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The Old Bridge ( cy, Yr Hen Bont), which is now also known as the William Edwards Bridge or Pontypridd Bridge, was originally known as the New Bridge or Newbridge, is an
arched An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...
single-span
footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
that spans the
River Taff The River Taff ( cy, Afon Taf) is a river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons; the Taf Fechan (''little Taff'') and the Taf Fawr (''great Taff'') before becoming one just north of Merthyr Tydfil. Its confluence with the R ...
at
Pontypridd () (colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest (). The ...
in Wales. The bridge was built by
William Edwards William Edwards may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Edwards (architect) (1719–1789), Welsh architect of the Pontypridd bridge in south Wales *William Camden Edwards (1777–1855), Welsh engraver *William Augustus Edwards (1866–1939), ...
and was completed in 1756. The bridge now has statutory protection as a
scheduled ancient monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
and is grade I listed.


Pontypridd

In the early 18th century Pontypridd, then known as Pont-y-tŷ-pridd (''The bridge of the earthen house''), was a tiny
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
. Pont-y-tŷ-pridd took its name from the original bridge of the same name, however very little is known of that ancient
ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
with stepping stones, which ran alongside the current Old Bridge, and was used only when the river ran low. Possibly in 1744 or after the bridge was built, Pont-y-tŷ-pridd became known as Newbridge or New Bridge after the William Edwards Bridge. By 1856, Newbridge had been renamed Pontypridd. In 1746 when William Edwards was just 27 years of age, he was commissioned by the Hundreds of Miskin and Caerphilly to build a three-arch bridge across the River Taff. For this he was paid GB£500, on condition that he would maintain it for seven years.


Construction


The first bridge

The first bridge to be constructed was a three-arch stone bridge, which was built in 1746. It was destroyed by a heavy storm which caused the River Taff to flood about two years later. A large amount of debris came down the river, which then become trapped against the two
abutment An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...
s supporting the bridge. The weight and force of the debris ultimately destroyed the bridge, which was then swept away down the river.


The second bridge

After the destruction of the first bridge over the fast-flowing River Taff, Edwards designed a more radical single-arch bridge that would eliminate the possibility of debris destroying the bridge due to the flooding of the River Taff. The second bridge was built from 1748, however two reports differ as to what actually happened during this second attempt. Thomas Morgan, a contemporary of Edwards, said that "…when he (Edwards) had almost finished the arch, the centre timber work gave way and all fell to the bottom." However, The
National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...
has a contemporary work known as the Plasybrain manuscript which says, "Just after the first single arch was finished and before the centre was struck, a flood came and carried all away." It is not clear which account is accurate, although it is clear that the attempt failed.


The third bridge

The single-arch bridge was rebuilt and was completed. It stood for about six weeks before it failed again. The weight of the materials in the bridge was not balanced on either side of the keystone, which gradually forced the stone out of position as traffic on the bridge created small vibrations and movement, and the bridge collapsed. In the ''Theory of Arches and Pontypridd'', it states that "the weight of the bridge was either too great on the haunches or too little on the crown." At this stage Edwards was either encouraged or forced to try again with extra money being provided to cover his losses for the earlier attempts.


The fourth bridge

The final design of the bridge included three cylindrical voids (holes) of , and on each side on the bridge. This reduced the weight and pressure on the crown and the bridge is still in operation today, although it is now only used for foot traffic. The ''Theory of Arches and Pontypridd'' states that as a bridge for commerce, it was a failure, as it was "only eleven feet wide between the parapets and so steep that wagons had to use a 'chain and drag' to descend from the crown." The 140 ft Old Bridge surpassed the
Old Walton Bridge Old Walton Bridge is the name given to the first Walton Bridge built across the River Thames between Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton in Surrey, England (the latter then in Middlesex). The wooden bridge was completed in 1750, was painted by Canale ...
as the longest single-span bridge in Great Britain and remained the longest bridge for another 40 years. It was also one of the few bridges in Europe at the time, and indeed worldwide, whose span exceeded the 40 m mark. The whole project (including the three failed attempts) cost Edwards a total of £1,153 18s. 2d. (approximately £1,153.91), and consequently his loss exceeded £600. It was reported that Edwards' attempts to build the bridge over the River Taff left him in considerable debt; Thomas Morgan reported that "…the mason was considerably in debt and greatly discouraged. But the Lords Talbot and Windsor, who have estates in the neighbourhood, pitied his case, and being willing to encourage such an enterprising genius, most generously promoted a subscription among the gentry in those parts."


Subsequent history

The Old Bridge was so steep that horse carts had difficulty crossing it. By 1857, a new bridge, the Victoria Bridge, was built next to the Old Bridge, which was paid for by the people of Pontypridd. The Victoria Bridge is a three-arch bridge, built by Thomas Jenkins, that did not have a problem with roadway steepness. Since the bridge was opened in 1756, it has been the subject for many
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
artists, including Richard Wilson and
Turner Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters *Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for turni ...
. The Old Bridge is now a
scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
and is also depicted in emblems of local
sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
teams, including
Pontypridd F.C. Pontypridd F.C. is an amateur Welsh football team based in Pontypridd, formed in 2018 and inspired by the former professional club Pontypridd AFC that existed between 1911 and 1926. The club was reformed in May 2018 by former members of the Pont ...
Pontypridd RFC Pontypridd Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Pontypridd) are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. They compete in the Indigo Group Premiership, which they won for four consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2015, and ...
and
Cilfynydd RFC Cilfynydd Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Cilfynydd in Pontypridd, Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union. Club badge The Cilfynydd RFC badge consists of a yellow and black shield split into quarters. The fo ...
. Artist Lulu Quinn was commissioned by
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf) is the governing body for Rhondda Cynon Taf, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council headquarters are located in the community of Cwm Clydach o ...
to illuminate the Old Bridge as part of a regeneration programme for Pontypridd called the Monument Illumination Scheme. Initial tests to illuminate the bridge took place on 19 August 2008, and the project was officially launched after successful testing.


Bridge imagery

Representations of Old Bridge can be seen in local heraldic and civic stationery, including the crest of Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, Pontypridd Football Club and Cilfynydd Rugby Football Club. The community-to-community organisation PONT (Partnerships Overseas Networking Trust), also bases its logo upon the Bridge. Pontypridd High School in Cilfynydd incorporates the bridge design into the school shield, as does Pontypridd Town Council with its logo representing the South Wales Valleys and a section of the Old Bridge in the foreground. Pontypridd Male Voice Choir also incorporates the Old Bridge in the choir logo.


See also

*
List of bridges in Wales This list of bridges in Wales lists bridges of particular historical, scenic, architectural or engineering interest in Wales. Road and railway bridges, viaducts, aqueducts and footbridges are included. List Bridges are listed under the names us ...
* Old Bridge for other bridges with the same name.


References


Notes


External links


A paper by T G Hughes MSc, PhD, CEng, FICE celebrating the 250th anniversary of the construction of the William Edwards Bridge, Pontypridd, UK

The Theory of Arches and Pontypridd

Three-dimensional centrifuge test of Pontypridd Bridge




{{good article Bridges completed in 1756 Arch bridges in the United Kingdom Bridges in Rhondda Cynon Taf Grade I listed buildings in Rhondda Cynon Taf Stone bridges in the United Kingdom Pedestrian bridges in Wales Scheduled monuments in Wales Pontypridd Grade I listed bridges in Wales Bridges over the River Taff