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
16198
Building Number
Grade
II*
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
31/07/1995
Date of Amendment
31/07/1995
Name of Property
Craig Coch Dam & Valve Tower
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Powys
Community
Rhayader
Town
Locality
Elan Valley
Easting
289364
Northing
268669
Street Side
Location
About 8km W of Rhayader centre.
Description
Broad Class
Water Supply and Drainage
Period
History
One of series of dams in Elan Valley 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.
Exterior
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.
Bronze plaque from dam (removed to visitor centre) says
" Craig Coch Reservoir
Total Capacity 2,000,000,000 gallons
Top Water Area 217 Acres
Top Water Level 1,040 feet above Ordnance Datum
Height of Dam above River Bed 120 ft
Depth of Foundations below River Bed 10 ft
Length of Weir 390 ft
Thickness of Dam at Base 104 ft
Estimated quantity of masonry 80,000 cubic yards"
Curved masonry dam with massive heavily rock-faced blocks. To ends, spillways with parapet walls, spillways broaden as they drop, surfaced with hard grey stone; walls turn, becoming parallel with river. On East side is outlet partly submerged at time of inspection.
Dam supports viaduct on 13 arches carrying roadway over dam. Contrasting rock-faced and smoother stone. Piers support segmental arches with keystones; bandcourse at road level, parapet with coping and heavy rock-faced capstones; 3 arches from each end, is polygonal refuge corbelled out. Abutments to viaduct have doorways to interior of dam. Opposite E refuge is attached polygonal valve tower; copper dome with lantern and fish weathervane, waterspouts to parapet, paired windows to each face set back from buttresses; this stage corbelled out over narrower stage, with barred intakes, which runs down below water level.
Interior
Interior said to contain original operating machinery.
Reason for designation
Graded II* as part of one of the greatest civil engineering projects of C19.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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