History in Structure

Railway Bridge over Sardis Road

A Grade II Listed Building in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.6012 / 51°36'4"N

Longitude: -3.3433 / 3°20'36"W

OS Eastings: 307056

OS Northings: 190005

OS Grid: ST070900

Mapcode National: GBR HQ.B7RV

Mapcode Global: VH6DR.00CV

Plus Code: 9C3RJM24+FM

Entry Name: Railway Bridge over Sardis Road

Listing Date: 26 February 2001

Last Amended: 26 February 2001

Grade: II

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 24888

Building Class: Transport

ID on this website: 300024888

Location: On the W side of the town centre and immediately S of the skewed viaduct over Mill Street.

County: Rhondda Cynon Taff

Town: Pontypridd

Community: Pontypridd

Community: Pontypridd

Built-Up Area: Pontypridd

Traditional County: Glamorgan

Tagged with: Railway bridge

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History

The Taff Vale Railway was the first major locomotive railway in Wales. It was incorporated in 1836, built 1837-40 and opened in 1840-1 from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff, primarily to serve the ironworks of Merthyr Tydfil. The chief engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The railway was built to the standard gauge, rather than Brunel's preferred broad gauge, because it was primarily intended as a mineral railway, although extant original bridges are wide enough to have accommodated a broad-gauge track. The railway was widened to a double track in the period 1845-61. As branch lines were built to the Cynon and Rhondda valleys later in the C19 mineral traffic, largely coal, increased dramatically, making Pontypridd an important focal point of the S Wales railway network.

The bridge is an original component of the Taff Vale Railway and is sited on the approach to the skewed viaduct across the River Rhondda. It was widened to a double track c1861, and widened further in the late C19.

Exterior

A single-span railway bridge in 3 phases. The earliest phase, engineered by Brunel, is on the E side and is of coursed rock-faced stone with an elliptical arch and tooled impost band in typical Brunel style. The low parapet with railings is a later addition. The splayed abutments retain an embankment and have flat copings. On the N side the wall has been heightened at a later date. Abutting the W side of the bridge at a slight angle is the narrower second phase similar in construction and materials to the earlier phase. This is abutted by high embankment walls on which a third phase, comprising a simple late C19 plate girder bridge, has been added.

Reasons for Listing

Listed primarily for group value with other listed railway items in the centre of Pontypridd.

External Links

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