Heritage
Rhydycar West is rich in heritage, and preserving and celebrating the site’s precious history is central to our development.
The site’s plentiful supplies of iron and coal contributed significantly to the industrial revolution and beyond, up until the mid-20th Century. Prior to that the land was an important site for the period of religious dissent in Wales.
Important remains of this history are scattered across the site. Unfortunately some of these are degrading and disappearing, which is why a focus of our development is to ensure that key ancient monuments are brought back to life and protected for the enjoyment of generations to come.
We have worked with CADW to schedule six further historical monuments on the site, and our ambition is to enable people to experience and understand the historic importance of the land and its contribution to the greater Merthyr story.
Heritage Locations
Historic spots.
Cyfarthfa Balance Pond & Leat.
The proposed scheduled monument comprises the earth and stone work remains of a large pond and associated former leat.
Cyfarthfa Canal Level
The Cyfarthfa canal level monument consists of two sections of the former Cyfarthfa canal including an entrance to a mining level.
Grade II Listed Base of Chimney At Cwm Pit
The building dates from the 1820 - 1840s and originally supported a very tall square stack (as depicted in the historic photograph) situated to the south of the engine house at the Cwm Pit Colliery.
Vale of Neath Railway Cutting and Tunnel Portal
The Vale of Neath Railway cutting and tunnel portal comprises a cutting into bedrock, that once carried a single broad-gauge railway track, and an entrance arch into a tunnel that carried the railway under Aberdare Mountain for approximately 2495 yards.
Cwm Glo Chapel
The scheduled monument comprises the remains of Cwm Glo Chapel. The chapel was one of the earliest non-conformists chapels in South Wales.
Cwm Pit and Head of Railway
The scheduled monument comprises the remains of Cwm Pit coal mine and the head of the Cwm Pit Railway. Cwm Pit is one of the larger mining complexes within the site, with some of the best preserved upstanding remains.
Cwm Du Air Shaft and Fan
The Cwm Du Air Shaft and Fan consists of a mechanical colliery ventilation fan and shaft associated with 19th and 20th century mine workings at Cwm Du.
Black Pins Early Ironstone Workings
The proposed schedule monument comprises an area containing the remains of former iron stone workings, at a location known as the Black Pins.
Cwm Glo Pitand Ironstone Tip
The proposed scheduled monument at Cwm Glo Pit (Also known as Robbin's Pit) consists of the core area related to mining operations at Cwm Glo.