Off the Rails

Off the rails Rail, Steam and Speed 4 1 START To begin at the beginning, towards the end of February 1804 as part of a wager or bet between two Merthyr Tydfil-based iron masters, Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick finally perfected his steam powered railway locomotive to run unassisted on a horizontal plane. In other words the railway age had begun. He had designed the first steam railway locomotive. Follow our trail of some 1¾ miles and discover Merthyr Tydfil’s role in the birth of what would become one of the key drivers of the Industrial Revolution, the golden age of steam. Robert and Lucy Thomas AND The New Crown Inn RAIL Memorial Fountain Trevithick Memorial THE T 1 START FOLLOW SITED JOSEPH EN VI PARRY’S F WH COTTAGE ICK OF T 2 0 1 4 A QUARRY ROW 5 . R R E 2 T K R A P T. S S E I W A H S L T LLWYN BERRY B I E L A R R T R O O H O N E M M S NT T E D PO N D A I S . O T P S . R .. D E T A T S O A A S R I H V V M A G BETHESDA ST. L I A E E R H R T U N N O R M P U U E AB P E E E R PENDERYN T D H SQUARE U E O N M I ABERDARE C O RD. A P N L S E T E S N I E S C T R R T . Y H T S S G Y LE . ET T 2 E B H TSRTE L E HRUCRHC S . LA CHCU T N S D A S C T. T 2 R A A 4 M R 0 . OHN ST 5 I J R V 4 E T. O A S B Taff Trail R RI V I C TO 3 A R T M Y D A A N R L F K S L. W T E P F NS CO E Woodfired (formerly the T BEA I R S D G Q . U E T T H H New Inn) and Station Café AY N C W AM I RAH N O I E G G O M . H O N N A Y S R L S E S T C T T N . S . Y H T W . Y LL T. N A S CAE’R WER A 4 M 6 FINISH L 0 ET A 5 TRE SWAN S 3 4 4 C A CO E LLYS JANICE U T RT ’ TER. R ROWLANDS E W E A R E V T R C E S N A N E H D P U G R I E E A N W H L . D R A R E D R N . W V C W L I L L E I W C 4 H Y C KEY P A LYM E O ’ U R TH W ST E Shopping Centre RE R 2 E N 0 T 1 4 Redhouse A Memorial Fountain 4 Merthyr College A 4 7 Canolfan Soar Trevithick Tunnel Tesco (site of the 0 MERTHYR TYDFIL former railway station) Leisure Centre LEISURE VILLAGE 56 FINISH 2 0 1 4 A #MerthyrTownTrails TURN OVER FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EACH STOP… welovemerthyr.co.uk @welovemerthyr 1 Tesco (site of the Trevithick Memorial 3 2 former railway station) The stone and iron rail memorial at Station Café and Woodfired On the present site of Tesco lower Penydarren, commissioned in (formerly the New Inn) superstore and its 1931 as the nearby war memorial was completed, car park was located the Vale of Neath Railway was finished in 1933 and opened in 1934. It symbolises Outside what was once the grand main Station. Opened in 1853, it was designed by that first journey of February 21st 1804 from the entrance to the town’s railway station is located Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the foremost industrial Penydarren Works, where Trevithick was employed the Station Café, owned and run by several designer and inventor of the 19th century, and by owner Samuel Homfray, southwards for some ten generations of the Italian Viazzani family. was the town’s second major railway terminus. miles to Navigation, today better known as Abercynon. Opposite is the solid block of what was the It provided communication routes westwards, Rival iron master William Crawshay thought it could New Inn. Much changed in ownership over eastwards and northwards – making Merthyr Tydfil not be done and so wagered a bet of several hundred the last thirty years, it was in effect the station’s by the end of the century a major railway hub. guineas. A third iron master, Richard Hill of the Plymouth hotel providing accommodation for those With numerous platforms, Works held the bet as umpire. Because the return arriving into the town. After the New Inn goods yards, parcel room, journey was never completed – the brittle railway tracks closed it became for a few years the town’s offices, waiting rooms could not withstand the weight of the locomotive and first Berni Inn, then two burger outlets and and refreshment kiosk, its carriages brimful of passengers and the stack now Woodfired, an excellent local eaterie. local inhabitants with long fell off – therefore the bet was Make your way down High Street and cut memories fondly recall the never paid up! to your left through Beacons Place, a busy majesty and the bustle of Just around the corner is covered arcade, stopping immediately upon this place. the actual route, still named your exit at the far end. You can see a fine mural on the Tramroad today, and a the pine end of the Tesco bridge spanning the nearby building depicting a scene at this railway Morlais Brook – the first station. It is undated and unattributed but it is taken railway bridge in the world! from the Illustrated London News of the mid 1870s, Unfortunately, the bridge a fashionable magazine depicting for its London- is almost totally obscured based readership views of the South Wales valleys. by overhanging trees. This scene shows a collier with the tools of his The route can be followed south from here on the trade on his shoulder with family and friends. Trevithick Trail. This trail, however, recommends He is departing but seemingly for good, possibly proceeding down High Street through the town centre, abroad, to find work as a skilled artisan. to take in many features of Merthyr Tydfil’s rich history, outlined in several other themed trails. 5 6 4 Taff Trail Trevithick Tunnel Robert and Lucy Thomas Here there is a free car park, information boards Memorial Fountain To your left is the site (now occupied by Aldi and Castle Bingo) of Merthyr Tydfil’s first railway station, the Taff Vale and school-inspired artworks telling the story of this, It is suggested that you now walk the remainder Railway (TVR) terminus, completed again by Brunel, in the first railway tunnel ever. of this trail keeping away from busy main roads. 1841. Here was the first railway connecting Merthyr Tydfil It was Trevithick’s idea to build the tunnel, taking the From Tesco, make your way along the covered at the head of the Taff valley with Cardiff at port. railway track beneath the Plymouth Ironworks’ calcining walkway that leads to the current railway station It was brokered by the town’s kilns. Headroom was restricted so Trevithick ingeniously and walk along the right hand side of the platform. iron masters, notably Sir designed his engine with a chimney stack that could At the far end, go down the steps into Gillar Street Josiah John Guest of the be lowered to accommodate the reduced space. car park, exiting from the opposite corner. Dowlais Works, to get large quantities of bar iron to port The Trevithick Trail can be picked up nearby, running From here you can see Llys Janice Rowlands and and thence for export to parallel and eventually joining the longer Taff Trail; the early 19th century ornamental Robert and Lucy national and international both routes take bikers and walkers through some of Thomas Memorial Fountain. Take a look at the fine markets. the finest and most spectacular scenery in South Wales. lunettes depicting many aspects of Merthyr Tydfil’s past including a steam locomotive, as well as Numerous branch lines Several miles south near Quakers Yard is the stupendous images of its mining history. came off this major viaduct which Brunel designed to take the original terminus connecting, for TVR line on an upwards gradient over the River Taff. At the Caedraw roundabout turn right and, example, this valley and neighbouring Aberdare through by the Caedraw Flats (4a), use the pedestrian Merthyr Tydfil was once a busy and important railway a tunnel. Here was also the entrance point into the town crossing and then footbridge before turning left town: thousands were employed on the railways. Tickets centre for the Brecon and Merthyr line which linked in onto the Taff Trail. The trail takes you through could be raised and goods sent out of Merthyr Tydfil the 1860s finally this town and Brecon. Today’s Brecon a pedestrianised underpass, again with railway to almost anywhere. Superior bar iron cast at the several Mountain narrow gauge railway line departing from Pant motifs, this time locally arranged in mosaic; local ironworks was exported across the world to form runs along the first six miles of this original track.

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