The Brecon Forest Tramroad is an early nineteenth century
tramroad
A plateway is an early kind of railway, tramway or wagonway, where the rails are made from cast iron. They were mainly used for about 50 years up to 1830, though some continued later.
Plateways consisted of "L"-shaped rails, where the flange o ...
, or rather a network of connecting tramroads or
waggonway
Wagonways (also spelt Waggonways), also known as horse-drawn railways and horse-drawn railroad consisted of the horses, equipment and tracks used for hauling wagons, which preceded steam-powered railways. The terms plateway, tramway, dramway ...
s, which stretched across the hills of
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is 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 cat ...
in the historic county of
Brecknockshire
, image_flag=
, HQ= Brecon
, Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974)
, Origin= Brycheiniog
, Status=
, Start= 1535
, End= ...
(modern administrative county of
Powys
Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...
) in south
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
,
UK. Its northern terminus was at the village of
Sennybridge
Sennybridge ( cy, Pontsenni) is a village in the historic county of Brecknockshire, Wales, now within the unitary authority area of Powys, situated some from Cardiff and from Swansea. It lies west of Brecon on the A40 trunk road to Llandover ...
in the
Usk
Usk ( cy, Brynbuga) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, northeast of Newport. It is located on the River Usk, which is spanned by an arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. Usk Castle, above the town, overlooks th ...
Valley whilst its southern ends lay at
Abercraf
Abercraf ( en, Abercrave) is a village within the historic boundaries of the county of Brecknockshire, Wales, administered as part of the unitary authority of Powys, and in the community of Ystradgynlais.
Between 1965 and 1991, the village was th ...
and
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais (, ) is a town on the River Tawe in southwest Powys, Wales. It is the second-largest town in Powys and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. The town has a high proportion of Welsh language-speakers. The community includes ...
in the upper
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley ( cy, Cwm Tawe) is one of the South Wales Valleys. It is the valley from the Brecon Beacons National Park to the sea at Swansea of the River Tawe in Wales. Administration of the area is divided between the City and County of Sw ...
some to the south.
The tramroad project was conceived by
John Christie, a Scottish-born entrepreneur based in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
who had amassed a fortune from his involvement in the
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
trade with India.
This enabled him to purchase the Crown Allotment of the Great Forest of Brecon (or
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is 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 cat ...
) 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 ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
sourced from quarries near
Penwyllt
Penwyllt ( Welsh: "wild headland") is a hamlet located in the upper Swansea Valley in Powys, Wales, lying within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
A former quarrying village, quicklime and silica brick production centre, its fortunes rose and f ...
to the farms of the Usk valley and
Mynydd Epynt
Mynydd Epynt () is a former community and upland area in Powys, Wales.
The Ministry of Defence controversially evicted the community of Mynydd Epynt in 1940, creating what is now the core of the Sennybridge Training Area (SENTA), the largest mil ...
where its soil-improving qualities would be appreciated.
He subsequently expanded his activities to exploit minerals outside
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is 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 cat ...
and to markets further to the south in the rapidly
industrialising valleys
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
of the
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield ( cy, Maes glo De Cymru) extends across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. It is rich in coal deposits, espec ...
.
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
Sennybridge
Sennybridge ( cy, Pontsenni) is a village in the historic county of Brecknockshire, Wales, now within the unitary authority area of Powys, situated some from Cardiff and from Swansea. It lies west of Brecon on the A40 trunk road to Llandover ...
. 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 () is a small village and community in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, near Seven Sisters.
History
First developed by the Romans, the local village Banwen is confined to the Roman Road of Sarn Helen. There are two Roman forts and the remai ...
which Christie had leased in 1822. From the colliery the line ran northeastwards to the village of
Coelbren and then across the
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. Its headwater streams, the Nant Llech Pell ...
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 ( Welsh for ''cave of the black spring''), also known informally as OFD, is a cave under a hillside in the area surrounding Penwyllt in the Upper Swansea Valley in South Wales. It is the second longest cave in Wales and the d ...
National Nature Reserve.
![Brecon Forest Tramroad - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Brecon_Forest_Tramroad_-_geograph.org.uk_-_612899.jpg)
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 is a mountain in the Fforest Fawr section of Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. It lies within the county of Breconshire, and administered as part of the unitary authority of Powys.
Its highest point at 2379 feet (or ...
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
The Swansea Canal (Welsh: ''Camlas Abertawe'') was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were nee ...
at Cae'r Lan near
Abercraf
Abercraf ( en, Abercrave) is a village within the historic boundaries of the county of Brecknockshire, Wales, administered as part of the unitary authority of Powys, and in the community of Ystradgynlais.
Between 1965 and 1991, the village was th ...
. 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 is a market town and inland port in the borough of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Boston is north of London, north-east of Peterborough, east of Nottingham, south-east of Lincoln, south-southeast of Hull ...
. 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 (, ) is a town on the River Tawe in southwest Powys, Wales. It is the second-largest town in Powys and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. The town has a high proportion of Welsh language-speakers. The community includes ...
.
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
The Dulas Valley Mineral Railway was incorporated in 1862 to bring coal from the Onllwyn area north-east of Neath to the quays there, and in the following year was reconstituted as the Neath and Brecon Railway. The line was opened as far as Onllw ...
. 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
The Swansea Vale Railway (SVR) was a railway line connecting the port of Swansea in South Wales to industries and coalfields along the River Tawe on the northern margin of Swansea, by taking over a tramroad in 1846. It was extended to Brynamman i ...
.
Main present-day route
Much of the southernmost section of the Tramroad was followed by the later
Neath and Brecon Railway
The Dulas Valley Mineral Railway was incorporated in 1862 to bring coal from the Onllwyn area north-east of Neath to the quays there, and in the following year was reconstituted as the Neath and Brecon Railway. The line was opened as far as Onllw ...
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.
![Brecon Forest Tramroad - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Brecon_Forest_Tramroad_-_geograph.org.uk_-_612889.jpg)
The modern
A4067 road
A4 most often refers to:
*A4 paper, a paper size defined by the ISO 216 standard, measuring 210 Ă— 297 mm
A4 and variants may also refer to:
Science and mathematics
* British NVC community A4 (''Hydrocharis morsus-ranae - Stratiotes aloide ...
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 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 (the r ...
with the A4067 before crossing the latter and curving westwards and northwards towards
Crai.
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 () is a small village and community in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, near Seven Sisters.
History
First developed by the Romans, the local village Banwen is confined to the Roman Road of Sarn Helen. There are two Roman forts and the remai ...
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
Incline, inclined, inclining, or inclination may refer to:
*Grade (slope), the tilt, steepness, or angle from horizontal of a topographic feature (hillside, meadow, etc.) or constructed element (road, railway, field, etc.)
*Slope, the tilt, steepn ...
down into
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais (, ) is a town on the River Tawe in southwest Powys, Wales. It is the second-largest town in Powys and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. The town has a high proportion of Welsh language-speakers. The community includes ...
can be followed including the ruined remains of the winding engine house at the summit.
Cribarth Tramroads
Some of the many miles of tramroad on the hill known as
Cribarth
Cribarth, sometimes referred to as the Sleeping Giant, is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park located in the traditional county of Brecknockshire (currently administered part of the unitary authority of Powys) in southern Wales. The summit ...
on the western side of the upper
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley ( cy, Cwm Tawe) is one of the South Wales Valleys. It is the valley from the Brecon Beacons National Park to the sea at Swansea of the River Tawe in Wales. Administration of the area is divided between the City and County of Sw ...
are also deemed to form a part of the Brecon Forest Tramroad network, constructed as they were by Christie and his successors. These served numerous limestone quarries as well as sources of silica sand though it seems that the connection to extensive
rottenstone
Rotten stone, sometimes spelled as rottenstone, also known as tripoli, is fine powdered porous rock used as a polishing abrasive for metalsmithing and in woodworking. It is usually weathered limestone mixed with diatomaceous, amorphous, or crysta ...
workings to the north of Cribarth was not completed and did not come fully into operation.
[pp275-281 of Hughes, S]
Public access
![Brecon Forest Tramroad - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Brecon_Forest_Tramroad_-_geograph.org.uk_-_694068.jpg)
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 country
"Open Country" is a designation used for some UK access land.
It was first defined under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (and extended by the Countryside Act 1968), and was land over which an appropriate access agreeme ...
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 few miles of the route is not publicly accessible though it is crossed by a few minor roads and public paths from which short sections of the route can be glimpsed.
Gallery
File:Remains of Brecon Forest Tramroad incline - geograph.org.uk - 1377354.jpg
File:Culvert under Brecon Forest Tramroad - geograph.org.uk - 694076.jpg
File:Devynnock, former terminus of the Brecon Forest Tramroad - geograph.org.uk - 39273.jpg
References
External links
BFT page on official website of the Fforest Fawr Geopark* http://history.powys.org.uk/school1/ystradgynlais/gtforest.shtml
History of Brecknockshire
Tram transport in Wales
Fforest Fawr
Horse-drawn railways
Railway lines opened in 1821