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After the iron had reached the top of the tower, it was
carried by Hill's Tramway to be loaded onto barges on the Brecknock and Abergavenny
canal. Originally it had gone down the valley to the Monmouthshire canal at Pontypool,
but as that canal had a monopoly, its charges were high. When the B & A canal
opened it was much cheaper and it drew the trade from Blaenafon.The journey over
to Llanfoist took the iron through the longest tunnel of its day at Pwlldu (which
is currently being surveyed with a view to restoration) and around the slopes
of the Blorenge mountain down to the canal wharves, where from here it proceeded
usually southward to the docks at Newport and beyond, or sometimes north towards
the Midlands. The roads at the time were so bad that this was considered express
delivery, but it wouldn't be long before the railways took over and made canals
seem ridiculously slow. The photo above shows one of the trams used - you can
still see the stone sleepers on the incline that descends the Blorenge steeply to Llanfoist
wharf. Pedestrian access under the canal to the village is through a dauntingly dingy original
tunnel - well worth a visit. |
