As some of you already know, I have a bit of a thing about local history. My interest is broad based and I’m as happy rooting about in the Industrial age as I am digging around in Romano Celtic times.

Ever since reading Alexander Cordell’s Rape of the Fair Country I found myself fascinated by this area’s industrial past. There’s little evidence left of the old mines, but plenty of blast furnace sites to explore.

One of the dynasties of Gwent iron masters were the Crawshay’s, who’s Cyfarthfa iron works at Merthyr was one of the major producers in the United Kingdom.

The Royal Navy was a major customer during Richard Crawshay’s reign, the iron being used to make cannon and other weaponry. Admiral Lord Nelson paid a personal visit to Cyfarthfa in 1802 in an effort to boost production for the war effort.

Transportation of iron, coal and limestone from Merthyr was a growing problem, but when Cornishman Richard Trevithick demonstrated the world’s first steam locomotive, The Iron Horse, on a tramway between Penydarren and Abercynon hauling 10 tons of Merthyr iron, a new age was born.

Railway companies were formed and soon established routes that linked Merthyr with coastal ports or other parts of Britain. They included the Brecon and Merthyr Railway, Vale of Neath Railway, Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway.

These railway companies often shared routes to enable access to coal mines and ironworks through rugged country, which presented great engineering challenges.

The Cefn Coed Viaduct was built in 1866 to carry the Brecon and Merthyr Railway across the river Taff at Pontycapel. The design was by A. Sutherland, a friend of Robert Thompson Crawshay, and it was built by Messrs. Savel and Ward It consists of 15 openings, each one 39 feet 9 inches, a length of 725ft. and a maximum height of 115ft.

The viaduct was built on a curve, this curve being the viaduct’s main point of architectural interest. The original cost of the bridge was £25, 000, it is the third largest viaduct in Wales and this is it:

Cefn Coed Viaduct
Cefn Coed Viaduct