21003

 

II  

Designated  

17/12/1998  

17/12/1998  

Hall's Bridge, Railway Viaduct over River Ebbw and Western Valleys Railway Line  

 

Caerphilly  

Crosskeys  

 

Cwmcarn  

321797  

192965  

 

The main part of the bridge is in the Pont-y-Waun locality of Crosskeys, a small part is within Cwmcarn.  

Transport  

 

Bridge built to span River Ebbw and the adjacent railway, the Western Valley Line, adapted later C20 to span also the by-pass E of river. Tramroad Line built by Benjamin Hall along the W side of the Ebbw 1814. Great Western Region Western Valley Line built c1850 adjacent. The tramway appears on OS First Edition map 1886 running W of the Western Valley line and crossing the river to E at Pont-y-Waun, the Western Valley line continuing along the W bank. The original river crossing of stone and timber was roughly at right angles and is shown thus both on the First Edition OS Map and the Tithe Map of 1846 and the remains of an abutment of this first bridge still exists just to N on E side. The crossing was altered to a c 45 degree angle for the later railway and photographs exist showing both the timber supports for construction of the new stone piers and the two bridges temporarily co-existing and crossing each other towards the W bank. On Second Edition OS map of 1902 the railway appears as the Great Western Region Pennar Branch, with both lines still shown though the new line apparently in use, suggesting perhaps a c 1900 upgrading of the bridge. Masonry piers were constructed to allow for doubling the line but only a single track was ever laid. Deck is still maintained with stone chippings as a footpath. Benjamin Hall the elder was the son-in-law of Richard Crawshay Ironmaster of Cyfarthfa who bought the Abercarn estate for him in 1808; his son also Benjamin Hall became First Commissioner of Works 1855-8 and gave his name to Big Ben. Created a baronet by Queen Victoria in 1859, he became Lord Llanover.  

A plate girder bridge supported on high wide and narrow piers of snecked rockfaced stone spanning road, river and railway. 8 piers in all stretching from the deep railway cutting W to continuation of the line at canal level E of the by-pass, the pier to E being a replacement probably a result of the road construction. The stone has dressed arises and many stones are drilled and fixed to a core. Single track deck across the wider piers of riveted metal plates with cross-braced supports beneath. Open parapet of L-shaped uprights and 3 rows of tubular bars; altered E bay.  

 

Listed for its interest in the history of railway engineering in the Western Valley and as an example of standard late C19 railway technology here used on a grand scale and largely unaltered since. Group value with nearby Railway Bridge.