History in Structure

Terraced Section of the Holyhead Road, with parapet and retaining wall

A Grade II Listed Building in Llangwm, Conwy

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.9867 / 52°59'12"N

Longitude: -3.5019 / 3°30'6"W

OS Eastings: 299274

OS Northings: 344316

OS Grid: SH992443

Mapcode National: GBR 6J.HV4F

Mapcode Global: WH66V.56P5

Plus Code: 9C4RXFPX+M6

Entry Name: Terraced Section of the Holyhead Road, with parapet and retaining wall

Listing Date: 1 April 1998

Last Amended: 1 April 1998

Grade: II

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 19589

Building Class: Transport

Also known as: The Holyhead Road: Ty Nant section

ID on this website: 300019589

Location: The section of the Holyhead Road, now cut off, is near the hamlet of Dinmael, W of Pen-y-bont farm with Pont Glyn Diffwys at the N end.

County: Conwy

Community: Llangwm

Community: Llangwm

Locality: Ty-nant

Traditional County: Denbighshire

Tagged with: Road Wall

Find accommodation in
Llanfihangel-Glyn-Myfyr

History

The improvement of the London to Holyhead Road was undertaken by Thomas Telford, engineer, from 1819 to improve communications between London and Dublin. The poor state of the road to Ireland had exercised Parliament from before 1810, and a survey was carried out by Telford in 1811. Monies were granted following the setting up of a commission in 1815, but work on this section could not take place until the amalgamation of the seven existing turnpike trusts, authorised in 1819. The road was not completed until the opening of the Menai Bridge, and the construction of the 20-mile Anglesey section in 1828. Telford designed the road formation, and details of ancilliary structures including tollhouses and milestones, many of which still survive. Sections of the road were severely testing to the engineering abilities of Telford, one being this present section, where the road had to be carried on a cut-and-fill corniche through the gorge, at about 20m above the rapids of the Afon Ceirw. From the second outlook position, in 1854, George Borrow on his tour through Wales, was moved to remark that it was "one of the wildest and most beautiful scenes imaginable". A nearby plinth with a plaque commemorating this was unveiled on 24th July 1996.

Exterior

Section of the old Holyhead Road, approximately 400m long, running along an engineered terrace above the gorge of the Afon Ceirw, above the Pen-y-bont falls. The road formation, recently cut off by a new cutting through the anticline, is 8m wide, with a continuous parapet wall on the outer edge rises directly from the slightly battered retaining wall, generally c5.5m high. The parapet connects with the S parapet of the listed Pont Glyn Diffwys at the N end, and has, from this end at approx. 146m, a narrow looped viewing point or outlook, and, at approximately 373m, a second cylindrical one 'a kind of looking-place...forming a half circle' above the 'profound ravine' (Borrow). The parapet is of stone, rebuilt in certain sections, but originally with stone on edge coping, mostly now replaced with a stone-aggregate concrete coping.

Reasons for Listing

Included as a representative section of the Holyhead road, one of the first major road engineering schemes in Britain carried out on a national scale since the Roman period, and one where Telford's particular ingenuity was called upon. Also included as a well-known romantic spot, immortalised by George Borrow. Of group value with Pont Glyn-diffwys and the original milestone.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

Other nearby listed buildings

  • II Pont Glyn-diffwys
    The bridge is located W of Dinmael, and carries the road from the junction with the Holyhead Road over the Afon Ceirw, to Cwm Main and beyond.
  • II Milestone at Glyn-diffwys
    The milestone is set 1100m W of Dinmael, at the E end of the cutting, in a new position approximately 40m E of the original location on the NW side of the old Holyhead Road.
  • II Cartshed/Granary at Pen-yfed
    Pen-yfed farm lies on low ground close to a bend of he Afon Ceirw, approximately 1500m W of Dinmael, and is reached by a short track from the road on the W side of the valley. The Carthouse stands op
  • II Pen-yfed Farmhouse
    Pen-yfed farm lies on low ground close to a bend of the Afon Ceirw, approximately 1500m W of Dinmael. It is reached by a short farm track from the road on the W side of the valley.
  • II Llwyn-dedwydd
    A major farm of the area, located on the east facing slope of Pen-y-cerrig serth, looking down on the valley of Afon Ceirw. It is reached from the W valley road, SW of Glyn-dyffwys and W of Dinmael.
  • II Llwyn-y-saint
    The farm stands on high ground on a spur overlooking the valley of the Afon Ceirw. It is reached by a farm track leading up off the minor road parallel to and above the right bank of the river. The f
  • II Barn at Llwyn-y-saint
    The farm stands on high ground on a spur overlooking the valley of the Afon Ceirw. It is reached by a farm track leading up off the minor road parallel to and above the right bank of the river.
  • II Pont Rhyd-llefrith
    The bridge is on the minor road leading W off the A5 Holyhead Road at Dinmael.

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