I blogged yesterday about the Cefn Coed Viaduct was built in 1866 to carry the Brecon and Merthyr Railway across the river Taff at Pontycapel, Merthyr.
Being neither engineer nor architect I find myself drawn to these structures mostly by their form, but also because of the impact such technical innovation had on the historical aspect of the surrounding area.
This morning I want to take a brief look at the Hengoed to Maesycwmmer viaduct, known originally as the Rhymney Viaduct and at various times as the Hengoed Viaduct and the Maesycwmmer Viaduct.
The sixteen arches of the viaduct stretch majestically across the Rhymney Valley and dominate the skyline.
Construction began in 1853 and was completed in 1858, the viaduct being opened for use in 1857. The 270 metre long, 40 metres tall viaduct stands as yet another testament to the skills of Victorian engineering. Construction costs came to approximately £20,000.
The viaduct was commissioned by the Newport, Abergavenney and Hereford Railway and designed by their engineer Charles Liddel; the contractors employed to carry out the work were Messrs Rennie and Logan.
The Rhymney Viaduct formed part of the cross-valley rail route that linked Pontypool to Swansea, via Aberdare and Neath. Interestingly, the first arch on the eastern side was constructed at a skewed angle to accommodate the Brecon and Merthyr main line that passed under it.
The Beeching Axe fell and the line closed in 1964 during the Re-shaping of British Railways. The viaduct was offered for sale at a nominal sum of one pound.
Today the Hengoed to Maesycwmmer Viaduct forms part of the Celtic Trail, the network of cycle routes across South Wales.
As ever, please click the images for a larger view.
EthelRed
I find viaducts interesting too for much the same reasons - a testament to the skills of the engineers and the hard labour of the navvies. I also sometimes wonder how many bricks there are in these structures!