Month: April 2019

Memories of Old Merthyr

We continue our serialisation of the memories of Merthyr in the 1830’s by an un-named correspondent to the Merthyr Express, courtesy of Michael Donovan.

To return to the coach journey, the Bridgewater Arms was then kept by Mr George Roach, who afterwards move to the Castle at Merthyr,and after the change of horses they came to Quakers’ Yard. Here a slight halt was made, it might have been put down to kindness towards the animals, but the hostelry also supplied refreshments for the inner man. Whatever may be the reason, a long and steep hill had then to be ascended. After passing Pantannas the ascent modified, and on arriving at Nantddu turnpike, the pace could be again increased.

The Nantddu Turnpike (or Tollbooth) in Edwardsville. Courtesy of the Alan George Archive

A run of about two miles after this brought us to a pleasant cottage on  the right hand side, owned and occupied by a Mr Stephens, and the Mount Pleasant Public House, kept by John Griffiths, who afterwards moved to the Star opposite the Old Church in High Street, was close by on the other side of the road.

The drive through the woods up to Troedyrhiw was a pleasant one. The road just before entering Troedyrhiw has been altered a little for the making of the Taff Vale Railway, and after passing Troedyrhiw for about 1½ miles the road was subsequently diverted by Mr Anthony Hill. After crossing the line of the railroad forming the connection at present between the Taff Vale Railway and the South Duffryn Coal Pits, it kept to the east of the present road, passing close in front of Duffryn Cottage, the east end of Taibach and Pentrebach Rows, through what was part of the Forge Yard, then past Pentrebach House (where I believe Mr Probert now resides), and came out at a little above Plymouth Lodge.

A drawing of the Plymouth Lodge in the 1820’s. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

From here there has not been any deviation of route, but until the Britannia Public House on the right-hand side, there was not a single cottage on either side. There was a bridge over the road for the conveying of mine rubbish between the Dowlais Branch Bridge and the Britannia similar to one passed under at Pencaebach. About a hundred yards on towards the High Street, and on the other side of the road stood the Bell, and adjoining the Bell was the Plymouth Tollgate. On the opposite side of the road, but just before coming to the Bell there was an open space to the town road that was used as place where coal was delivered; which with some others will be alluded to to exemplify the arrangements at the time.

After coming through the Plymouth gate there were cottages on both sides until the Plymouth watercourse came so close to the road as to prevent their being built on the left hand. Where the Taff Station was at the opening of the railway and for years afterwards, there was nothing but rubbish tips, but they were not high, and the road with a ford through the river went from Plymouth Street across by Rhydycar. Perhaps this was the very Rhyd (a ford), but the place called Rhydycar was on the side of the canal bank, a house and mine pit with a winding engine. It was doubtless a parish road for Mr Bruce, the grandfather of the present Lord Aberdare, when Stipendiary of Merthyr, passed that way home to his residence in Mountain Ash.

A section of the remarkable 1836 map of Merthyr by John Wood showing the Plymouth Street area as mentioned in this article.

 

To be continued at a later date….

Grand Easter Sale

The committee of the Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society have announced a massive Spring Sale on back-issues of the Merthyr Historian books. They are being offered for sale at £3.00 each or two for £5.00.

If anyone would like to purchase any of the these books, please contact me via the e-mail address shown to the right and I will pass on your orders to the Merthyr Historical Society.

Details of the issues available are as follows:-

VOLUME 15 (2003) 

1. Dr. Joseph Gross by Glanmor Williams
2. Attraction and Dispersal by John Wilkins
3. Mrs. Mary Ann Edmunds by Mary Patricia Jones
4. Bacon v Homfray by Eric Alexander
5. Cheshunt College, Hertfordshire by Barrie Jones
6. Striking Features: Robert Thompson Crawshay’s Large-Scale Portraits by Jane Fletcher
7. Margaret Stewart Taylor. A Notable Woman of Merthyr Tydfil by Carolyn Jacob
8. Iron Working in the Cynon Valley by Douglas Williams
9. Owain Glyn Dwr – After Six Hundred Years by Glanmor Williams
10. Merthyr Amateur Theatricals, 1860’s by H. W. Southey
11. Shon Llywelyn of Cwm Capel by Lyndon Harris
12. Hoover Transport, 1948-98 by Gwyn Harris M.M.
13. David Jones (1760-1842), Merthyr Clockmaker, Revisited by W. Linnard, D. Roy Sears & Chris Roberts
14. The English Bible by J. W. Bowen
15. He Came, He Saw, He Conquered Merthyr Commerce – Thomas Nibloe’s Story by T. F. Holley
16. Colour Supplement – Merthyr Buildings

 VOLUME 16 (2003) 

1. Joseph Parry’s Place in the Pantheon of Welsh Musicians by John Hywel
2. Joseph Parry – Musician and Christian by Dulais Rees
3. Joseph Parry’s Congregation by Brynley Roberts
4. The Family of Dr. Joseph Parry by Carl Llewellyn and Mansel Richards
5. Joseph Parry and the Family Historian by Carolyn Jacob
6. Joseph Parry, Mus. Doc., From Pit Boy to Professor by Thomas Hughes
7. Dr. Joseph Parry, Subject of an Essay in 1922 by David Morgans
8; 9 & 10. Obituaries of Dr. Parry
11. Jack Jones, C.B.E., Author and Playwright by Carl Llewellyn
12. Off to Philadelphia, 1865 by T. F. Holley
13. A Vanished Community by Wendy Bellany
14. Book Review. Wales, Clocks & Clockmakers by W. Linnard
15. Horses Down the Years, 1983 by Gladys Morgan
16. Dr. Daniel George Lewis, 1847-1902 by T. F. Holley
17. James Keir Hardie, M.P., on Robert Burns, 1903
18. Jubilee and Early History of the Merthyr Express, 1914
19. Book Review. The Journal of David Gibson, 1814-43 by Innes Macleod
20. Colour Supplement

 VOLUME 17 (2004) 

1. Pleasures & Pastimes in the 18th & 19th Century, Merthyr Tydfil by Geoffrey Evans
2. Celtic Connections: Early Quoiting in Merthyr Tydfil by Innes MacLeod
3. The Will of the Revd. William Price Lewis, 1839 by T. F. Holley
4. The Dic Penderyn Society and the Popular Memory of Richard Lewis by Viv Pugh
5. The Welsh Religious Revival, 1904-5 by Robert Pope
6. Reporting Revival by Neville Granville
7. A French View of Merthyr Tydfil and the Evan Roberts Revival by William Linnard
8. Songs of Praises: Hymns and Tunes of the Welsh Revival, 1904-5 by Noel Gibbard
9. Revival, Cwm Rhondda, 1905 by William Linnard
10. Diwygiad 1904-5. A Select Reading List by Brynley Roberts
11. Rosina Davies, 1863-1949. A Welsh Evangelist by Eira M Smith
12. Evan Roberts, the Welsh Revivalist by J. Ann Lewis
13. Evan Roberts at Heolgerrig, Merthyr, January 1905 – Transcribed
14. Sir Thomas Marchant Williams & the Revival – Transcribed
15. Potpourri, a Medley by The Editor
16. What Wales Needs – Religiously, 1907 by Evan Roberts
17. Joseph Williams, Printer. TYST A’R DYDD. 1903 by T. F. Holley
18. Dr. Thomas Rees (1825-1908), of Cefncoedycymer by John Mallon
19. Everest & Charles Bruce (1866-1939): The Welsh Connection by Huw Rees
20. The Lusitania Catastrophe and the Welsh Male Voice Choir by Carl Llewellyn
21. Merthyr Amateur Theatricals, 1860’s. Part Two by H. W. Southey
22. Books, Old and New. Short Reviews by The Editor
23. Night Mrs. Evans by Ken J. Mumford
24. Some Early History of Park Baptist Church, The Walk, Merthyr – Transcribed
25. Letter re: Wool Factory, Merthyr Tydfil

VOLUME 21 (2009)

1. Recollections of the Waite Family in the Merthyr Express by Carolyn Jacob
2. Merthyr’s Victorian Middle Class by Joe England
3. 1750’s Field Map of Gellideg Hamlet by Greg Buick
4. John Coke Fowler, 1815-1899, Merthyr Tydfil Stipendiary Magistrate, 1853-1872 by T. F. Holley
5. Dic Penderyn and the Socialist Tradition of 1831 by Viv Pugh
6. Svedenstiema’s Tour of Great Britain, 1802-03 – Transcribed
7. Farming in Merthyr Tydfil by Barrie Jones
8. Tom ‘Tiesen’s’ Life on the Buses of Merthyr Tydfil by Lisa Marie Powell
9. Characters Associated with Dowlais Silver Band by T. F. Holley
10. Evacuee Recollections by Bob Hyatt
11. Recollections of an Octogenarian, Merthyr Tydfil c. 1865 – Transcribed
12. Saunders Lewis, 1893-1985 by Margaret Lloyd
13. Ruth Rees, 1916, Merthyr Nonagenarian, lived in Merthyr Tydfil for 94 years – Transcribed
14. Journeying to Work by M. J. Jones
15. Parc Taf Bargoed, Then and Now by Karl Caiman Griffiths
16. A Biographical Sketch of John Thomas (1795-1871), Ieuan Ddu by Daniel Williams
17. Drawings by David Lewis Jones, Merthyr Tydfil Artist
18. Three black & white pictures
19. Celebration! – 200 Years of Steam Railways by Glyn Bowen
20. Trevithick 2004 Colour Photographs by Glyn Bowen
21. Interesting Book Plate. Tudor Crawshay

VOLUME 22 (2011)

  1. A Visit to Merthyr Tydfil in 1697 by Brynley F. Roberts
  2. A Pedestrian Tour Through Scotland in 1801: New Lanark before Robert Owen by Innes Macleod
  3. Note for Merthyr Historian by K. H. Edwards
  4. Charles Richardson White, Merthyr Vale by T. F. Holley
  5. Isaac John Williams, Curator by Scott Reid
  6. The Merthyr Historian. Some Statistics by J. D. Holley
  7. Thomas Evan Nicholas, 1879-1971 by Ivor Thomas Rees
  8. Eira Margaret Smith: A Personal Tribute by Huw Williams
  9. Saint Tydfil’s Hospital 1957. A House Physicians Recollections by Brian Loosmore
  10. John Devonald, 1863-1936. Aberfan Musician and Remembrancer of Musicians by T. F. Holley
  11. The Remarkable Berry Brothers by Joe England
  12. Albert de Ritzen: Merthyr Tydfil’s Stipendiary Magistrate 1872-1876 by Huw Williams
  13. A Scrap of Autobiography by Charles Wilkins, Annotated by His Great Grandson by John V. Wilkins, OBE
  14. Industrial History of Colliers Row Site and Environs by Royston Holder (the late)
  15. The Life of Maria Carini by Lisa Marie Powell
  16. Lecture by J. C. Fowler, Esq., Stipendiary Magistrate, 1872 ‘Civilisation in South Wales – Transcribed
  17. Gwyn Griffiths -‘The Author of our Anthem. Poems by Evan James’ – Book Review by Brian Davies
  18. Enid Guest – ‘Daughter of an Ironmaster’ by Mary Owen – Book Review by Ceinwen Statter
  19. Caepanttywyll – A Lost Community by Christopher Parry
  20. James Colquhoun Campbell (in four parts) – T. F. Holley

(A) The Social Condition of Merthyr Tydfil, 1849
(B) The Venerable Archdeacon Campbell, 1859, Biography
(C) St. David’s Church, Merthyr Tydfil, Visited, 1860
(D) J. C. Campbell and the Census Record, Research by Mrs. C. Jacob

  1. Interesting Book Plate

VOLUME 23 (2012)

  1. Vince Harris, 1904-1987 by Margaret Lloyd
  2. All Change for Plymouth: A Year in the Life of a Mining Engineer by Clive Thomas
  3. Who Was The Real Lydia Fell? by Christine Trevett
  4. Sewage Pollution of the Taff and the Merthyr Tydfil Local Board (1868-1871) by Leslie Rosenthal
  5. Redmond Coleman, the Iron Man from Iron Lane by Carolyn Jacob
  6. The Assimilation and Acculturation of the Descendants of Early 20th Century Spanish Industrial Immigrants to Merthyr by Stephen Murray
  7. David Williams, High Constable, Merthyr Tydfil 1878-1880 by T. F. Holley
  8. John Collins, V.C. by Malcolm Kenneth Payne
  9. Marvellous Merthyr Boy – Transcribed
  10. A Remarkable and Most Respected Enterprise, J. Howfield & Son, Merthyr Tydfil, 1872-2001 by Mary Owen
  11. The Uncrowned Iron King (The First William Crawshay) by J. D. Evans
  12. Watkin George 1759-1822, The Mechanical Genius of Cyfarthfa, The Pride of Pontypool by Wilf Owen
  13. Opencast History (Illustrated) by Royston Holder
  14. The Laundry Trade by T. F. Holley
  15. Grand Concert at the Oddfellows Hall, Dowlais – Transcribed
  16. Guidelines for Contributors – By courtesy of the Glamorgan History Society

VOLUME 24 (2012)

  1. Elphin, Literary Magistrate: Magisterial Commentator by Brynley Roberts
  2. Picturing ‘The Member For Humanity’. J. M. Staniforth’s Cartoons of Keir Hardie, 1894-1914 by Chris Williams
  3. William Morris, Yr Athraw and the ‘Blue Books’ by Huw Williams
  4. Hugh Watkins by Carl Llewellyn and J. Ann Lewis
  5. Gomer Thomas J.P. 1863-1935 by Wilf and Mary Owen
  6. Oddfellows and Chartists by Lyndon Harris
  7. John Roberts, Ieuan Gwyllt, Composer of Hymns by G. Parry Williams
  8. Georgetown? How Was It? By Clive Thomas
  9. Book Review: Bargoed and Gilfach – A Local History
  10. A History of Ynysgau Chapel by Steven Brewer
  11. ‘Mr Merthyr’ S.O. Davies 1886-1972 by Rev. Ivor Thomas Rees
  12. Historical Farms of Merthyr Tydfil by John Griffiths Reviewed by Keith Lewis-Jones
  13. National Service, Doctor With The Gurkhas by Brian Loosmoore
  14. A Year of Anniversaries: Reflections on Local History 1972-2012 by Huw Williams
  15. The Family of Dr. Thomas Rees, Revisited by John Mallon
  16. Merthyr District Coffee Tavern Movement, 1880 by T. F. Holley
  17. Henry Richard (1812-1888) – Apostle of Peace and Patriot by Gwyn Griffiths
  18. Owen Morgan – Miners’ Reporter by Brian Davies
  19. The Tredegar Riots of 1911 – Anti Liberalism ‘The Turbulent Years of 1910-1914’ by Lisa Marie Powell
  20. Adulum Chapel by Carl Llewellyn
  21. Cyfarthfa’s Curnow Vosper Archive by Gwyn Griffiths
  22. Whithorn Gas, 1870 by Innes Macleod
  23. A Journey from Merthyr to Sydney, A Talented Portrait Painter by Graham John Wilcox
  24. The Merthyr Bus Rallies by Glyn Bowen

Volume 25 (2013)

  1. The Merthyr Tydfil 1835 Election Revisited, Lady Charlotte Guest’s Account by E (Ted) Rowlands
  2. John Josiah Guest at Auction by Huw Williams
  3. Conway and Sons Dairies Ltd. – Some Notes by G. Conway
  4. John Petherick; Merthyr’s Man of Africa by John Fletcher
  5. Travels in the Valleys. Book Review by Glyn Bowen
  6. Plaques by John D. Holley
  7. William Thomas Lewis 1837-1914 by A Family Member
  8. Boom Towns by Brian Loosmore
  9. The Taff Valley Tornado 1913 by Stephen Brewer
  10. Plaques by John D. Holley
  11. From Mule Train to Diesel Lorries. The Dowlais Iron Company Connects the Coast by Wilf Owen
  12. Review CD. Some of the History of Merthyr Tudful and District via Its Place Names by John & Gwilym Griffiths by Keith Lewis-Jones
  13. Caedraw Primary School, 1875-1912 by Clive Thomas
  14. Charles Butt Stanton, 1873-1946 by Revd, Ivor Thomas Rees
  15. The Merthyr and Dowlais Steam Laundry Limited, 1891 by T. F. Holley
  16. Dynamism, Diligence, Energy and Wealth. Trade and Commerce in Merthyr Tydfil 1800-1914 by Mary Owen
  17. YMCA. Merthyr Tydfil Lecture 1861 by J. C. Fowler – Transcribed
  18. John Nixon and the Welsh Coal Trade to France by Brian Davies
  19. Tydfil School, Merthyr Tydfil, 1859-1873 by Evan Williams – Transcribed
  20. Gossiping in Merthyr Tydfil by Carolyn Jacob
  21. Penywern to Pontsarn. The Story of the Morlais Tunnel. The Writer’s Early Impressions by A. V. Phillips
  22. Short History of the Thomas-Merthyr Colliery Company. Merthyr Tydfil, 1906-1946 by Ronald Llewellyn Thomas – Transcribed
  23. Morien and Echos of Iolo Morgannwg by T. F. Holley
  24. Merthyr Tydfil’s Stipendiary Magistracy and Walter Meyrick North (1886-1900): A Case Study by Huw Williams

 Volume 26 (2014) 

  1. Three Generations of a Dowlais Medical Family 1860-1964 by Stuart Cresswell
  2. Viscount Tredegar, Balaclava Veteran, 1913 by T. F. Holley
  3. What Makes a Country Great? Lecture by Stipendiary Magistrate – J. C. Fowler – 1858
  4. Billy ‘The Doll’ Williams by Malcolm K. Payne
  5. Evan James, Dr. William Price and Iolo Morganwg’s Utopia by Brian Davies
  6. John A. Owen (1936-1998), Dowlais Historian: An Appreciation by Huw Williams
  7. Welsh Women and Liberation from Home: Feminist or Activist? By Lisa Marie Powell
  8. Gwilym Harry (1792-1844), Unitarian – Farmer – Poet by Lyndon Harris
  9. ‘Aunt’ Emma’s Ronnie by Clive Thomas
  10. Morgan Williams: Merthyr’s Forgotten Leader by Joe England
  11. Matthew Wayne (1780-1853) by Wilf Owen
  12. The Contribution of Hunting to the 19-14-18 War, 1914 by T. F. Holley
  13. The Difficulties of M.T.C.B.C.’s Financial Management and Administration, 1926-1937: Maladministration, Political Ideology or Economic Reality? By Barrie Jones
  14. The Rail Accident at Merthyr Station, 1874 by Stephen Brewer
  15. Courtland House, 1851 by Mary Owen
  16. Formation of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Brass Bands Association, 1891 by T. F. Holley
  17. Moses Jones (1819-1901) by Annette Barr
  18. Dr Richard Samuel Ryce, M.D. M.Ch.: An Irish Doctor by T. F. Holley
  19. Cwmtaf – A Drowning of the Valley and its Consequences by Gwyneth Evans
  20. A Professor Gwyn A. Williams Symposium
  21. Recollections of Professor Gwyn Williams, University of York, 1967-70 by Frances Finnegan
  22. Memories of Gwyn at York by Brian Davies
  23. Professor Gwyn Alf Williams. A Personal Remembrance by Viv Pugh
  24. Merthyr Tydfil at War, 1914 by Stephen Brewer
  25. Photo Feature – Archaeology by T. F. Holley 

Merthyr’s Chapels: Ynysgau Chapel

Following on from the previous article, the next chapel we are going to look at is Ynysgau Chapel – the oldest and arguably most important chapel in the town.

Ynysgau Chapel in the early 1900’s. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

As has mentioned in an earlier entry (http://www.merthyr-history.com/?p=301), the early Non-Conformist worshippers had been meeting in a small chapel in Cwm-y-Glo. In 1749 the lease at Cwm-y-Glo expired, and due to the ever-growing congregation, it was decided to build a new chapel in the centre of Merthyr Tydfil.

It is said that the land which lies between the site of the Old Iron Bridge down to Swan Street was offered to the Non-Conformists at that time for the sum of £5 per annum “as long as a stone remains in the Taff river bed”. However, the members lacked enterprise and instead, bought the land on which the chapel stood in February 1749, and the first Ynysgau chapel was built with Samuel Davies being ordained as the first minister.

In 1785, Daniel Davies, a student from Carmarthen Presbyterian College was ordained as minister of the chapel. Although remaining for over twenty-five years, Davies’ ministry was not a successful one. The congregation at this time was still a mixture of various groups, and due to dissatisfaction with Davies’ style of preaching, the various groups began to split apart. One group left in 1788 to start a Baptist cause which would eventually lead to the formation of Zion Chapel in Twynyrodyn, and in 1794 the Calvinists left to start their own cause which led to the formation of Pennsylvania (later Pontmorlais) Chapel. The remaining worshippers became an Independent church, but even so, a number of the congregation thought that Daniel Davies’ ministry wasn’t rousing or evangelical enough for their tastes and split away from Ynysgau to hold their own meetings at the Crown Inn. This was the nucleus for Zoar Chapel.

In 1811, during the ordination of a subsequent minister, Rev Thomas Benjamin Evans, the gallery of the chapel collapsed due to overcrowding. Luckily everyone escaped from the accident. The ministry of Rev T B Evans wasn’t an entirely successful one. Following a promising early part of his ministry, Thomas Evans soon lost the confidence of his congregation due to his fondness for alcohol, and the congregation dwindled to almost nothing.

In an attempt to save the cause, 60 members of Zoar Chapel came to Ynysgau to boost the membership. Following Rev Evans death in 1851, Rev James Morris was inducted as the minister. The chapel flourished, and in 1853 it was decided to build a larger chapel.

Ynysgau Chapel in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of Tony Hyde

The new chapel was officially opened in Easter Week 1854, and remained a successful cause well into the latter half of the 20th Century.

Inside Ynysgau Chapel

The chapel was forced to close and was demolished in 1967 as part of the redevelopment of the town centre, and it has often been said it was a sad decision to demolish such an important part of Merthyr’s history, especially as nothing stands on the site of the chapel.

Ynysgau Chapel being demolished in 1967

There was a graveyard, inaugurated in 1750 attached to Ynysgau. The graveyard was one of the oldest in Merthyr with some tombstones dating back to 1773 and 1776; when the Chapel was demolished the remains of those buried at Ynysgau Chapel were exhumed between 10 – 27 October 1969, and re-interred at the Ffrwd section of the Cefn Cemetery. Further unidentified human remains were found at the site during excavation for a new road and were re-interred at Cefn Cemetery on 6 March 1998.

If you would like to learn more about Ynysgau Chapel, there is a fully-illustrated booklet available detailing the history of the chapel.

It costs £5 including postage and packing. All proceeds go towards the running of this blog.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the booklet, please contact me at: merthyr.history@gmail.com.

 

Merthyr’s Bridges: The Iron Bridge

In our series looking at the bridges of Merthyr, we come to Merthyr’s most iconic bridge, and indeed one of Merthyr’s most iconic lost structures – the Old Iron Bridge.

Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

The Old Iron Bridge, or the Merthyr Bridge as it was originally called was commissioned by William Crawshay to replace a stone bridge that had been washed away by a flood. This act was not entirely altruistic on the part of Crawshay, as the only other bridge across the River Taff in town was Jackson’s Bridge, which had been built in 1793 by the Dowlais Iron Company.

Watkin George, the principal engineer at the Cyfarthfa Works was tasked with designing the new bridge, and he conceived a structure fabricated with cast iron sections. To span the River Taff, George had to design a bridge that would span between 65 to 70 feet from bank to bank, so single cast iron beams would be impractical, as they were limited to 20-25 feet in length due to the possibility of the iron failing due to the continuous traffic that would use the bridge.

He decided, therefore to build a structure comprising three separate sections between 22 and 24 feet long, the thickness of the iron being one and a quarter inches, and he constructed the bridge as a cantilever, with the two end sections mounted on buttresses built on the banks of the river with a convex central section fixed between them.

Work started on the bridge in the middle of 1799, and was completed by April the following year. The new bridge had an overall length of 64 feet, and was five feet wide.

The bridge was in constant use as the only bridge in the centre of Merthyr until a new bridge – the Ynysgau Bridge, also called the New Iron Bridge, was built next to it in 1880.

Ynysgau Bridge with the Old Iron Bridge behind it. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

The amount of traffic using the bridge can be illustrated in the table below (originally from Merthyr Historian Vol 2, used with the kind permission of The Merthyr Historical Society). Following construction of the new bridge, The Old Iron Bridge was used primarily as a footbridge.

Courtesy of the Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society

In 1963, the bridge was dismantled as part of the refurbishment and ‘improvement’ of Merthyr. The remains of the bridge – indeed the vast majority of it, now lie gathering dust in a warehouse in Merthyr, and all attempts by local historical groups to have the bridge re-erected somewhere in the town (it can’t be re-erected in its former position as the river has been widened), have failed.

One of the most iconic views of old Merthyr – the Old Iron Bridge with Ynysgau Chapel. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

To read a fuller account of the history of the Old Iron Bridge, try to get hold of a copy of Volume 2 of the Merthyr Historian where you will find a marvellous article about the bridge by Leo Davies.