Junction_Cottage_and_Toll_Sign_at_Pontymoile_Basin

Pontymoile Basin is a mooring point and canal junction on 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 ...

Location

The basin lies on the Pontypool stretch of the

in the Pontypool suburb of

Pontymoile Pontymoile (Welsh: ''Pont-y-moel'') is a suburb of Pontypool in Torfaen, South Wales. It is all but merged with the nearby suburbs of Cwmynyscoy and Upper Race. It is a community of Torfaen, and includes the electoral wards of Brynwern, ...

in the county borough of

Torfaen Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south-w ...

and historic county of Monmouthshire in south Wales.

History

Originally a toll point, the

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

narrows significantly as it approaches the basin. Junction Cottage is the old

toll house A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road, canal, or toll bridge. History Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th an ...

, built in 1814 and is Grade II listed. The basin itself is a large expanse of water adjacent to the canal. It is used for turning narrowboats and filling up with water. Pontymoile Basin was the site of the junction with the three-mile Monmouthshire Canal to Pontnewynydd, containing 11 locks. This spur was fed from tramways carrying coal and iron down the valley. The junction was enacted in 1797 and completed in 1812.Eastern Valley: The Story of Torfaen. Chris Barber. Blorenge Books. The spur was problematic due to water supply issues, and it was overtaken by rail when the

Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company The Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company was a canal and railway company that operated a canal and a network of railways in the Western Valley and Eastern Valley of Newport, Monmouthshire. It started as the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation and o ...

drained it and reused the bed for their railway line in 1854, though it had seen decline prior to that date. Today traces of both canal and railway have disappeared under the reshaped

A472 road List of A roads in zone 4 in Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European isla ...

Visitor attraction

The basin is becoming something of a visitor attraction. Narrowboats and cruisers can be seen along the private stretch of moorings and day boat hire was introduced in 2007. Boats can be hired for full days or half days. There is a unique narrow boat café which was itself a former canal boat. The basin is located near Pontypool Park and is a stopping point for boats en route to Goetre Wharf.

References

{{Transport in Torfaen Geography of Torfaen Tourist attractions in Torfaen Transport in Torfaen Pontypool

Location

History

Visitor attraction

See also

References