Smart's Bridge

Smart's Bridge
Coordinates 51°48′46″N 3°07′13″W / 51.8127°N 3.1202°W / 51.8127; -3.1202Coordinates: 51°48′46″N 3°07′13″W / 51.8127°N 3.1202°W / 51.8127; -3.1202
Crosses River Clydach
Locale Llanelly, Monmouthshire, Wales
Characteristics
Material Cast iron
Total length 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)
No. of spans 1
History
Construction start 1824
Construction end 1824
Statistics
Daily traffic tram (original) / pedestrian
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name Smart's Bridge
Designated 27 July 2000
Reference no. 23813
Smart's Bridge
Location in Monmouthshire

Smart's Bridge, Llanelly, Monmouthshire, is a cast-iron bridge situated in Clydach Gorge. Constructed in 1824, it gave access to the Clydach Ironworks, the most significant industrial enterprise in the gorge. The bridge was designated a Grade II* listed structure in 2000.

History

The Clydach Ironworks were established in 1793 by Edward Frere and Thomas Cooke, on land sublet from the Duke of Beaufort.[1] By the early 19th century, the works were the major industrial enterprise in the gorge and Smart's Bridge was built in 1824[2] to give a tramway link from the works to the Clydach Railroad.[3] By the mid 19th century, the firm was heavily in debt, and closed in 1861.[3] The ironworks were bought, firstly, by the Clydach Sheet and Bar Iron Company, and, secondly, by the Brynmawr Coal and Iron Company, and finally closed in 1877.[1]

In 1987, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council took responsibility for the site, stabilised the remains, and opened it to the public.[1]

Architecture and description

The bridge is a single span, of cast iron, with "lancet tracery in the arch spandrels."[4] The bridge is constructed on rubble piers and is 2.09 meters in length.[1] The railings are replacements from the 1980s.[3]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Listed Buildings - Full Report - HeritageBill Cadw Assets - Reports". Cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net. 2000-07-27. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  2. ↑ "Smart's Bridge". Graces Guide. 2015-02-05. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  3. 1 2 3 Good Stuff (2000-07-27). "Smart's Bridge, Llanelly, Monmouthshire". Britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  4. ↑ Newman 2000, p. 281.

References

  • Newman, John (2000). Gwent/Monmouthshire. The Buildings of Wales. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-071053-1.
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