and was immediately very successful. It rapidly became very overcrowded and eventually was given competition by the Taff Vale Railway which ran alongside from 1841. Despite this the canal continued to flourish for most of the C19 but traffic then declined rapidly after the railways opened new coal docks at Roath and Barry in c1890. The canal finally closed in 1942 and is now mostly under the main Cardiff-Merthyr road. This bridge ciould well be contemporary with the opening of the canal, but it should be noted that the similar bridge (qv) about 500m north is dated 1851.

Exterior

Cast-iron bridge, probably with stone abutments, which once carried the towpath of the Monmouthshire Canal over an overflow from the canal into the Melingriffith Tinplate Works tailrace. Cast iron road with trellis iron parapets; these have flat copings on both sides. This bridge was immediately to the north of the Melingriffith Lock and appears to be in situ. The Canal ran along the line of Ty-Mawr Road. Compare with the similar bridge about 500m north where a section of the canal survives with water.

Reason for designation

Included as an attractive structure of special technological interest and associated with an important canal.