River Taff
River Taff | |
---|---|
Native name | Afon Taf (Welsh) |
Location | |
Country | Wales |
Historic county | Glamorgan |
Unitary Authority | Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cardiff |
Settlements | Merthyr Tydfil, Treharris, Pontypridd, Cardiff |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Cefn-coed-y-cymmer, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales |
Length | 67 km (42 mi)[1] |
Discharge | |
• location | Cardiff Bay |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Afon Bargoed Taf |
• right | Nant Clydach, River Rhondda |
The River Taff (
The river supports several species of
Course
From its confluence at Cefn-coed-y-cymmer, the river flows south, passing several towns. It picks up a few tributaries, such as the
Taf Fawr
The Taf Fawr rises below the peak of Corn Du, south-west of Pen y Fan and soon flows in a generally southerly direction through a steep-sided valley,[2] which was identified by Cardiff's Borough Engineer John Avery Brandon Williams as the best source of water for the town when he assessed all possible sources of water for the newly formed Cardiff Corporation Waterworks in 1881.[3] A bill was presented to Parliament in November 1883, and despite serious opposition from riparian landowners, Royal Assent was obtained for the Cardiff Corporation Act 1884 on 7 August. It allowed the corporation to build three reservoirs.[3]
The catchment of the upper Taf Fawr was 10,400 acres (42 km2) but it was split into an upper area of 4,000 acres (16 km2) and a lower one of 6,400 acres (26 km2). Any works had to provide compensation water to maintain the flow in the Taf Fawr, and working on the upper area first meant that the Corporation only had to supply 3 million imperial gallons (14 Ml) per day of compensation flow until work started on the lower area.
Construction of Llwyn-on Reservoir, the third in the chain, did not start until 1911, and again, its capacity was increased by an Act obtained in 1909 to 1,260 million imperial gallons (5,700 Ml), almost double that specified in 1884.[7] Impounding of water began on 23 June 1926, and the reservoir was full by November, but formal commissioning did not take place until May 1927.[8] Once built, it supplied 7.75 million imperial gallons (35.2 Ml) of compensation water per day to maintain the flow in the river.[9]
Below Llwyn-on, the river is crossed by the
Taf Fechan
The Taf Fechan rises immediately to the south of Pen y Fan and runs southwards through three reservoirs and a former fourth, now abandoned.
The Upper Neuadd Reservoir was rather larger, and was authorised by an Act of Parliament obtained in 1895. The dam which is 75 feet (23 m) high was constructed of masonry, and some 100,000 tons were carried along an extended railway to the construction site. Although the contractors Holme and King of Liverpool were employed to do much of the preparatory work, the building of the dam was carried out by direct labour, with Merthyr Corporation's surveyor, Thomas F Harvey, acting as resident engineer. Work began in 1896 and finished in 1902. It held 340 million imperial gallons (1,500 Ml), and with a water level at 1,506 feet (459 m), it was one of a very small number of artificial lakes built above the 1,500-foot (457 m) contour.[13] The dam had a small tower to the west, and a larger one to the east, below which a tunnel outlet built in Piranesi style sat at the base of the dam.[14] Neuadd House, built as part of the reservoir project in 1896, is just downstream from the dam.[15] An octagonal building at the east side of the Lower Neuadd dam is also a listed structure.[16][clarification needed]
The river continues southwards through a steep-sided wooded valley and is crossed by Pont Cwmyfedwen, an early- to mid-19th century single span bridge
The valve tower is octagonal and built in Gothic style, with a copper-covered spire. The outflow is a large funnel with convex sides and concrete ribs. Both are grade II listed, together with the dam and a lattice steel bridge.[20] The filter house, with its twelve rapid gravity filter beds, which have been little altered since 1923, is also listed,[21] as are the turbine house, which controlled how much water flowed over the weir,[22] and the compensation basin below that, which is used to regulate the flow in the Taf Fechan below the reservoir.[23] Below the works is Pont Sticill, a single span bridge with a datestone showing it was built in 1825, which gives its name to the village.[24]
Below Pontsticill the river forms the boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park[2] and descends into a wooded gorge, where it is crossed by the seven-arched Pontsarn Viaduct built for the Brecon and Merthyr Railway in 1866. It is 92 feet (28 m) high and 420 feet (128 m) long.[25] Just to the south of the viaduct is Pont-sarn, a stone bridge built in 1864 after the previous wooden one collapsed. This occurred because the parishes of Merthyr and Vaynor were supposed to maintain it jointly, but could not agree, and so it became dilapidated. There were proposals to widen it in 1955, but the plans were withdrawn when there was stiff opposition from local people.[26] Below the bridge, the river plunges into Pwll Glas or the Blue Pool.[27] The river continues to flow south-westwards around the hamlet of Trefechan, and as it approaches Cefn-coed-y-cymmer, there is a tramway and leat on the east bank. The tramway was built in 1792, and was used to carry limestone to the Cyfarthfa Ironworks from Gurnos quarries, while the leat was constructed in 1825. Its main function was to provide the ironworks with a good supply of water, but it also fed the ornamental lake at Cyfarthfa Castle through a syphon.[28] After passing under the A465 and the A4054 roads, the Taf Fechan merges with the Taf Fawr at the wooded confluence that gives Cefn-coed-y-cymmer its name.
The river holds a large population of wild
Below the confluence
Just below the confluence of the Taf Fawr and Taf Fechan, the river is crossed by the Pont-y-Cafnau tramroad bridge. This was probably the first iron railway bridge to be built, and was unusual in that it had three levels. The main deck carried the 4 ft (1,219 mm)-gauge Gurnos Tramway, beneath which there was an iron trough to carry water from the Taf Fechan leat, while a second water supply was carried in a wooden launder above the tramway tracks. The cast iron structure was manufactured at the Cyfarthfa Ironworks.[31] On the west bank of the river are the remains of the ironworks, which began operating in 1765. The artifacts include seven blast furnaces, which formed part of the largest ironworks in the world in its heyday.[32] The river runs through the western edges of Merthyr Tydfil, where it is crossed by modern bridges carrying the A4054 and A4102 roads, and by Jackson's Bridge, an early 19th century single span structure that carried the Dowlais tramway and a road.[33]
Two modern bridges in central Merthyr Tydfil carry the northbound carriageway of the A4054 across the river to its west bank and back again, with a weir between them. Nant Rhyd-y-car joins on the west bank at Cae-draw, just before the A4102 crosses. As it approaches Abercanaid Industrial Estate, the railway from
The river is crossed by an old farm access bridge at Pont y Gwaith, with a single span of 55 feet (16.8 m) and a width of 14 feet (4.3 m). It carries a date plaque stating it was built in 1811, but that probably refers to an earlier wooden bridge, and the main arch was rebuilt in 1993.[35] The river turns to the east to flow around the southern edge of Treharris, and then in a large loop around higher ground on which is Goitre-Coed. Three listed bridges cross the loop. The first was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1840–41, and consists of six arches on a slight curve. It carried the single track Taff Vale Railway, but was doubled in width within 20 years, to enable it to carry twin tracks.[36] The second was part of the Merthyr Tramroad, and was built in 1815 after the original wooden bridge collapsed into the river when a train crossed it. It has a span of 63 feet (19.2 m) and is one of the earliest railway bridges, but was in poor condition in 2002,[37] as is the Victoria Bridge, which was also rebuilt in 1815.[38]
Continuing to the south-west, the river is crossed by the A472 and A470 roads, and at Abercynon is crossed by the B4275 road. Immediately to the south of the bridge was an aqueduct carrying the defunct
On the east bank is Ynysangharad Park, where there is an Arts and Crafts lido, designed in the 1920s and opened in 1923. It is now disused, but is grade II listed, as it is one of the earliest outdoor lidos in South Wales.[43] On the west bank, the river is joined by the Afon Rhondda, before it sweeps to the east in a large bend. The A4058 dual carriageway crosses the bend at an angle, and as the river resumes its southward course, it is crossed by Machine Bridge, which is also known as Pont y Doctor, as it was built by Dr Richard Griffiths in 1809, as part of a tramway to carry coal from the Hafod Uchaf pit to the Glamorganshire Canal. It has three arches, and was widened around 1910, in an early use of reinforced concrete. Some of the 19th century fabric remains, and is thought to be the earliest multi-span railway bridge still in existence in the world.[44] Two more modern road bridges are located on its south side, and further downstream is Castle Bridge, a narrow structure with three arches dating from the early 19th century. It formerly carried a road, but is now only used by pedestrians.[45] Next there is a large, crescent-shaped weir, which was built in 1834–5 to provide water power to the Treforest tinplate works. The sluice to control the flow of water to the works is at the western end of the weir, and probably dates from a little later. The works continued in operation until 1939, and a fish ladder was added in 2003, to allow migrating fish to access the upper river.[46] Many of the building still exist, some distance to the south of the weir, including a casting house,[47] a workshop,[48] a tinning house,[49] a smithy,[50] a rolling mill,[51] and the retaining wall for the leat. The leat had seven sluices with gates to feed the works, but all have been bricked up.[52]
Diversion in Cardiff
In the early 1840s the South Wales Railway was trying to find a suitable site for a railway station, but the area that is now Cardiff Central railway station was prone to flooding. At this point the main route of the Taff was around Cardiff Castle and down what is now Westgate Street, with the lands where Cardiff Arms Park and the Millennium Stadium are now sited tidal flats which were prone to flood.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's solution was to divert the Taff to the west, creating a larger and safer site for the station. The station was opened by the South Wales Railway in 1850.[53]
Tributaries
Nant Ffrwd
Underneath the
Nant Morlais and Nant Rhydycar
The Taff continues south through the centre of
Taff Bargoed, Cynon, Nant Clydach and Rhondda
South of Merthyr, the Taff begins to
Mouth of the Taff
In Cardiff, the natural course of the river was changed during the 19th century; from Cardiff Castle it now follows an artificial riverbed west of where it previously flowed, following a path through Bute Park, past the Cardiff Arms Park and the Principality Stadium. The Taff flows into Cardiff Bay, an artificial lake created by the construction of the Cardiff Bay Barrage in the 1990s, before flowing into the Severn Estuary.
"Taffy" as a pejorative
The derogatory term "Taffy" for a Welsh person is sometimes erroneously stated to have originated with the river. This may have given rise to a colloquial usage of the term "Taffy" or "Taffs" for people from the Mid Glamorgan Valleys (which form the Taff's northern reaches).[citation needed]
The name actually originates as a corruption of the name Dafydd (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈdavɨð]), with the Oxford English Dictionary describing the origin as "representing a supposed Welsh pronunciation of the given name Davy or David (Welsh Dafydd)".[55] It was common for people in times of war to dehumanise an enemy by ascribing a singular name to them all.[56] It is therefore an equivalent of other historic English pejoratives such as Paddy and Jock.
The term is a common nickname within the British army, with Welsh individuals, units and especially the Welsh Guards referred to as "The Taffs". However, it has been reported that the guardsmen themselves never use that term.[57]
See also
- Pont-y-Cafnau, world's earliest surviving iron railway bridge
Bibliography
- Bowtell, Harold D; Hill, Geoffrey (2006). Reservoir Builders of South Wales. Industrial Railway Society. ISBN 978-0-9540726-2-9.
- Wheatley, Joseph Larke (1905). History of the Cardiff Corporation Waterworks Undertaking. Cardiff Records: Volume 5. British History Online.
References
- PMID 15812047.
The longest path length of the river Taff uninterrupted by inflows is 67 km
- ^ a b c d e Ordnance Survey, 1:25,000 map
- ^ a b Wheatley 1905, pp. 461–462.
- ^ Bowtell & Hill 2006, pp. 9–10.
- ^ Wheatley 1905, p. 464.
- ^ Bowtell & Hill 2006, p. 14.
- ^ "Llwyn-on Reservoir, Taff Fawr Reservoirs, Cardiff Waterworks". www.coflein.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ Bowtell & Hill 2006, p. 19.
- ^ Wheatley 1905, p. 465.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ Cadw Scheduled Monument Report No 3123 : Tai Mawr Leat for Cyfarthfa Ironworks.. Retrieved 28 August 2020
- ^ "Welsh water to restore reservoir to its natural state". Welsh Water. Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ Bowtell & Hill 2006, pp. 36–37.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ Bowtell & Hill 2006, p. 40.
- ^ Bowtell & Hill 2006, pp. 42–44.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Pwll Glas". coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ Cadw Scheduled Monument Report No 2299 : Gurnos Quarry Tramroad & Leat.. Retrieved 3 September 2020
- ^ "River polluted by chemical spill". BBC News. 14 August 2006. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007.
- ^ "ACA News Update". Martin James Fishing. 2007. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020.
- ^ Cadw Scheduled Monument Report No 317 : Pont y Cafnau Tramroad Bridge.. Retrieved 3 September 2020
- ^ Cadw Scheduled Monument Report No 3118 : Remains of Blast Furnaces, Cyfarthfa Ironworks.. Retrieved 3 September 2020
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Cadw Scheduled Monument Report No 319 : Merthyr Tramroad: Pont y Gwaith section and associated bridges.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "Cardiff Arms Park, A short History - The Creation of the Arms Park". Cardiff Council. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
- ^ "River Taff Corridor Action Plan". April 2007. p. 7. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012.
- ^ "Taffy, n.2". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Beard, Mary (11 January 2009). "A Don's Life". Times Literary Supplement. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012.
- ISBN 978-1849164238., mentioned in "Dead Men Risen: How do the Welsh Guards keep up with the Joneses?". The Daily Telegraph. 21 March 2011. Archived from the originalon 21 January 2016.
External links
- Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Archived 2006-09-25 at the Wayback Machine Merthyr Tydfil Features