Aberdare Canal

The Aberdare Canal was a canal in Glamorganshire, Wales which ran from Aberdare to a junction with the Glamorganshire Canal at Abercynon. It opened in 1812, and served the iron and coal industries for nearly 65 years. By 1900, it had been severely affected by subsidence from coal mining, and was closed. The route was buried by the construction of the A4059 road in 1923.

History

The Aberdare Canal Company was incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1793, which authorised the company to build a canal from Aberdare to Abercynon (at the time called Navigation) and a railway from Aberdare to Glyn Neath, on the Neath Canal. The Act also empowered the company to build tramroads to any mines, quarries or works within eight miles (13km) of the route of the canal and railway.Stephen Rowson and Ian L Wright (2001) "The Glamorganshire and Aberdare Canals" Vol 1, ISBN 0-95330-289-X] To complete this task, it had powers to raise an initial £22,500, and a further £11,000 if required. [ [http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/sdoc.php?wpage=PNRC0019#PNRC001 Joseph Priestley (1831) "Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain"] ]

Although construction of the canal was authorised, it was not deemed to be viable at the time, as the Hirwaun Ironworks was the only potential user. [http://webapps.rhondda-cynon-taf.gov.uk/heritagetrail/cynon/aberdare/aberdare_canal.htm Rhondda Cynon Taf Libraries: Heritage Trail] ] Instead, the company leased some limestone quarries at Penderyn, and conveyed the stone by tramroad to the Hirwaun Ironworks and to their own lime kilns. However, the opening of two further ironworks by 1806 led to the company resolving to build the canal at a meeting held in September 1809. Edward Martin from Morriston was employed to re-survey the route, which was completed by 9 January 1810, and Thomas Sheasby junior was employed as engineer.

Construction of the 6.75 miles (10.8km) of canal began, with the Glamorganshire Canal Company agreeing to waiving tolls on all stone and lime cargoes which were for the new canal. Thomas Sheasby resigned as engineer in August 1811, and was replaced by George Overton, who worked for two days each week. The canal level dropped by 13 ft (4m) over its length, and this was accommodated by building two locks, one at Cwmbach and the other at Dyffryn. A feeder from the Afon Cynon supplied water to the canal at Canal Head, an aqueduct carried the canal over Nant Pennar, and a stop lock was built at the bottom end, where the canal joined the Glamorganshire Canal just below lock 17. There was a dispute with Richard Blakemore, who owned the Pentyrch ironworks and the Melingriffith tinplate works, and who wanted surplus water to be returned to the river, but he was ultimately ignored, and the water supplied the Glamorganshire Canal. The canal was open for traffic by May 1812, although some outstanding work was completed over the following months.

Trade

The four main carriers on the canal were given wharf space at Canal Head, Ty Draw, where four 80 ft (24.4m) wharves were constructed and the Glamorganshire Canal Company also allocated them wharf space at the pound at Cardiff Sea Lock. Trade in iron began well, but a disastrous depression began in 1813, resulting in the bankruptcy of the Hirwaun and Abernant ironworks, and the Llwydcoed ironworks ceasing production. With no sources of income, the canal effectively closed, and the tramway to the Neath Canal was abandoned.

The economy began to recover in 1818, and William Crawshaw leased the Hirwaun ironworks. Having reconstructed and expanded it, he gradually bought out the Aberdare Canal Company, to ensure the route for his goods, and owned 96% of the shares by 1826. Between 1823 and 1826, the banks were raised, in order to allow the capacity of boats to be increased from 20 tons to 25 tons. This was financed by selling eleven shares, with additional costs being met from revenue, with the result that no dividend was paid in 1826.

In 1837, the first pit for the extraction of steam coal was sunk at Abernant-y-Groes by Thomas Wayne and his family. Wayne had previously been the Clerk for the canal company. An entrepreneur called Thomas Powell started another pit at Tyr Founder in 1840, and hit the Four Foot seam two years later. Fifteen more pits were sunk in the Cynon Valley between 1840 and 1853, and a number of basins and tramways were constructed to facilitate export of the coal. Thomas Powell negotiated the right to carry coal in boxes in the boats, as a way to reduce breakage and ease handling of the product, with the empty boxes not incurring tolls on the return journey.

With the increasing traffic, more water was needed, and the ponds on Hirwaun Common, which were owned by the Tappendens, were converted into a reservoir, covering 47 acres, from which water was supplied to the canal via the Afon Cynon and the feeder at Canal Head. In 1845, the company decided to build a pumping engine at Tyr Founder, to supply water from the Afon Cynon to the canal just above Cwmbach lock. The Glamorganshire Canal Company were approached to share the cost, on the basis that they would benefit from the extra water, and they agreed to pay two thirds of the cost, providing that they owned the installation.

The Coming of the Railways

With the increasing coal production, railways were attracted to the area. The Aberdare Railway was the first in 1846, branching off from the Taff Vale Railway's line from Cardiff to Merthyr Tudful at Abercynon, and running up the valley to Aberdare. Many of the collieries were linked to the railway by branch lines and sidings, but the canal company withheld consent to build bridges over the canal, and it was not until 1851 that a court ruling allowed the Wyrfa Coal Company to build the first, after which others followed. A second railway, the broad gauge Vale of Neath Railway, reached Aberdare in the same year. Despite the competition, the canal continued to carry a good volume of coal, rising from 159,653 tons in 1848 to 216,704 tons in 1858. In 1864, the Great Western Railway built a line to Middle Duffryn (later renamed Mountain Ash), and further depleted the trade in coal on the canal. The iron trade collapsed in 1875, when the Aberdare ironworks stopped production due to a strike, and the canal was increasingly affected by subsidence, caused by mining, but was unable to get any compensation from the mine owners. In 1885, both the Aberdare Canal and the Glamorganshire Canal were obtained by the Marquess of Bute, who bought the shares from the Crawshaw family. Despite his efforts, the canal was no longer profitable. In 1888, 102,805 tons of goods were carried, but the rates were low in order to encourage use of the canal, and the income did not cover the running expenses.

Decline

By 1897, the volume of traffic had dropped to 7,855 tons, and passage along the canal was extremely difficult, as a result of bridges and towpaths sinking. Maintenance costs kept increasing, and the decision was taken to close the canal in November 1900 on safety grounds. The company continued to operate the tramroad between Penderyn, Hirwaun and Aberdare, with the Penderyn to Hirwaun section being converted to standard gauge and linked to the Great Western Railway in 1904, and the remaining section being sold to the owners of the coal pits in 1944.

The canal lay unused and derelict until 1923, when it was bought by Aberdare Urban District Council and Mountain Ash District Council. The Aberdare Canal Act was passed in 1924, authorising the purchase, and most of the canal bed was buried under the A4059 and B4275 roads. The Aberdare Canal Company was finally wound up in 1955.

The Route

The Cynon Valley is a narrow valley, and the canal followed the course of the northern bank of the Afon Cynon for most of its length. Water was supplied to the top pound by the feeder from the Afon Cynon, and later by the pumping engine at Tyr Founder. The Cwmback lock had a fall of 9.25 ft (2.8m), after which the middle pound crossed the Nant Pennar stream on an aqueduct to arrive at the Dyffryn lock, which lowered the level by another 3.8 ft (1.1m). There were a total of eight overflow weirs, to allow surplus water to return to the river, and a stop lock before the junction with the Glamorganshire Canal.

Road building has obliterated most traces of the canal, but the top section from Canal Head to Ynyscynon House is in water and is now a nature reserve. Canal Head house, the original residence of the clerk of the canal also remains as a private dwelling. [ [http://www.fletcher-family.co.uk/The_Aberdare_Canal/the_aberdare_canal.html Fletcher family history (including pictures)] ]

ee also

*Canals of Great Britain
*History of the British canal system

References

External links

* [http://webapps.rhondda-cynon-taf.gov.uk/heritagetrail/cynon/aberdare/aberdare_canal.htm Rhondda Cynon Taf Libraries]
* [http://archive.rhondda-cynon-taf.gov.uk/treorchy-welsh/index.php?a=indexes&s=gallery&key=IYToxOntpOjA7czo2OiJDYW5hbHMiO30%3D&pg=1 Rhondda Cynon Taf Digital Archive - historic pictures]