Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Tramroad East of Robert's Town Bridge, Aberdare
Aberdare West, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales
A scheduled monument in Aberdare West, Rhondda Cynon Taff, recorded as Tramway (Post Medieval/Modern).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Tramway
- Period
- Post Medieval/Modern
- Date of designation
- 24 September 2008
- Community
- Aberdare West
- Unitary authority
- Rhondda Cynon Taff
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.72231, -3.44955
- SAM number
- GM527
- Cadw record number
- 1055
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamBayerische Staatsbibliothek, MunichUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1588 map "Ortelius, Abraham: Theatro De La Tierra Universal. 0" (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1588 · Ortelius, Abraham: Theatro De La Tierra Universal. 0 (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich)
- 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1898 · 231 Merthyr Tydfil (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- [Kaart] (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
- Sheet 7 South Wales (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The monument consists of the remains of a tramroad, embankment and stone sleeper blocks, dating to the 19th century. The sleeper blocks have between one and three holes and many show wear marks from shoes and plates. The tramroad was opened in 1811 as a plateway of 4 feet 2 inch gauge, designed by the leading tramroad engineer George Overton. The tramroad was owned by the Aberdare Canal Company, and was 2 miles long, connecting the canal terminus at Aberdare with the Hirwaun to Abernant Tramroad, which served mines and ironworks further up the Cynon Valley. The Llwydcoed Tramroad crossed the River Cynon on Robert's Town iron bridge. It continued in use until 1900.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of the development of industrial transportation in the 18th and 19th century. The track bed, bridges, drainage systems, embankments and revetments may all be expected to contain archaeological information in regard to construction techniques and functional detail.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.
Nearby in the register
- Tramroad BridgeTransportunder 1 mi
- Iron Tram Bridge, RobertstownBridgeunder 1 mi
- Vestry attached to Salem ChapelReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Salem ChapelReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.