Aberdare Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aberdare Canal / Camlas Aberdâr
The cast iron bridge of 1811 which carried the canal tramway over the Afon Cynon
Specifications
Locks	2 (locks rise 13 ft)
Status	Built over
History
Original owner	Aberdare Canal Co
Principal engineer	Thomas Sheasby junior
Date of act	1793
Date of first use	1812
Date closed	1900
Geography
Start point	Aberdare 51°42′41″N 3°25′52″W / 51.7115°N 3.4312°W / 51.7115; -3.4312 (Aberdare Canal (head))
End point	Abercynon 51°38′59″N 3°19′01″W / 51.6496°N 3.3169°W / 51.6496; -3.3169 (Aberdare Canal (junction with Glamorganshire Canal))
Connects to	Glamorganshire Canal

The Aberdare Canal (called Camlas Aberdâr in Welsh) was an important waterway in Glamorgan, Wales. It stretched from Aberdare to Abercynon, where it connected with the Glamorganshire Canal. The canal opened in 1812. For nearly 65 years, it helped transport goods for the iron and coal industries.

Even when railways arrived, the canal stayed busy for a while. But when the iron industry struggled in 1875, and the ground started sinking from coal mining, the canal became too expensive to run. The Marquess of Bute tried to save it in 1885, but it was too late. The canal closed in 1900 because it was unsafe.

The company that owned the canal kept running a tramway (a type of railway) until 1944. Most of the canal's path was covered over by new roads in 1923. However, a small part of the canal at its start is still filled with water. Today, this section is a special nature reserve. The company officially closed down in 1955.

History of the Aberdare Canal

By the 1780s, industries were growing in the area around Aberdare. Ironworks were busy, and people needed ways to move heavy goods. The nearby Neath Canal was approved in 1791. This made people think about building more canals and tramways.

Planning the Canal

In 1792, people started raising money to plan a canal. This new canal would link the Glamorganshire Canal to the Neath Canal. An engineer named John Dadford surveyed the area. He presented his plans to the British Parliament.

On March 28, 1793, the Aberdare Canal Company was officially created. They got permission to build a canal from Aberdare to Abercynon. They could also build a railway from Aberdare to Glynneath. The company could also build smaller tramroads to mines and factories nearby. They had money to start the project.

Building the Tramway First

At first, building the canal seemed too difficult. There was only one main ironworks that would use it. So, the company decided to build a tramway instead. James Dadford designed this tramway. It ran from Aberdare to Penderyn, passing through Hirwaun.

This tramway used special "edge rails," like modern train tracks. It connected a coal mine, a limestone quarry, and an ironworks. The company used the tramway to move limestone to the ironworks and their own lime kilns.

The Canal is Built

In 1800, the canal route was surveyed again by Thomas Dadford. By 1806, two more ironworks had opened. This made the canal project look much better. In September 1809, the company finally decided to build the canal.

Edward Martin surveyed the route again in 1810. Thomas Sheasby junior became the engineer for the project. Construction of the canal, which was about 6.75 miles (10.8 kilometers) long, then began.

The canal's water level dropped by 13 feet (4 meters) over its length. To manage this, two locks were built. One was at Cwmbach and the other at Dyffryn. Locks are like water elevators that raise or lower boats.

Water for the canal came from the Afon Cynon. An aqueduct (a bridge for water) carried the canal over a stream called Nant Pennar. A special "stop lock" was built at the end where it joined the Glamorganshire Canal. The Aberdare Canal was ready for boats by May 1812.

Canal Trade and Growth

The canal quickly became important for trade. Four main companies used the canal to transport goods. They had special loading areas at Canal Head and at Cardiff Sea Lock. At first, iron trade was good. But then, there was a big economic downturn in 1813. Many ironworks went out of business, and the canal almost stopped working.

Things got better in 1818. William Crawshay took over the Hirwaun ironworks. He slowly bought most of the Aberdare Canal Company shares. He wanted to make sure his goods could always be moved. By 1826, he owned almost all of the company.

Between 1823 and 1826, the canal banks were raised. This allowed boats to carry more goods, increasing their capacity from 20 tons to 25 tons.

In 1837, the first coal mine for steam coal opened. More mines followed between 1840 and 1853. This meant a lot more coal needed to be moved. Thomas Powell, a clever businessman, arranged to carry coal in special boxes. This helped prevent the coal from breaking and made it easier to handle. Empty boxes didn't cost anything to return.

With more traffic, the canal needed more water. Ponds on Hirwaun Common were turned into a large reservoir. In 1845, the company decided to build a pumping engine. This would pump water from the Afon Cynon into the canal. The Glamorganshire Canal Company helped pay for it, as they also benefited from the extra water.

The Arrival of Railways

The Aberdare Canal around 1900

As coal production grew, railways became interested in the area. The Aberdare Railway opened in 1846. It connected Aberdare to the Taff Vale Railway line. Many coal mines built their own lines to connect to the railway.

The canal company tried to stop railways from building bridges over the canal. But in 1851, a court ruled that the Wyrfa Coal Company could build the first bridge. Other bridges soon followed. Another railway, the broad gauge Vale of Neath Railway, also reached Aberdare that same year.

Even with the new railways, the canal stayed busy. It carried a lot of coal. In 1848, it carried 159,653 tons. By 1858, this had increased to 216,704 tons!

However, in 1864, the Great Western Railway built another line. This started to reduce the amount of coal carried by the canal. Then, in 1875, the iron trade collapsed. The Aberdare ironworks stopped working because of a strike.

The canal also faced problems from the ground sinking. This was caused by the coal mining underneath. The canal company couldn't get any money from the mine owners to fix the damage.

In 1885, the Marquess of Bute bought both the Aberdare Canal and the Glamorganshire Canal. He tried to make the canal profitable again. But it was too late. In 1888, the canal carried 102,805 tons of goods. But the prices were so low to attract users that the money earned didn't cover the running costs.

Decline and Closure

The Aberdare Canal at Cwmbach around 1920, no longer in use

By 1897, traffic on the canal had dropped a lot, to only 7,855 tons. It became very hard to travel along the canal. Bridges and towpaths (paths for horses to pull boats) were sinking. Maintenance costs kept going up.

In November 1900, the company decided to close the canal for safety reasons. The company still ran the tramroad between Penderyn, Hirwaun, and Aberdare. Part of this tramroad was updated in 1904. The rest was sold in 1944.

The canal was left unused until 1923. Then, local councils bought it. In 1924, a special law was passed to allow this purchase. Most of the canal's path was then covered by new roads, the A4059 and B4275. The Aberdare Canal Company officially closed down in 1955.

The Canal's Route Today

The Cynon Valley is a narrow valley. The canal followed the northern side of the Afon Cynon river for most of its journey. Water was supplied to the canal from the Afon Cynon. Later, a pumping engine also helped supply water.

The Cwmbach lock lowered the canal's level by 9.2 feet (2.8 meters). After this, the canal crossed the Nant Pennar stream on an aqueduct. Then came the Dyffryn lock, which lowered the level by another 3.8 feet (1.2 meters). There were also seven overflow weirs. These allowed extra water to flow back into the river. A stop lock was built before the canal joined the Glamorganshire Canal.

Most of the canal's path is now covered by roads. But the very top section, from Canal Head to Ynyscynon House, still has water. This area is now a nature reserve. Canal Head house, where the canal's clerk used to live, is still a private home. The canal joined the Glamorganshire Canal near Lock Street in Abercynon.

Points of Interest