Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
16200
Building Number
Grade
II*
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
31/07/1995
Date of Amendment
06/04/2011
Name of Property
Carreg Ddu Viaduct and Submerged Dam
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Powys
Community
Rhayader
Town
Locality
Elan Valley
Easting
291039
Northing
263955
Street Side
Location
About 7km SW of Rhayader centre. Carries road from Elan valley to Claerwen valley
Description
Broad Class
Transport
Period
History
Part of the Elan Valley reservoir scheme built by City of Birmingham 1893 to 1904. Engineer James
Mansergh. The scheme was amongst the greatest civic achievements of the late C19. The Corporation of
Birmingham employed direct labour for the scheme which involved the construction of 53 km of railway
to transport materials from the Wye Valley line at Rhayader, 4 dams, an aqueduct 126 km long, and a
village for construction workers. The height of the reservoirs enabled water to reach the outskirts of
Birmingham by gravity alone, without the expense of pumping. Provision was made for future expansion
in the Claerwen Valley where the scheme was brought to its current state by the Claerwen dam in 1952. The viaduct resting on top of the submerged dam is the key to the water supply scheme, allowing water to always be available at adjacent Foel Valve valve tower.
Exterior
Rock-faced brown stone viaduct resting on a submerged dam. Five narrow arches to NE; seven broader elliptical arches to centre.
Parapet; massive rock-hewn capstones to ends.
Stone plaque at SE end records :-
"This stone was laid by Alderman Charles Gabriel Beale, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, in the presence of
the members of the City Council, on the 19th day of June, 1900".
Interior
Reason for designation
Graded II* for its special historic and architectural interest as an integral part of one of the greatest engineering achievements of the C19 and for group value with other listed structures associated with the Elan Valley Reservoir scheme.
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