33:
324:
350:, into which the rail chairs are integrally cast. Wooden uprights were attached to the iron risers that passed through the apex of each of the A-frames and these supported the upper trough carrying the Taff Fawr leat. Reflecting its designer's roots in carpentry, the members composing the trusses are joined by
310:
which ran along the north bank and crossed the Taff Fechan before crossing the Taff at Pont-y-Cafnau and entering the works to power a 50-foot cast iron water wheel known as Aeolus. The leat from Taff Fechan was at ground level and again crossed the Taff at Pont-y-Cafnau. This supplied water to the
315:. The bridge was built between January and June 1793, replacing a previous wooden structure, and is the world's oldest known iron railway bridge. The elevated trough carrying the Taff Fawr leat was removed by 1850, having been replaced by a leat along the south bank of that river.
435:
739:
297:
was built between 1792 and 1793 to carry the limestone from the quarry into the plant. Pont-y-Cafnau is situated shortly downstream of the confluence of the Taff Fawr and the Taff Fechan to form the Taff. A
676:
528:
331:
The present bridge was designed by Watkin George. George had been trained as a carpenter, but in 1792 became the chief engineer of the ironworks and a partner in the business. The bridge is composed of two
709:
754:
724:
311:
Cyfarthfa brick works. The three levels of Pont-y-Cafnau thus carried the elevated Taff Fawr leat, the tramway and Taff Fechan leat across the
744:
719:
465:
749:
734:
621:
680:
759:
714:
729:
660:
503:
475:
498:
50:
342:
supporting a rectangular 2-foot by 6-foot-2-inch cast iron trough. This lower trough carried the Taff Fechan leat and acts as a
401:
650:
625:
554:
43:
252:
32:
532:
611:
Rowson, Stephen & Wright, Ian. The
Glamorganshire and Aberdare Canals, Black Dwarf Publications 2001, 65,69
406:
591:
306:
were built to convey water into the works. The leat from the Taff Fawr was conveyed in a cast-iron elevated
284:
244:
307:
395:
294:
240:
236:
163:
103:
323:
371:
656:
471:
391:
355:
387:
374:(reference number GM424). It has been refurbished by the local authority and is used as a
367:
248:
280:
256:
224:
197:
107:
703:
646:
232:
347:
626:"Historic Landscape Characterisation: Merthyr Tydfil – 012 Cyfarthfa Iron Works"
431:
375:
312:
220:
93:
569:
556:
267:
The
Cyfarthfa Ironworks were founded in 1765 and grew to the world's largest
65:
52:
394:
in 1823, and the first iron bridge to be built for a railway, rather than a
336:
333:
272:
268:
213:
122:
470:. London: Thomas Telford / Institution of Civil Engineers. pp. 91–92.
271:
by the early 19th century. In 1771, the works obtained the right to quarry
351:
655:. London: Thomas Telford / Institution of Civil Engineers. p. 247.
339:
343:
276:
302:
had previously been built upstream of the plant on each river, and
322:
228:
216:
677:
Royal
Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
529:
Royal
Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
494:
303:
299:
467:
Civil
Engineering Heritage: Wales & West Central England
740:
Grade II* listed buildings in
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough
255:, the Pont-y-Cafnau is the world's earliest surviving iron
85:(originally) Gurnos Tramway, aqueduct; (today) pedestrians
247:
to carry limestone and water into the works. A Grade II*
366:
On 22 August 1975, the bridge was listed as a Grade II*
200:for 'bridge of troughs'; sometimes written
177:
169:
157:
149:
144:
136:
128:
118:
113:
99:
89:
81:
42:
23:
652:Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers, Vol. 1
370:(reference number 11408). It is also listed as a
681:"RCAHMW Digital Survey, Pont y Cafnau Aqueduct"
438:. International Council on Monuments and Sites
8:
346:supporting the plates acting as the railway
489:
487:
358:joints commonly used in wooden structures.
189:
20:
499:"Pont-y-Cafnau (Grade II*) (11408)"
235:and built in 1793 for his employer, the
523:
521:
418:
327:Pont-y-Cafnau, showing detail of joints
710:Archaeological sites in Merthyr Tydfil
459:
457:
455:
453:
426:
424:
422:
212:), is a 14.2-metre (47 ft) long
7:
755:1793 establishments in Great Britain
622:Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
436:"Context for World Heritage Bridges"
725:Truss bridges in the United Kingdom
390:, an iron railway bridge, built by
14:
504:National Historic Assets of Wales
31:
402:Old Iron Bridge, Merthyr Tydfil
1:
279:Quarry for use in the works'
231:. The bridge was designed by
745:4 ft gauge railways in Wales
720:Scheduled monuments in Wales
750:Bridges over the River Taff
735:Pedestrian bridges in Wales
776:
372:Scheduled Ancient Monument
253:Scheduled Ancient Monument
760:Bridges in Merthyr Tydfil
715:Bridges completed in 1793
533:"Cadw Scheduling Records"
190:
182:
30:
730:Railway bridges in Wales
570:51.7651176°N 3.3991528°W
407:List of bridges in Wales
140:14.2 metres (47 ft)
575:51.7651176; -3.3991528
328:
464:Cragg, Roger (1997).
326:
239:, to support both a
66:51.75467°N 3.39550°W
566: /
237:Cyfarthfa Ironworks
164:Cyfarthfa Ironworks
104:Cyfarthfa Ironworks
62: /
329:
173:January–June, 1793
71:51.75467; -3.39550
356:mortise and tenon
186:
185:
767:
692:
691:
689:
687:
673:
667:
666:
643:
637:
636:
634:
632:
618:
612:
609:
603:
602:
600:
598:
588:
582:
581:
580:
578:
577:
576:
571:
567:
564:
563:
562:
559:
550:
544:
543:
541:
539:
525:
516:
515:
513:
511:
491:
482:
481:
461:
448:
447:
445:
443:
428:
292:
287:
219:bridge over the
195:
194:
170:Construction end
160:
77:
76:
74:
73:
72:
67:
63:
60:
59:
58:
55:
35:
21:
775:
774:
770:
769:
768:
766:
765:
764:
700:
699:
696:
695:
685:
683:
675:
674:
670:
663:
645:
644:
640:
630:
628:
620:
619:
615:
610:
606:
596:
594:
592:"Pont-y-Cafnau"
590:
589:
585:
574:
572:
568:
565:
560:
557:
555:
553:
552:
551:
547:
537:
535:
527:
526:
519:
509:
507:
493:
492:
485:
478:
463:
462:
451:
441:
439:
430:
429:
420:
415:
388:Gaunless Bridge
384:
368:listed building
364:
321:
290:
285:
265:
249:listed building
158:
123:King post truss
114:Characteristics
70:
68:
64:
61:
56:
53:
51:
49:
48:
38:
26:
17:
16:Bridge in Wales
12:
11:
5:
773:
771:
763:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
702:
701:
694:
693:
668:
661:
647:Skempton, Alec
638:
613:
604:
583:
545:
517:
483:
476:
449:
417:
416:
414:
411:
410:
409:
404:
399:
383:
380:
363:
360:
320:
317:
281:blast furnaces
264:
261:
257:railway bridge
225:Merthyr Tydfil
184:
183:
180:
179:
175:
174:
171:
167:
166:
161:
159:Constructed by
155:
154:
151:
147:
146:
142:
141:
138:
134:
133:
130:
126:
125:
120:
116:
115:
111:
110:
108:Merthyr Tydfil
101:
97:
96:
91:
87:
86:
83:
79:
78:
46:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
772:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
707:
705:
698:
682:
678:
672:
669:
664:
662:0-7277-2939-X
658:
654:
653:
648:
642:
639:
627:
623:
617:
614:
608:
605:
593:
587:
584:
579:
549:
546:
534:
530:
524:
522:
518:
506:
505:
500:
496:
490:
488:
484:
479:
477:0-7277-2576-9
473:
469:
468:
460:
458:
456:
454:
450:
437:
433:
427:
425:
423:
419:
412:
408:
405:
403:
400:
397:
393:
389:
386:
385:
381:
379:
377:
373:
369:
361:
359:
357:
353:
349:
345:
341:
338:
335:
325:
318:
316:
314:
309:
305:
301:
296:
291:1,219 mm
288:
282:
278:
274:
270:
262:
260:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
233:Watkin George
230:
226:
222:
218:
215:
211:
210:
205:
204:
203:Pont y Cafnau
199:
193:
192:Pont-y-Cafnau
181:
176:
172:
168:
165:
162:
156:
153:Watkin George
152:
148:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
124:
121:
117:
112:
109:
105:
102:
98:
95:
92:
88:
84:
80:
75:
47:
45:
41:
37:Pont-y-Cafnau
34:
29:
25:Pont-y-Cafnau
22:
19:
697:
684:. Retrieved
671:
651:
641:
629:. Retrieved
616:
607:
595:. Retrieved
586:
548:
536:. Retrieved
508:. Retrieved
502:
466:
440:. Retrieved
432:DeLony, Efic
365:
330:
266:
208:
207:
202:
201:
191:
187:
137:Total length
18:
573: /
442:20 February
209:Pontycafnau
69: /
44:Coordinates
704:Categories
686:12 January
631:12 January
558:51°45′54″N
538:14 January
413:References
392:Stephenson
376:footbridge
313:Taff River
221:River Taff
94:River Taff
54:51°45′17″N
561:3°23′57″W
334:cast iron
286:4 ft
275:from the
273:limestone
269:ironworks
132:Cast iron
57:3°23′44″W
679:(2007).
649:(2002).
531:(1990).
434:(1996).
382:See also
362:Heritage
352:dovetail
348:sleepers
308:aqueduct
293:) gauge
283:, and a
245:aqueduct
178:Location
150:Designer
129:Material
510:2 April
396:tramway
340:trusses
337:A-frame
295:tramway
263:History
243:and an
241:tramway
145:History
90:Crosses
82:Carries
659:
597:3 July
474:
344:girder
319:Design
277:Gurnos
119:Design
100:Locale
304:leats
229:Wales
217:truss
198:Welsh
688:2010
657:ISBN
633:2010
599:2014
540:2010
512:2019
495:Cadw
472:ISBN
444:2013
354:and
300:weir
251:and
214:iron
188:The
223:in
206:or
706::
624:.
520:^
501:.
497:.
486:^
452:^
421:^
378:.
259:.
227:,
106:,
690:.
665:.
635:.
601:.
542:.
514:.
480:.
446:.
398:.
289:(
196:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
