Brecon Forest Tramroad
Encyclopedia
The Brecon Forest Tramroad is an early nineteenth century tramway, or rather a network of connecting tramways or waggonways, which stretched across the hills of Fforest Fawr
in the historic county of Brecknockshire
(modern administrative county of Powys
) in south Wales
, UK. Its northern terminus was at the village of Sennybridge
in the Usk
Valley whilst its southern ends lay at Abercraf
and Ystradgynlais
in the upper Swansea Valley
some 20 km to the south.
The tramroad project was conceived by John Christie, a Scottish-born entrepreneur based in London
who had amassed a fortune from his involvement in the indigo
trade with India.
This enabled him to purchase the Crown Allotment of the Great Forest of Brecon (or Fforest Fawr
) on its sale by the Crown in 1819. Construction of the tramroad was an essential part of his plans for the exploitation of his property. His original intention was to use the tramroad to convey limestone
sourced from quarries near Penwyllt
to the farms of the Usk valley and Mynydd Epynt
where its soil-improving qualities would be appreciated.
He subsequently expanded his activities to exploit minerals outside Fforest Fawr
and to markets further to the south in the rapidly industrialising
valleys
of the South Wales Coalfield
.
. The model farm of Cnewr was constructed at the halfway point of this stretch of tramroad.
A second stage was to build a tramroad to serve the Drim Colliery near Onllwyn
which Christie had leased in 1822. From the colliery the line ran northeastwards to the village of Coelbren
and then across the Nant Llech
just above Henrhyd Falls and around the flanks of the hill north to Penwyllt. Initially Christie's probable intention was to link this line to that at Pwll Byfre by an incline through what is now the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu
National Nature Reserve
. This scheme was abandoned and instead the line from the Drim was taken northwards along the contours of the eastern side of the valley past the quarries at Penwyllt, wrapping around the western slopes of Fan Gyhirych
and over the pass at Bwlch Bryn-rhudd then northeastwards to join the original line just south of the Nant Gyhirych stream.
Christie further extended the tramroad southwestwards from its southern terminus to a colliery at Gwaun Clawdd on the northern slopes of Mynydd y Drum and connected it to the Swansea Canal
at Cae'r Lan near Abercraf
. During the 1820s he was a major shipper of coal on the canal which was shipped through Swansea.
Christie was declared bankrupt in December 1827 and the Great Forest, including the tramroad and most of his other assets, passed to his principal creditor, Joseph Claypon, of the banking house of Garfit & Claypon in Boston, Lincolnshire
. Claypon built a further extension southwest and then west from the Drim colliery to join the Swansea Canal and to supply limestone to the Ynyscedwyn Ironworks at Ystradgynlais
.
Following the death of Claypon in 1859 much of Christie's original route was ultimately sold to the railway contractor, John Dickson
and incorporated by him into the Neath and Brecon Railway
. Claypon's Tramroad was largely unaffected by this, although sections at Ystradgynlais were converted into colliery railways or taken over by the Swansea Vale Railway
.
and this route obliterates long sections of the tramway. From Penwyllt, the main route north is again followed by the railway line though the occasional tighter bend is preserved where the later railway had to assume a more flowing curve.
The modern A4067 road
follows the line of the tramway north from Bwlch Bryn-rhudd before the grassed-over route is seen to sweep around to the east to cross the Nant Gyhirych at the edge of a plantation. It continues northwestwards to near the junction of the minor road to Heol Senni
with the A4067 before crossing the latter and curving westwards and northwards towards Crai
village.
From this point onwards to its northern terminus the tramway route largely coincides with the later railway though in places it runs roughly parallel to it.
Claypon's Tramroad can be followed for much of its length. At the Onllwyn
end it has been obliterated by opencasting
and subsequent land restoration but lengthy sections can be followed around Mynydd y Drum, including sections where runs of stone blocks still remain. The mile-long incline
down into Ystradgynlais
can be followed including the ruined remains of the winding engine house at the summit.
on the western side of the upper Swansea Valley
are also deemed to form a part of the Brecon Forest Tramroad network, constructed as they were by Christie and his successors.
designated as access land and which are therefore legally available to walkers, though the terrain is somewhat difficult and often waterlogged. Much of the northern section of the route is not publicly accessible though it is crossed by a few minor roads and paths from which short sections of the route can be glimpsed.
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is the name given to an extensive upland area in the county of Powys, Wales. Formerly known as the 'Great Forest of Brecknock' in English, it was a royal hunting area for several centuries but is now used primarily for sheep grazing, forestry, water catchment and recreation...
in the historic county of Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
(modern administrative county of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
) in south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, UK. Its northern terminus was at the village of Sennybridge
Sennybridge
Sennybridge is a village in Powys, Mid Wales, situated some from Cardiff and from Swansea. It lies west of Brecon on the A40 trunk road to Llandovery, at the point where the River Senni flows into the Usk...
in the Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
Valley whilst its southern ends lay at Abercraf
Abercraf
Abercraf is a village within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, Powys, mid Wales.- Location :Abercraf lies in the extreme south of the county, in the Upper Swansea Valley 2.5 miles northeast of the small town of Ystradgynlais...
and Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
in the upper Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
some 20 km to the south.
The tramroad project was conceived by John Christie, a Scottish-born entrepreneur based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
who had amassed a fortune from his involvement in the indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
trade with India.
This enabled him to purchase the Crown Allotment of the Great Forest of Brecon (or Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is the name given to an extensive upland area in the county of Powys, Wales. Formerly known as the 'Great Forest of Brecknock' in English, it was a royal hunting area for several centuries but is now used primarily for sheep grazing, forestry, water catchment and recreation...
) on its sale by the Crown in 1819. Construction of the tramroad was an essential part of his plans for the exploitation of his property. His original intention was to use the tramroad to convey limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
sourced from quarries near Penwyllt
Penwyllt
Penwyllt is a Welsh hamlet located in the upper Swansea Valley, to the east of the Black Mountain.A former quarrying village, quicklime and silica brick production centre, its fortunes rose and fell as a result of the industrial revolution within South Wales...
to the farms of the Usk valley and Mynydd Epynt
Mynydd Epynt
Mynydd Epynt is an upland area of Mid Wales within the county of Powys, Wales. It is bounded to the south by the upper section of the valley of the River Usk, to the north by that of the Afon Irfon and to the east by the valley of the River Wye. Its western boundary is less distinct but lies...
where its soil-improving qualities would be appreciated.
He subsequently expanded his activities to exploit minerals outside Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is the name given to an extensive upland area in the county of Powys, Wales. Formerly known as the 'Great Forest of Brecknock' in English, it was a royal hunting area for several centuries but is now used primarily for sheep grazing, forestry, water catchment and recreation...
and to markets further to the south in the rapidly industrialising
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
of the South Wales Coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
.
History of development
Christie commenced construction of the tramroad in about 1821. The earliest section constructed was that between the limestone quarries at Pwll Byfre and Castell-du Farm at SennybridgeSennybridge
Sennybridge is a village in Powys, Mid Wales, situated some from Cardiff and from Swansea. It lies west of Brecon on the A40 trunk road to Llandovery, at the point where the River Senni flows into the Usk...
. The model farm of Cnewr was constructed at the halfway point of this stretch of tramroad.
A second stage was to build a tramroad to serve the Drim Colliery near Onllwyn
Onllwyn
Onllwyn is a small village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, near Seven Sisters.-History:First developed by the Romans, local village Banwen is confined to the Roman Road of Sarn Helen. There are two Roman forts and the remains of a Roman Road within the community.Legend has it that St Patrick was born...
which Christie had leased in 1822. From the colliery the line ran northeastwards to the village of Coelbren
Coelbren
Coelbren may mean:* Coelbren, Powys, a village in the south-west of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales.* Coelbren , a supposed "druidic" alphabet invented by Iolo Morganwg ....
and then across the Nant Llech
Nant Llech
The Nant Llech is a minor river in Powys, Wales and which lies wholly within the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name means 'slab stream', presumably in reference to the sandstones across which it runs...
just above Henrhyd Falls and around the flanks of the hill north to Penwyllt. Initially Christie's probable intention was to link this line to that at Pwll Byfre by an incline through what is now the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu
Ogof Ffynnon Ddu
Ogof Ffynnon Ddu is a cave located under a hillside in the area surrounding Penwyllt in the Upper Swansea Valley in South Wales...
National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
. This scheme was abandoned and instead the line from the Drim was taken northwards along the contours of the eastern side of the valley past the quarries at Penwyllt, wrapping around the western slopes of Fan Gyhirych
Fan Gyhirych
Fan Gyhirych is a mountain in the Fforest Fawr section of Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. It lies within the county of Powys, formerly Brecknockshire....
and over the pass at Bwlch Bryn-rhudd then northeastwards to join the original line just south of the Nant Gyhirych stream.
Christie further extended the tramroad southwestwards from its southern terminus to a colliery at Gwaun Clawdd on the northern slopes of Mynydd y Drum and connected it to the Swansea Canal
Swansea Canal
The Swansea Canal was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for some from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were needed to enable it to rise over its length...
at Cae'r Lan near Abercraf
Abercraf
Abercraf is a village within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, Powys, mid Wales.- Location :Abercraf lies in the extreme south of the county, in the Upper Swansea Valley 2.5 miles northeast of the small town of Ystradgynlais...
. During the 1820s he was a major shipper of coal on the canal which was shipped through Swansea.
Christie was declared bankrupt in December 1827 and the Great Forest, including the tramroad and most of his other assets, passed to his principal creditor, Joseph Claypon, of the banking house of Garfit & Claypon in Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
. Claypon built a further extension southwest and then west from the Drim colliery to join the Swansea Canal and to supply limestone to the Ynyscedwyn Ironworks at Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
.
Following the death of Claypon in 1859 much of Christie's original route was ultimately sold to the railway contractor, John Dickson
John Dickson (railway contractor)
John Dickson , was a railway contractor responsible for the promotion, construction and operation of several railway lines in England and Wales, especially in and around Swansea. His finances were never securely based and he was forced into bankruptcy on three occasions.-Early days :Dickson was...
and incorporated by him into the Neath and Brecon Railway
Neath and Brecon Railway
The Neath and Brecon Railway linked the Vale of Neath Railway at Neath with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at Brecon and also via a connection from Colbren Junction, it linked to the Swansea Vale Railway at Ynysygeinon Junction ....
. Claypon's Tramroad was largely unaffected by this, although sections at Ystradgynlais were converted into colliery railways or taken over by the Swansea Vale Railway
Swansea Vale Railway
|-|colspan="2" width="320"|-History:First opened in 1816 as a tramroad for conveying coal from Scott's Pit, near Birchgrove, to wharves on the River Tawe nearly four miles to the south, the Swansea Vale route grew to become a feeder railway for several mines and metal-working industries in the...
.
Main present-day route
Much of the southernmost section of the Tramroad was followed by the later Neath and Brecon RailwayNeath and Brecon Railway
The Neath and Brecon Railway linked the Vale of Neath Railway at Neath with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at Brecon and also via a connection from Colbren Junction, it linked to the Swansea Vale Railway at Ynysygeinon Junction ....
and this route obliterates long sections of the tramway. From Penwyllt, the main route north is again followed by the railway line though the occasional tighter bend is preserved where the later railway had to assume a more flowing curve.
The modern A4067 road
A4067 road
The A4067 road is an A road in Wales connecting Swansea with Sennybridge. It runs in a southwest to northeast direction beginning at Oystermouth Square in Mumbles, Swansea, and continuing from there to Swansea city centre, where there is a break in the route...
follows the line of the tramway north from Bwlch Bryn-rhudd before the grassed-over route is seen to sweep around to the east to cross the Nant Gyhirych at the edge of a plantation. It continues northwestwards to near the junction of the minor road to Heol Senni
Heol Senni
Heol Senni is a hamlet in the valley of the Afon Senni just north of the Fforest Fawr section of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It lies within the community of Maescar in the county of Powys, Wales. The Welsh name means the 'road by Senni' and reflects its position near the crossing of the...
with the A4067 before crossing the latter and curving westwards and northwards towards Crai
Crai
Crai is a hamlet in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys, south Wales. It gives its name to the community within which are the hamlet of Felin-Crai and a large number of dispersed farms around the valley of the Afon Crai. The river is dammed 2km / 1.5mi southwest of the village...
village.
From this point onwards to its northern terminus the tramway route largely coincides with the later railway though in places it runs roughly parallel to it.
Claypon's Tramroad can be followed for much of its length. At the Onllwyn
Onllwyn
Onllwyn is a small village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, near Seven Sisters.-History:First developed by the Romans, local village Banwen is confined to the Roman Road of Sarn Helen. There are two Roman forts and the remains of a Roman Road within the community.Legend has it that St Patrick was born...
end it has been obliterated by opencasting
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
and subsequent land restoration but lengthy sections can be followed around Mynydd y Drum, including sections where runs of stone blocks still remain. The mile-long incline
Inclined plane
The inclined plane is one of the original six simple machines; as the name suggests, it is a flat surface whose endpoints are at different heights. By moving an object up an inclined plane rather than completely vertical, the amount of force required is reduced, at the expense of increasing the...
down into Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
can be followed including the ruined remains of the winding engine house at the summit.
Cribarth Tramroads
The many miles of tramroad on the hill known as CribarthCribarth
Cribarth is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys, south Wales. The summit of the hill is at 423m and lies at the southwest end of a mile long ridge. It is marked by a trig point...
on the western side of the upper Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
are also deemed to form a part of the Brecon Forest Tramroad network, constructed as they were by Christie and his successors.
Public access
Parts of the route are followed by public footpaths whilst some other sections are available to walkers as permitted paths. Long sections run through open countryOpen Country
Open Country is a designation used for some UK access land.It was first defined under the 1949 National Parks Act , and was land over which an appropriate access agreement had been made...
designated as access land and which are therefore legally available to walkers, though the terrain is somewhat difficult and often waterlogged. Much of the northern section of the route is not publicly accessible though it is crossed by a few minor roads and paths from which short sections of the route can be glimpsed.
External links
- BFT page on official website of the Fforest Fawr Geopark
- image of tramroad bridge remains on Geograph website
- http://history.powys.org.uk/school1/ystradgynlais/gtforest.shtml