Pont ar Dawe (partly in Pontardawe community)

Cadw's description

Location

Spanning the Afon Tawe between the communities of Cilybebyll and Pontardawe.

History

Road bridge over the Tawe, now disused as a vehicle crossing, uncertain date possibly c1765 or possibly 1784, by Rev. William Edwards of Pontypridd. Originally some 3m wide, widened to 8.2m in 1893 with new parapets. G. Breese says that this is not the bridge built by Edwards c1765 as that had spandrel holes like Edwards famous bridge at Pontypridd , but all other sources say that this is the Edwards bridge. The bridge is mentioned by B. Malkin in 1804 and by T.Rees in 1819 when the abutments are said to have been solid.

Exterior

Road bridge, rubble stone, broad single arch of 26m span with thin stone voussoirs and thin stones to original spandrels and crown on S side. Abutments each side have battered faces. Later C19 doubling in width in rock-faced squared sandstone with cut stone voussoirs. Parapets on both sides also later C19 with rock-faced chamfered coping stones with tooled edges. Raised piers at ends of parapets with ridge-back copings.

Reason for designation

Included as an important C18 road bridge by the leading Welsh bridge builder.