Monument Type(s):

• MINERAL RAILWAY (Early 19th century to Early 20th century (pre-war) - 1800 AD to 1913 AD)

Summary

The site of a 19th to 20th century mineral railway.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA5079 - 1996-1997 excavation and WB on route of Llanforda to Pant pumping main by SCCAS
• ESA6166 - 2002 Stage 2 DBA and walkover survey of Pant - Llanymynech bypass, by ULAS
• ESA5031 - 1995 assessment of the Montgomery Canal between Croft's Mill and Crickheath Wharf in advance of Phase 3 restoration by SCC HET
• ESA8233 - 2017 Trial trench at Old Mapsis Way, Morda by SLR Consulting (Ref: 13/03846/OUT)

Description

Rail Road, running in a north-westerly direction from the Montgomery Canal [PRN 00927] to the Coal Pits [PRN 06631]. At its southern end, where it connects with the Montgomery Canal, a Wharf is noted associated with a projection to the Canal <1>

No indication of this tramway except for earthworks at SJ 2930 2558, where it crossed the Cambrian Railway and SJ 2895 2600. At its southern end a field boundary follows the course of this former tramway. <2><3>

No earthworks are shown relating to this tramway except for the field boundary noted at its southern end. The survival of this field boundary was confirmed during a field investigation of this section of the Montgomery Canal in September 1995, although nothing appears to survive of the actual tramway at this point. <3><4><5>

Noted as the Gronwyn Colliery or Morda Tramway. Probably constructed early in the 19th century and went out of use by 1879. Constructed as a plateway - iron rails set on stone blocks. Denton notes that many of these blocks can still be seen. <6>

Coal is likely to have been transported by canal to the limekilns at Llanymynech. <8>

In 1996-7 Severn Trent Engineering installed a new 350mm pumping main between Llanforda Treatment Works, Oswestry and the Pant Service Reservoir. In Red Pit Field amongst the 18th and 19th century coal mining [PRN 06631], a section of this tramway was seen at SJ28580 27175, after topsoil was removed. An area 3m long by 1m wide was cleaned and was seen to consist of a band of gravel and cobbles 1.5m wide running roughly north south, with 0.5m wide bands of coal ash and cinders on its western and eastern margins. The surface of the tramway was also liberally covered with coal ash and cinders. To the north the tramway ran through the north-eastern corner of Red Pit field and then continued to the north to the 18th/19th century Drill colliery and coal wharf. The tramway probably dates to the 1830s [<11>].->

-> To the south, the projected line of the tramway headed southwest to join another tramway. After crossing the Nant-y-Caws brook, this latter tramway ran through a coppice and then along the A483 Oswestry – Welshpool road, appearing here as a slight earthwork bank 160m long between SJ 28890 26360 and SJ 28920 26200. The water-main cut across the southern most 35m of this section of tramway, and was seen to consist of a low bank about 1.5m wide of gravel and cobles, with fragments of coal cinder and iron scrap. From here it joins the 100m section of tramway noted in the 1995 evaluation [<9>] at SJ 28883 25985. <10>

This feature was noted as part of an assessment of the proposed route of the A483 Pant/Llanymynech Bypass in 2002. Documentary evidence noted only. <12>

A single evaluation trench was excavated on the projected course of the route. This identified undulations in the natural and faced blocks of limestone, suggested as stones sets, which were interpreted as possibly representing part of the 'ghost' of the former colliery. However, the evidence was equivocal and it is is possible that the line of the tramway actually ran to the East. <13>

Notes, and outline history of the tramway, including historic photographs and cartographic sources. <14>

Statement of significance prepared in a Conservation Management Plan for Cambrian Railways in 2005. <15>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.