The Crumlin Arm of the Monmouthshire canal is part of the
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal ( cy, Camlas Sir Fynwy a Brycheiniog) is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its currently (2018) navigable length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural ch ...
network in South Wales. It connected
Crumlin and its tramways to the
Docks at
Newport.
History
The
Crumlin to
Abercarn
Abercarn is a small town and community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales. It is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.
History
An estate at ...
section opened in March 1794 and two years later the branch was open except for
Fourteen Locks
Fourteen Locks () is a series of locks, also known as the Cefn Flight, on the Crumlin arm of the Monmouthshire Canal at Rogerstone in Newport, South Wales. The flight of locks was completed in 1799 and raises the water level 160 ft (5 ...
. It was not until April 1799 that the proprietors (shareholders) declared that the canal was finally complete.
The branch was long, rising 358 ft (109 m) through 32 locks.
Route
The canal started at a basin in
Crumlin and ran through the villages of
Newbridge,
Abercarn
Abercarn is a small town and community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales. It is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.
History
An estate at ...
and
Cwmcarn
Cwmcarn is a village situated in the Ebbw valley in south Wales, in the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It grew with 19th-century coal mining, but is now known for its extensive mature forestry and greenery, that attract thousands of visi ...
now under the A467. The canal then reached Cwmcarn lock now under the grass at the end of the present canal. The canal crosses the Pontywaun aqueduct and follow the side of the mountain above
Crosskeys
Crosskeys ( cy, Pont-y-cymer) is a village, community and an electoral ward in Caerphilly county borough in Wales.
Etymology
The village was originally named Pont-y-cymer and this remains the official Welsh name for the village. The name mea ...
and
Risca
Risca ( cy, Rhisga) is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in south-east Wales. Risca has a railway station, opened on the Ebbw Valley Railway in February 2008, after a gap of 46 years. It is spl ...
this section is the longest lock-free pound on the system until the
Fourteen Locks
Fourteen Locks () is a series of locks, also known as the Cefn Flight, on the Crumlin arm of the Monmouthshire Canal at Rogerstone in Newport, South Wales. The flight of locks was completed in 1799 and raises the water level 160 ft (5 ...
. The canal descends the fourteen locks and turns sharp along the hill side. The canal now flows next to the
M4 into urban
Newport to Barrack Hill tunnel (now disused and culverted). The rest of the canal through the city is lost beneath modern roads and buildings. The Kingsway dual carriageway follows the route of the canal to the now-filled-in Old Town Docks near the
Transporter Bridge
A transporter bridge, also known as a ferry bridge or aerial transfer bridge, is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been use ...
.
Locks
These were originally numbered (as were bridges) by the usual system of top down. Therefore, Cwmcarn lock was number 12. The
GWR renumbered the locks (and bridges) from
Newport to
Crumlin and then up the Main Line to
Brecon
Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
. Thus, Cwmcarn lock became Lock 22. Lock 22 was under the grass area just beyond the end of the canal. Going down was a lock-free pound to the top of
Fourteen Locks
Fourteen Locks () is a series of locks, also known as the Cefn Flight, on the Crumlin arm of the Monmouthshire Canal at Rogerstone in Newport, South Wales. The flight of locks was completed in 1799 and raises the water level 160 ft (5 ...
and going up was another pound to Abercarn bottom lock below the old
Prince of Wales Colliery
The Prince of Wales Colliery was a coal mine that operated for over 130 years in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It was permanently closed in 2002 after geological problems were found to make accessing remaining coal reserves unprofitable, ...
.
Traffic
The vast majority of the tonnage was coal or iron (particularly coal). Bricks from Allt-yr-yn Brickworks were later important but in relatively small tonnages. There was a regular general cargo boat twice a week from Newport to
Crumlin until 1915 but whilst it was important for traders, the tonnages were small. The Branch was often short of water and by 1829 a tramroad was available from Beaufort to Newport as well as from the big collieries at Abercarn. This meant that the canal above Abercarn became less used.
Boats were approximately 64 ft 9 in (19 m) long by 9 ft 2 in (2.8 m) wide.
Canal today
Today the canal is mostly disused and the northern end is lost beneath the A467 bypass. Eight miles of canal is viable but blocked by roads. The
National cycle route 47
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
follows the towpath for seven miles (11 km) from Barrack Hill tunnel,
Newport to Green Meadow Bridge,
Crosskeys
Crosskeys ( cy, Pont-y-cymer) is a village, community and an electoral ward in Caerphilly county borough in Wales.
Etymology
The village was originally named Pont-y-cymer and this remains the official Welsh name for the village. The name mea ...
. of canal between Pontywaun Aqueduct (
Pontywaun) to Darren Bridge (
Risca
Risca ( cy, Rhisga) is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in south-east Wales. Risca has a railway station, opened on the Ebbw Valley Railway in February 2008, after a gap of 46 years. It is spl ...
) is still navigable but only by small craft via a slipway at Pontywaun.
Plans
There are plans to reopen the canal down to the
Fourteen Locks
Fourteen Locks () is a series of locks, also known as the Cefn Flight, on the Crumlin arm of the Monmouthshire Canal at Rogerstone in Newport, South Wales. The flight of locks was completed in 1799 and raises the water level 160 ft (5 ...
then on to central
Newport. This requires building two aqueducts, raising a number of roads and rebuilding 20 locks. There are plans to build a marina at the Darran quarry in
Risca
Risca ( cy, Rhisga) is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in south-east Wales. Risca has a railway station, opened on the Ebbw Valley Railway in February 2008, after a gap of 46 years. It is spl ...
with a transport museum. Other plans include a
new marina at
Newport and a connection to the
River Usk
The River Usk (; cy, Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it fl ...
to connect to the main system of canals in the UK.
See also
*
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal ( cy, Camlas Sir Fynwy a Brycheiniog) is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its currently (2018) navigable length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural ch ...
*
Canals of Great Britain
The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a varied history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's ro ...
*
History of the British canal system
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
References
*http://www.islwyncanalassociation.com/canal_history.htm
*https://web.archive.org/web/20080708145514/http://www.fourteenlocks.co.uk/
*http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=thingstosee.fourteenlocks
{{Coord, 51.6798, N, 3.1368, W , format=dms , type:waterbody_region:GB-WLS , display=title
Canals in Wales
History of Monmouthshire
Culture in Newport, Wales
Canals opened in 1799