Penydarren Platform and Tramroad
GGAT has investigated a number of archaeological features known to exist in the path of the Bogey Road diversion. These included the Penydarren Station platform, a short surviving length of the Dowlais Iron Co tramroad and several leats belonging to the DFDS, which fed the Sarn Howell pond via a timber aqueduct (now collapsed). Initial investigation of the Penydarren Station platform revealed an adjacent building to the southeast thought to have been the signal/station building depicted on a grainy black and white photo. The excavation of this building exposed up to ten courses in places (Plate 7). The building was constructed of local yellow-brick held in a dark-grey mortar matrix common to the late 19th century. The railway platform was found to be very substantial, constructed of industrial waste butting a large (2.5m) retaining wall of rusticated ashlar sandstone blocks and red brick (ABC printed in the frog, the indentation cast into the brick) (Plate 8 & 9).
To the west of the station is a substantial GWR bridge/culvert that carried the Cwm Bargoed line over a stream long since dried up. The structure was constructed of neat rusticated ashlar sandstone blocks with a segmental archway of trapezoidal sandstone blocks (Plate 10).
We have found sections of the Penydarren tramroad, and one section has so far been placed across it. The Penydarren tramroad was constructed by the Dowlais, Penydarren and Plymouth Ironworks because they did not control the Glamorganshire Canal. The Glamorganshire Canal was built in the late 18th century and ran from Merthyr Tydfil to Pontypridd, Melingriffith and to the bank, which was a port in Cardiff. In the original plan there was to be a branch from the canal from Merthyr to Dowlais but due to very high cost this plan was dropped. Instead Dowlais, Penydarren and the Plymouth Ironworks decided to join together to build a tramroad from Merthyr to Abercynon, which also went to the Glamorganshire Canal. In February 1804, the first passenger locomotive in the world ran on rails from the Penydarren Ironworks to Navigation at Abercynon. This steam engine was designed and built by Richard Trevethick, a Cornish engineer (Owen, 1975).
Bibliography
Owen, J. A. 1975. The History of the Dowlais Ironworks 1759 – 1936. Newport: Starling Press Ltd.