Hill's Tramroad Inclines, Llanfoist

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, dating to the 19th century. Hill's tramroad was carried by a group of counterbalanced inclined planes from its level section on the Blorenge to the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal wharf at Llanfoist. The tramroad was built by the proprietors of Blaenavon Ironworks to carry coal, limestone and iron to the canal and Llanvihangel Railway in Llanfoist. Land acquisition for the tramroad route began in 1817 and was formed by 1818. The tramroad was a 2ft gauge plateway with stone sleeper blocks. The inclines drop from an altitude of 375m at the level tramroad to 120m at the wharf, in three sections. Each incline had a brake wheel at the top and a turnout at the bottom. The remains also include retaining walls, archways, embankments, cuttings, stone sleeper blocks and a marshalling yard.

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.