Newtown causeway, Ebbw Vale
The B4486 road crosses the valley on a causeway or embankment built for an industrial tramway (a basic railway). A tramway track still crossed the causeway after the Second World War.
The causeway was built c.1790 for iron ore from the west to reach the new ironworks, located where you now see Clos Pen-y-cae. The ore was tipped into the furnaces from the top of the retaining wall behind the houses there. The causeway provided a level route to the furnace tops, so the horses weren’t tired out by a descent and climb.
Initially there was only one arch for the tramway, spanning the river. In 1813 an opening was added for the turnpike road (where Steel Works Road is today) to pass beneath the tramway.
In the 1850s plans were drawn up to extend the valley’s main railway through the arch to reach Beaufort. This involved building a third arch (the Wesleyan Row arch) to divert the turnpike road. First a temporary wooden span was installed, to keep the tramway open, but it and part of the causeway collapsed in 1859, killing William Jenkins and Charles Lewis.
An eyewitness had stood aside to allow William’s two horses, hauling four “mine trams”, to pass. John and the horses fled to safe ground but William fell to his death, leaving his wife and five children. Charles, a construction worker, was buried by the debris for hours.
The top photos show both ends of the Great Western Railway arch (the train is departing towards Newport). The middle photo shows the western arch from the north. The aerial view shows the whole causeway, including the river arch, in 1948.
The tramway divided west of the causeway. One arm went south past Market Street and Bethcar Street. The other arm passed Colliers’ Row before turning west.
A separate bridge for pedestrians was installed in the 1960s beside the Wesleyan Row arch.
In 2022 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council carried out repairs and conservation works to the 1813 arch, known as the Big Arch. These included inserting reinforcement bars and waterproofing.
With thanks to the Welsh Government for the aerial photo and Ebbw Vale Works Museum for the other photos
Postcode: NP23 6YN View Location Map
