The Tanat Valley - Its Railways and Industrial Archaeology
Today a retreat of peace and rural charm nestling in the mountainous heart of Montgomeryshire, the valley of the River Tanat presents a very different picture from the busy industrial scene of a century ago. Its lead mines, in their day, were among the greatest in Britain, slate and granite were quarried in vast tonnages and there was phosphate, and even some silver, among its wealth of minerals. Later, but too late to save its already dying industries, the railway came to the valley, the very first Welsh light railway, if not the first public light railway in Britain - the 19 1/2-mile Tanat Valley Light Railway with termini at Oswestry and Llangynog and, at the outset, a third-class fare of a penny a mile.
Of strong appeal to railway enthusiasts and industrial archaeologists alike, this book vividly recalls the Tanat valley as it was, tracing its industrial and transport histories from their earliest days to final eclipse and relating the activities of the past to the present remains still to be seen upon the ground.
Following a general introduction to the area, the first part of the book is devoted to a detailed account of the origins, construction and working life of the Tanat Valley Light Railway, which opened in 1904 and, after absorption into the GWR in 1923, finally closed in 1960.
The second part of the book, dealing with the industrial archaeology of the valley, contains chapters on the lead, slate and phosphate mines, and the granite quarries in the area. The histories of the individual mines are traced, their methods of working described and several suggested tours of the more interesting of the remains are outlined in an appendix.
The illustrations, which are a special feature of the work, include 48 photographs -19 of which relate to the railway section and 33 line drawings in the text, including 15 maps.
Hardback with dust jacket, 192 pages, black & white photographs, maps
Condition: Good/Very Good with a little foxing to top edge of book
ISBN: 9780715342596
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Updated: 2 January 2025