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Industrial Wales - Monmouthshire's Rhymney Valley
The Central Rhymney Valley
From Caerphilly to Bargoed via Llanbradach and Nelson.
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The Industrial Archaeology and History of the Rhymney Valley

Click on the link to go to :-     Bedwas and Trethomas     Rudry and Waterloo     Machen     Draethen lead mines     Caerphilly
    Senghenydd     Llanbradach     Ystrad Mynach     Hengoed     Bargoed
    Nelson     New Tredegar     Abertwsswg     Pontlottyn     Rhymney     The Darran Valley

Or click on the button to go to :-

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge a photo or map and sometimes read more about it.
Then click 'Full Size' on the toolbar to see it in all its glory.

Caerphilly

Quick links to :- Caerphilly     Abertridwr and Senghenydd     Llanbradach
    Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer     Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis     Bargoed     Nelson to Bedlinog

Rhos Llantwit Colliery and gasworks - ST 1642 8774 and ST 1634 8773

Lansbury Park Estate has been built over the site of the colliery, which was working from 1863 to 1892 at the end of a short branch of the Caerphilly - Machen line. The colliery branch can be followed as footpaths through the estate. In 2012 the shafts were re-opened for a new concrete cap to be built. Opened beside the colliery, the gasworks functioned until the 1920s. Some decent stone walls remain to show it's positionand on Google Earth you can just make out the gasholder site in the grass.

Penrhos Junction - ST 1360 8600

This is the site of the five line junction, viaduct and Barry Railway flyover at Penrhos. It's a shame they've filled in the viaduct but I was surprised to find the Barry Railway bridge under Blackbrook Road still there. The last time I was at the Barry Railway sidings it was a coal stockpile under police guard and that was 30 years ago.

Blackbrook Colliery and Furnace Blwm Brickworks - ST 1422 8524

There was a small level known as 'Ty Melin Colliery' here in 1875 but by 1898 Furnace Blwm Brickworks had come and gone, being marked 'disused'. In 1920 the site appears cleared but between 1921 and 1935 Blackbrook Colliery has opened and closed, being marked as 'disused' in 1938. The entrance to the level still existed in the early 1970s and may still be amongst the bushes in the garden area. A mystery at this site is whether a tramway ran down to the GWR sidings near Penrhos Junction, I have seen one OS map that shows it and there are faint earthworks. There used to be a rather frail metal bridge taking the lane to Ffwrnes Blwm Farm across the entrance to the small quarry, since filled in.

Thornhill and the Caerphilly Mountain ridge

Cefn On Quarry, Caerphilly - ST 1738 8515

An interesting ramble around Caerphilly Mountain starting off at Cefn On Quarry turned up quite a few new locations to explore

Cefn Carnau, Thornhill - ST 1738 8515

Blaen Nofydd quarry and old limekilns on the ridgeway, limekiln 1 is at ST 1660 8469 and limekiln 2 is at ST 1637 8464

Wernddu Colliery and Brickworks - ST 1680 8630

Around and about in Caerphilly

First, some historic photos from the 1960, 70s and 80s

.... and back to today.


Abertridwr and Senghenydd

Quick links to :- Caerphilly     Abertridwr and Senghenydd     Llanbradach
    Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer     Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis     Bargoed     Nelson to Bedlinog

Abertridwr

Senghenydd


Llanbradach

Quick links to :- Caerphilly     Abertridwr and Senghenydd     Llanbradach
    Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer     Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis     Bargoed     Nelson to Bedlinog

Llanbradach Colliery - ST 1484 9095

Llanbradach Colliery tips - ST 1385 9135

Other spots around Llanbradach

Coed-y-Brain Quarries - ST 1460 8990


Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer

Quick links to :- Caerphilly     Abertridwr and Senghenydd     Llanbradach
    Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer     Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis     Bargoed     Nelson to Bedlinog

Ystrad Mynach

Maes-y-cwmmer

Gelli-deg Colliery - ST 1635 1475

Maesycwmmer Brickworks - ST 1614 9474

Maesycwmmer Brickworks seems to have been short-lived, being only shown on the 1916 OS map. By 1938 the site at the end of the tramway from one of the Gellideg Collieries was empty. The works were owned by Edward Harvey, who also used his initials 'EH' on bricks. Bricks marked 'HARV' appear to be a poor impression from Maesycwmmer Brickworks. The name 'Gellydeg' was also used.


Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis

Quick links to :- Caerphilly     Abertridwr and Senghenydd     Llanbradach
    Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer     Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis     Bargoed     Nelson to Bedlinog

Hengoed

Penallta

Penallta Colliery tip tramway - ST 1385 9559

A short length of the tramway that took the colliery waste to the tip is hidden away behind the wardens office. The cable-hauled line is about 3ft gauge with flat-bottomed rails and steel sleepers. Lengths of cable are dotted along the route.

Penallta Colliery - ST 1400 9580

Tir-y-berth

Tir-y-berth drainage levels - ST 1533 9618

A number of drainage levels come out on the banks of the River Rhymney behing the indutrial estate. One is bricked up, others have collapsed and there is one modern drain issuing a lot of orange water. It appears that they are draining Glan-ddu Level, Hengoed Colliery and Glan-Rhymney level, all working from c1877 to c1899. Thanks to 'Skirrid1969' for pointing them out.

Fleur-de-lis

Buttery Hatch Colliery - ST 1579 9609
Gellihaf Colliery - ST 1572 9558

Buttery Hatch Colliery is recorded to have been working by 1823 until c1878 from a shaft near New Place Colliery. Tre-lyn Level was open c1869, closing on and off until c1941, by which time it was known as 'Buttery Hatch'. It was closely connected with the adjacent Gellihaf Colliery, open c1869 to 1910, sharing the loading dock and sidings.

The Brecon & Merthyr Railway

The Brecon & Merthyr Railway through Fleur-de-lis has almost disappeared but the course of the Taff Vale Extension link line up to the end of the Hengoed Viaduct at Maes-y-cwmmer is a good footpath.


Bargoed and Aberbargoed

Quick links to :- Caerphilly     Abertridwr and Senghenydd     Llanbradach
    Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer     Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis     Bargoed     Nelson to Bedlinog

Bargoed Colliery - ST 1519 0007

One remaining fragment of Bargoed Colliery's buildings

Aberbargoed - ST 1512 0046

The Brecon and Merthyr Railway ran through Aberbargoed over a very narrow bridge into a station perched on stilts above the river.


Nelson to Bedlinog

Quick links to :- Caerphilly     Abertridwr and Senghenydd     Llanbradach
    Ystrad Mynach and Maes-y-cwmmer     Hengoed, Penallta and Fleur-de-lis     Bargoed     Nelson to Bedlinog

Gelliargwellt Quarry - ST 1265 9635

A modern quarry and compost recycling site near Gelligaer village.

Railways through Nelson

Pont-y-Saeson Bridge - ST 1300 9510

This bridge spanned both the Rhymney Railway link and the TVER, with separate arches.

Wern Ganol Collieries - ST 1120 9528 and ST 1262 9514

Two small collieries near the 'Rowan Tree' pub between Nelson and Ystrad Mynach. The 'Smallest Colliery in the Kingdom' possibly dates from 1865 and appears to have closed c1945. The later Wern Ganol Colliery (or Wern Forest Level) opened in 1912 and was abandoned in 1940.

Llancaiach Colliery - ST 1125 9630

Llancaiach Colliery possibly dates back to 1810 when it may have been connected to the Llanfabon Tramroad to Abercynon. There are extensive sidings and coke ovens on the 1875 OS map but all had gone by 1900.

Tophill Colliery and tramway - ST 1177 9680

Tophill Colliery possibly dates back to 1810 when it may have been connected to the Llanfabon Tramroad to Abercynon. On the 1875 OS map a long tramway runs to an interchange with the GWR at Llancaiach Isaf. By 1900 an extension had been built to a new Northern level at ST 1160 9730. All had gone by 1920 leaving a new, smaller level near the Northern terminus.

Deep Navigation Colliery - ST 1015 9760
Taff Merthyr Colliery - ST 1022 9950

The site of Deep Navigation Colliery has a series of marker stones detailing the shafts and seams used by the colliery.

Bedlinog


Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks to :- Michael Kilner, Richard Paterson and 'Skirrid1969'.


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All rights reserved - Phil Jenkins