Canal Project Pages.

N.B.This location can not be approached by a coach, the use of a minibus is essential. It is recomended you approach it from the A 4077 at 222171 opposite Dan y Pac and proceeding directly uphill to 216148. The road is very narrow in places however a 17 seater minibus can proceed with care. At the top you are able to drive along the route of the old tramroad, now a surfaced road before parking in the official carpark at 209153 Please do not park on the road further to the West, you will be closer to the visit site but you will obstruct those who live there and upset the goodwill required for such visits.

From the car park it is about 15 minutes to the head of the incline, continuing along the route of the old tramroad. The tremendous views make this a very enjoyable walk!

The focus at this location is upon the extraction and transportation of Limestone. There are three features to note: -

• The Quarries themselves.
  These are quite visible from the line of the old tramroad and nothing further can be gained from closer approach. The limestone was extracted both for agricultural use and for use in the Iron furnaces on the other side of the hill at Nantyglo.
  
  
  
  
• The Tramroad.
  A level horsedrawn tramroad was built from the quarries to Nantyglo on the other side of the hill. The illustration below shows the type of tramcars which would have been used. If you walk about ten minutes beyond the end of the surfaced part, past the site of the incline you will see several of the stone sleepers, as illustrated below, still in situ.
  
  
  
  
• The Incline.
  Five minutes beyond the end of the surfaced section of the tramroad is the top of the incline. Here limestone was lowered down for transportation to the canal. Here we built a model, as illustrated below, to demonstrate how the incline would have worked.
  
  
  
  Visible on the ground are: -
• The clear line of the old incline.
  
  
  
  
• The pit where the 'brake wheel' was at the top.
  
  
  
  
• The marks where the two chains rubbed on the threshold as they left the brake house.