Aberdulais Viaduct (partly in Blaenrhonddan community)

Location

Spanning the Afon Nedd S of the Aberdulais Aqueduct and N of Dulais Fach Road.

History

The Vale of Neath Railway was incorporated in 1846 and opened in 1851. Engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the line was built to a broad gauge. The Aberdulais viaduct, like many others designed by Brunel, was originally constructed of timber with stone abutments, with the intention of rebuilding in stone at a later date. In the event the bridge was not rebuilt in stone until the late C19, after it was absorbed into the GWR in 1861.

Exterior

Railway viaduct, 5-bays of which 4 span the River Neath, and a 5th bay on the W side spans Station Road. The abutments, belonging to the original bridge opened in 1851, are of coursed hammer-dressed sandstone, while the later arches and parapet are of snecked, rock-faced stone with blue-brick arches. The piers have V-shaped cutwaters with pyramidal caps. Beneath the parapet is a thick projecting blue-brick band. The flat coping is of large bricks. The abutments are battered (with a concave profile beneath the deck) and are splayed outwards to retain an embankment. The abutments also retain vertical slots which housed the original timberwork of Brunel's bridge. The deck carries a single track.

Reason for designation

Listed for its industrial archaeological interest as a railway bridge designed in 2 phases, the original wooden structure having been replaced by the present stone bridge but incorporating the original abutments. Group value with Aberdulais Aqueduct.