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91-701: The Barry Railway Company was a railway and docks company in South Wales , first incorporated as the Barry Dock and Railway Company in 1884. It arose out of frustration among Rhondda coal owners at congestion and high charges at Cardiff Docks as well the monopoly held by the Taff Vale Railway in transporting coal from the Rhondda. In addition, the Taff Vale did not have the required capacity for

182-650: A Bill for a new line westward from Ewenny via Porthcawl and Port Talbot to join the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway at Aberavon . Barrie says, "Beyond all reasonable doubt, the real object of the London & South Wales promoters was to force the Great Western Railway to carry out its South Wales Direct Line, and to make certain concessions to the South Wales coal trade. In this they succeeded, and

273-483: A No. 2 Dock, of 34 acres (14 ha), was obtained. The massive trade at the Docks placed on the company the obligations of a Dock Authority, and since 1889 the company had been responsible for pilotage and the control of alcohol and other public order issues within the docks, as well as the more obvious conservancy issues. The 1893 act of Parliament also paved the way for an extension railway to Barry Island, as Barry

364-562: A disputed placename found in Ptolomey 's Geographia . Both William Camden and Iolo Morganwg believed this place was in the vicinity of modern Cardiff, with Iolo suggesting that the Latin name was derived from "Rhath Taff". Roath Court is a nineteenth-century villa on the site of the medieval manor house of Roath. Since 1952 it has been a funeral home. Its Georgian portico, designed by Robert Adam in 1766 for Bowood House , Wiltshire,

455-590: A fortified enclosure in Gaulish and ráth , a ringfort in Old Irish ). Lewis further states that several of these earthworks were still visible in his time (likely referring to the earthworks and ditches which had surrounded the old manor house for centuries), suggesting that the area may have been home to an important fortified settlement of the Silures tribe. Roath has also been identified with Ratostabius ,

546-634: A group intent on building an alternative dock and railway system, and a bill was prepared and submitted for the 1883 session of Parliament. In fact the strength of opposition from the Taff Vale Railway, the Bute Trustees, and other established companies was such that the bill failed in that session. It was resubmitted in the 1884 session, and this time it was passed, and the Barry Dock and Railways Act 1884 ( 47 & 48 Vict. c. cclvii) gained royal assent on 14 August 1884. The promoters' costs for

637-583: A heritage with other ex- anthracite mining areas in eastern Carmarthenshire , as much as with the Glamorgan valleys. The local slang , dialect and phrases of the South Wales Valleys communities have been referred to as ' Wenglish ', and are often used with comic effect. The dialect is found in such coastal towns as Barry , as featured in the BBC comedy series, Gavin & Stacey . Welsh

728-786: A more authoritative style guide, the Welsh Government , in their international gateway website, Wales.com, state that it should always be capitalised. It is always capitalised on motorway signs. Between the Statute of Rhuddlan of 1284 and the Laws in Wales Act 1535 , crown land in Wales formed the Principality of Wales . This was divided into a Principality of south Wales and a Principality of north Wales. The southern principality

819-421: A near-monopoly, and as such were thought to be unresponsive to customers' wishes. Coal ships intending to load at Cardiff were often obliged to stand off for days waiting for a berth, and loaded coal trains heading for the docks frequently were obliged to wait in loops and on goods lines on the approach, waiting for clearance to enter. In fact extensions to the docks took place, and in 1865 a new harbour at Penarth

910-653: A popular area to live. The area has five primary schools, Albany Primary School, Marlborough Primary School, Roath Park Primary School, St Peter's R.C. Primary School and Stacey Primary School. Community facilities include the YMCA Plas community centre and the Mackintosh Sports Club. Samuel Lewis stated that the original name was Rhâth , adding that this was a common element in Welsh toponymy denoting ancient earthworks (cognate with rati , meaning

1001-475: A series of cycle tracks and other outdoor amenities. Large areas of forestry and open moorland also contribute to the amenity of the landscape. Merthyr Tydfil ( Welsh : Merthyr Tudful ) grew around the Dowlais Ironworks which was founded to exploit the locally abundant seams of iron ore , and in time it became the largest iron-producing town in the world. New coal mines were sunk nearby to feed

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1092-541: A tunnel at 1 in 80. The Pier station never had an ordinary train service, but was limited to trains connecting with pleasure steamers, generally in the summer. The steamer service was provided by the firm of P & A Campbell from July 1899. They were the principal steamer operator on the Bristol Channel at the time, but the commercial relationship between them and the Barry Railway was strained. In 1904

1183-576: A variety of venues including peoples' homes. The tenth festival took place in 2018. Made in Roath now exists as a community arts organisation that arranges exhibitions and residencies. Between 2013 and 2016, local organisers Wayne Courtney and Nathan Wyburn hosted the 'Roath Bake Off' festival in St Andrews United Reformed Church, Roath . In December 2018, they announced that the event would be revived for 2019 as part of

1274-443: A very diverse population including a large number of students, being very close to the main university campuses, a large ethnic minority population and many young professionals. Subdivision of the large Victorian properties is starting to occur in the areas at the south end of the district. Its close proximity to the city centre, its number of local amenities, churches, shops and restaurants and public houses and Roath Park make it

1365-475: A while finance was impossible to get. Dissatisfaction with the available railway and dock facilities was however unabated, and there was a considerable desire for an alternative to break the monopoly. In 1882 promoters allied to the Taff Vale Railway and the Bute Trustees (who controlled the Cardiff Docks) proposed new docks at Roath, east of the city, and a new approach railway from the Taff Vale line. It

1456-495: Is a district and community to the north-east of the city centre of Cardiff , capital of Wales . The area is mostly covered by the Plasnewydd electoral ward , and stretches from Adamsdown in the south to Roath Park in the north. Roath's main shopping streets are Albany Road, City Road , and Wellfield Road. The area is characterised by its several tree-lined avenues and Victorian era terraced streets. Roath houses

1547-569: Is more debatable. In the western extent, from Swansea westwards, local people might feel that they live in both south Wales and west Wales . Areas to the north of the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains are generally considered to be in Mid Wales. The valleys and upland mountain ridges were once a very rural area noted for its river valleys and ancient forests and lauded by romantic poets such as William Wordsworth as well as poets in

1638-1286: Is now a compulsory language up to GCSE level for all students who start their education in Wales. Several secondary schools offering Welsh medium education operate in this area, for example Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari in Pontyclun , Ysgol Gyfun Y Cymmer in Porth in the Rhondda , Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun in Penywaun in the Cynon Valley , Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Pontypool , Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Blackwood , Ysgol Gymraeg Plasmawr in Cardiff and Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg in Church Village . A significant number of people from ethnic minority communities speak another language as their first language, particularly in Cardiff and Newport. Commonly spoken languages in some areas include Punjabi , Bengali , Arabic , Somali and Chinese , and increasingly Central European languages such as Polish . In

1729-567: Is overprinted with urban regeneration, tourism and multi-national investment. Large factory units, either empty or turned over to retail use, bear witness to the lack of success in replacing older industries. The native language of the majority of people in South Wales is English , but there are many who also speak Welsh . In western parts of Glamorgan , particularly the Neath and Swansea Valleys , there remain significant Welsh-speaking communities such as Ystradgynlais and Ystalyfera , which share

1820-584: Is served by railway lines made from Barry through Barry Island, and it is now possible for passengers from Cardiff, and the districts containing the teeming population of South Wales, to travel by train to the pontoon, and embark for the various watering-places and towns in the Bristol Channel. The Barry Island branch was extended to Barry Pier. The extension was authorised by the Barry Railway Act 1896 ( 59 & 60 Vict. c. cxciii), and it opened on 27 June 1899. The line descended to Barry Pier through

1911-586: The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and the tin mines of Cornwall such as Geevor Tin Mine , as a large but experienced and willing workforce was required. Whilst some of the migrants left, many settled and established in the south Wales Valleys between Swansea and Abergavenny as English-speaking communities with a unique identity. Industrial workers were housed in cottages and terraced houses close to

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2002-475: The Local Government Act 1972 which came into operation in 1974. The creation of the county of Powys merged one northern county ( Montgomeryshire ) with two southern ones (Breconshire and Radnorshire). There are thus different concepts of south Wales. Glamorgan and Monmouthshire are generally accepted by all as being in south Wales. But the status of Breconshire or Carmarthenshire, for instance,

2093-616: The National Coal Board . These industries have since largely been replaced by service sector industries. The cities along the M4 corridor are home to a number of high-profile blue-chip companies such as Admiral Insurance , Legal & General and the Welsh-based Principality Building Society . A large number of telephone call centres are located in the region and in particular in

2184-623: The Presbyterian Church of Wales ), whose distinctive grey stone chapels can be seen in many parts. These were mainly Welsh-language congregations. Anglicanism in South Wales became autonomous from the Church of England with the Welsh Church Act 1914 , but the immediate demise of the denomination feared at that time has not taken place in the Church in Wales . There are a number of Brethren Assemblies in Cardiff and in

2275-643: The Rhymney Railway , but was turned down in the Lords Committee. A second attempt was made in 1889 for an independent line from near Cogan to Cardiff, and also a junction with the Rhymney Railway north of Caerphilly . This too was withdrawn by the Barry Railway, but significant concessions were obtained. These were that the Taff Vale Railway would agree running powers (except for passenger trains) between Cogan and Walnut Tree Junction over

2366-654: The South Wales Main Line and associated branches such as the Valley Lines . Radio stations include: The Welsh national media is based in Cardiff where the BBC and ITV have their main studios and offices. 51°41′N 3°23′W  /  51.683°N 3.383°W  / 51.683; -3.383 Roath 51°29′28″N 3°09′38″W  /  51.49111°N 3.16056°W  / 51.49111; -3.16056 Roath ( Welsh : Y Rhath )

2457-586: The counties of Brecknockshire , Radnorshire and Glamorgan while the Carmarthen circuit served Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire . Monmouthshire was attached to the Oxford circuit for judicial purposes. These seven southern counties were thus differentiated from the six counties of north Wales. The Court of the Great Sessions came to an end in 1830, but the counties survived until

2548-527: The furnaces and in time produced coal for export. By the 1831 census, the population of Merthyr was 60,000—more at that time than Cardiff, Swansea and Newport combined—and its industries included coal mines , iron works , cable factory , engine sheds and sidings and many others. The town was also the birthplace of Joseph Parry , composer of the song Myfanwy . The Heads of the Valleys towns, including Rhymney , Tredegar and Ebbw Vale , rose out of

2639-478: The 1870s, coal was transported by rail transport networks to Newport Docks , at the time the largest coal exporting docks in the world, and by the 1880s coal was being exported from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan . The Marquess of Bute , who owned much of the land north of Cardiff , built a steam railway system on his land that stretched from Cardiff into many of the South Wales Valleys where the coal

2730-574: The 1880s. They were using Porthcawl , which had very limited shipping capacity. They promoted a railway from Coity Junction, just north of Bridgend, to Barry along a route near the coast, joining the Barry Railway west of the Barry Dock. The result was the Vale of Glamorgan Railway Act 1889 ( 52 & 53 Vict. c. clxxxviii) of 26 August 1889. Nominally independent, it was supported in Parliament by

2821-517: The 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a vigorous literary and musical culture centred round eisteddfodau . Despite a few timid attempts to emulate this literature in English, it can be argued that few writers seem to connect with either the landscape or the literary tradition. The one exception, to some extent, can be considered to be Dylan Thomas. The South Wales landscape is marked by numerous chapels, places of worship (past and present) of

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2912-479: The Barry Railway acquired statutory powers—the Barry Railway (Steam Vessels) Act 1904 ( 4 Edw. 7 . c. ccxxvii) of 15 August 1904—to operate its own steamer fleet, but these powers were considerably restricted, limiting the routes that might be operated. In 1905 the Barry Railway started its own steamer operation with two newly constructed vessels, Gwalia and Devonia and an 1899 steamer Westonia . In 1907

3003-460: The Barry Railway operated such a service. Of course its own main line had not previously operated passenger trains, so new stations were required; in most cases these were made with platform loops to avoid conflict with the heavy mineral trains service. In the 20 miles (32 km) from Cadoxton, the first stations were at Wenvoe, Creigiau, Efail Isaf, Treforest and Pontypridd. The Pontypridd station became known as Pontypridd (Graig) from 1924. Barry

3094-519: The Barry Railway suffered accordingly. After the grouping of the railways in 1922 the Great Western Railway sought rationalisation, and the main line of the Barry Railway, which duplicated the ex-Taff Vale main line between Treforest and Trehafod, was 'run down', the passenger service via Tonteg Junction to Trehafod and Porth being terminated between Tonteg Junction and Hafod Junction in 1930 but freight traffic continued until June 1951,

3185-474: The Barry Railway, and when constructed it was equipped and operated by the Barry Railway. The company was unable to raise the necessary subscriptions, and the Barry Railway was obliged to guarantee a 4% return to VoGR shareholders, authorised by an act of Parliament of 1893. This effectively put the VoGR under the control of the Barry Railway. The line opened on 1 December 1897. A viaduct experienced subsidence and

3276-569: The Bracchi, Italians in the café and catering trades often from Bardi in the Apennines. Post-war diversity has brought mosques , especially in Cardiff and Newport, Sikh gurdwaras , including one on the mountain near Abercynon and a growing number of Evangelical and Pentecostal congregations. These often add a strongly international element into local life, such as the "Pont" twinning project between Pontypridd and Mbale , Uganda , and

3367-671: The Bute family, including the first marquess and his two wives. The tower of St Margaret's was finally completed in 1926. Roath once had a railway station on the South Wales Main Line, but this closed in 1917. Prior to the 2010s the community was known as Plasnewydd , though was renamed as Roath, being a name that was more widely recognised. Starting in 2009, the Made in Roath arts festival took place each October. The event showcased art, music, performance and literature in

3458-606: The GWR route to London was still via Bristol and Bath . A South Wales Direct Line had been proposed for some years, but the GWR was reluctant to build it. Promoters, chiefly coal owners and those associated with the Vale of Glamorgan Railway and the Barry Railway, put together a scheme for a London and South Wales Railway in November 1895. At 163 miles (262 km) in length, it was to run from Cogan via Cardiff and skirting Newport on

3549-499: The London & South Wales scheme was withdrawn in 1896." The Great Western Railway agreed to build its own South Wales Direct Line , from Wootton Bassett to Patchway via Badminton , and it was opened by the GWR in 1903. In an interview in 1906, the General Manager of the Barry Railway said, A passenger pontoon was constructed within the breakwaters, at which passenger steamers land or take in passengers. The pontoon

3640-537: The Mole, renumbered 20, 18 being substituted for one on the Barry Island side of No. 1 dock quay where three low-level hoists, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 movable (with traversers) existed either side of No. 19. Most of the 1st-generation high-level coal hoists on both docks were replaced by Armstrong–Whitworth structures capable of more rapid discharge of coal wagons. There had been three high-level movable hoists at

3731-541: The Penarth and Radyr lines. At Walnut Tree the Rhymney Railway had a junction with the Taff Vale Railway, in fact giving access to the Rhymney's original main line there. Moreover, running powers would be granted for all classes of train from Cogan to Penarth Curve South Junction, where connection was made with the Great Western Railway main line. From this point the GWR had its Riverside Branch, opened in 1884, running down

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3822-531: The Railway Magazine: Other provisions for dealing with merchandise traffic have not been lost sight of. Along the south side of dock No. 2 has been erected a commodious transit shed with cellarage and ground and upper floors, and bonded stores, of 500 ft. long and 156 ft. wide. In connection therewith, cranes and other appliances have been provided to enable traffic to be received into the sheds either from ships or trucks or to be loaded from

3913-482: The Rhymney Railway network in the years 1893 – 1895, but these were refused. In addition, running powers west of Trehafod on the Taff Vale Rhondda lines were sought and refused, but during the 1894 session it was suggested that the Barry Railway be allowed to operate passenger trains over the Taff Vale from Porth to Barry. Seeing this as a small concession to make, the Taff Vale agreed and from 16 March 1896

4004-703: The Swansea area and Free Presbyterian Churches in Rhiwderin , near Newport and at Merthyr Tydfil . The Roman Catholic community, despite systematic persecution, survived in the 17th to 19th centuries, especially in Brecon and among minor gentry such as the Vaughans of Welsh Bicknor , on the Monmouthshire–Herefordshire border. Among members of foreign origin of later urban Catholic congregations were

4095-530: The Taff Vale would not agree to running powers requested by the Barry Railway northward from the Trehafod and Treforest connections. The Taff Vale also supported a nominally independent Cardiff, Penarth and Barry Junction Railway which would be a spoiler to the Barry company's development plans at Barry itself, but this was refused, the Barry being granted a corresponding railway from Barry to a junction at Cogan with

4186-481: The Taff Vale's Penarth lines, by an act of Parliament of 31 July 1885. The Taff Vale was granted a circuitous coastal route from Penarth to Cadoxton. Although this was a victory for the Barry company, it left open the possibility that the Taff Vale Railway would bring Rhondda coal to Barry via Cardiff and this coastal line, rather than hand it over to the Barry Railway at Trehafod. In 1888 the Barry once again applied to Parliament for running powers north of Trehafod; this

4277-579: The Valleys area. Merthyr Tydfil is home to the principal UK call centre for German mobile telephone company, T-Mobile . Many jobs are also provided in small-scale and family businesses. One site of note on the M4 corridor is Port Talbot Steelworks – the largest steel producer in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe. The television and film sectors are fast becoming a major industry in South Wales. In 2021,

4368-432: The Welsh language, although the interests of the latter lay more in society and culture than in the evocation of natural scenery. This natural environment changed to a considerable extent during the early Industrial Revolution when the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire valley areas were exploited for coal and iron . By the 1830s, hundreds of tons of coal were being transported by barge to ports in Cardiff and Newport . In

4459-437: The Welsh screen sector saw a turnover of £575 million. Prominent film studios have been established in Cardiff (Wolf Studios Wales, Seren Stiwdios, Enfys Studios) as well as Bridgend (Dragon Studios) and Swansea (Bay Studios). Great Western Railway operate services from Swansea , Cardiff Central and Newport to London Paddington with Class 800s . Most services in South Wales are operated by Transport for Wales Rail on

4550-524: The creation of "Fairtrade" relationships with primary producers worldwide. The former heavy industries of coal and iron production have disappeared since the economic struggles of the 1970s, with the closures of that decade continuing sharply into the 1980s, and by July 1985 just 31 coal pits remained in the region. Further closures left the region with just one deep mine by the early 1990s, and this finally closed in January 2008, by which time it had transferred to private ownership after being sold off by

4641-541: The east side of the River Taff into an important industrial area; both the Barry and the Taff Vale were given running powers over this line, which was to be made suitable by the GWR for passenger operation. This was duly done, and the Barry Railway was able to operate a passenger service between Barry and Cardiff Riverside GWR station, close to the GWR main station (now Cardiff Central) from 14 August 1893. The Taff Vale had already conceded through ticketing, as its former practice of insisting on rebooking of passengers at Cogan

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4732-428: The full length of the main line. From 13 May 1889 the line from Barry to the junctions with the GWR at Peterston were opened to goods and mineral traffic; the Cogan line started to carry such trains on the same day. The dock too, was beginning to be ready, and water was admitted to it on 29 June 1889, followed by a formal and ceremonial opening on 18 July 1889. On that day the main line railway from Trehafod and Treforest

4823-470: The giant coal tip unstable, resulting in the Aberfan disaster . The recent dumping of small particles of coal and ash known as 'tailings' seems to have been partly responsible. A 30-foot-high (9 m) black wave tore downhill across the Glamorganshire Canal and swept away houses on its path towards the village school. 114 children and 28 adults were killed. The Rhondda Valleys (Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr) housed around 3,000 people in 1860, but by 1910

4914-399: The industrial revolution, producing coal, metal ores and later steel . Aberfan : The Merthyr Vale colliery began to produce coal in 1875. Spoil from the mine workings was piled on the hills close to the village which grew nearby. Tipping went on until the 1960s. Although nationalised, the National Coal Board failed to appreciate the danger they had created. In October 1966, heavy rain made

5005-640: The laden wagons to a single line weighbridge and two lines from the single line empties weighbridge returns. Low-level hoists on No. 1 dock were numbered 12, then 13 to 18 on the Mole and thence 19 on the Barry Island side of No. 1 dock. Following 1915, the Barry Railway Company established low-level fixed hoists Nos. 32, 33, 34 and Nos. 4 and 5 movable, on the Barry Island side of No. 1 dock. Two earlier low-level hoists, Nos. 20 and 21 were fed from Graving Dock Junction and Caisson sidings area. In 1893 these were numbered 2 and 3 but were removed prior to 1927 and one early map shows No. 18 on

5096-414: The largest export point of South Wales coal and in 1913, a world record of shipment of 11.09 million long tons (11.27 million tonnes) of coal were exported. Later it built costly branches to connect to the Rhymney and Brecon & Merthyr Railways . Although chiefly a mineral railway, it ran a suburban passenger service from Barry to Cardiff. After 1918 the South Wales coal industry declined and

5187-404: The line from Tonteg Junction via the Graig tunnel and station having been singled in its twilight years. Thus from June 1951, all traffic from the south ran to Pontypridd and beyond via the Tonteg Junction-Treforest Junction section from Barry or Llantrisant. Track was thus lifted later between Tonteg Junction and Trehafod (Hafod Junction). The line from Barry to Cogan , near Penarth , is in use at

5278-446: The line was closed again between Barry and Rhoose on 10 January 1898. A temporary diversion line was laid round the viaduct and it opened on 25 April 1898 enabling reopening of the through route. The viaduct was secured and the original route reopened on 8 January 1900 for goods, and 9 April 1900 for passenger trains. Dissatisfaction with the Great Western Railway continued to be a factor. The Severn Tunnel had been opened in 1886, but

5369-399: The mineral traffic using the route, leading to lengthy delays in getting to Cardiff. The Barry Railway opened its main line from Trehafod in the Rhondda to Barry in 1889 and its first dock was opened in the same year, with modern loading equipment. It was immediately successful and principally carried coal, the tonnage increased year on year, so that by 1910 it had overtaken Cardiff as

5460-399: The mines and foundries in which they worked. The large influx over the years caused overcrowding which led to outbreaks of Cholera , and on the social and cultural side, the near-loss of the Welsh language in the area. The 1930s inter-war Great Depression in the United Kingdom saw the loss of almost half of the coal pits in the South Wales Coalfield , and their number declined further in

5551-442: The need, but it was the Taff Vale Railway that brought railway technology (as opposed to plateways) to the fore. The Taff Vale Railway working with the Cardiff Docks , and later the Rhymney Railway, also to Cardiff Docks, proved immensely successful. However, volumes of traffic, most especially coal for export, increased hugely as more collieries, and more efficient methods of winning coal, were operative. Cardiff Docks were seen as

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5642-415: The non-discrimination requirements in the Barry's authorising legislation became very important. The Taff Vale nevertheless attempted a series of legal challenges, which mostly failed to gain support. The company had been incorporated under the name of Barry Dock and Railway Company. It transpired that the precedence of the word "dock" placed the shares in a different category that was disadvantageous, and it

5733-427: The north end of No. 2 dock and close to Nos. 30 and 31 hoists and on one docks plan, these too were referenced "No. 3 Movable" and "No. 4 Movable." Besides other dedicated plots, that area had been used by the US Army towards the end of World War II. Not one of the hoists has been left for heredity and only pictorial records of their format survive. The Barry Railway General Manager, Edward Lake, told

5824-402: The north side, crossing the River Severn at Beachley by a new 3,300-yard (3,000 m) bridge, then via Thornbury , Malmesbury and Lechlade , to make a junction with the Metropolitan Railway near Great Missenden . Junctions would be made with every railway intersected, except the Great Western; the scheme was costed at £5,688,252. At the same time, the Vale of Glamorgan Railway promoted

5915-463: The other three steamers were sold to Bristol Channel Passenger Boats Ltd. The Barry Railway had spent £104,470 to acquire the four vessels, and they sold them at a loss of £36,000. Bristol Channel Passenger Boats struggled to make the business pay and after two seasons, sold out to P & A Campbell. The Barry Docks were constructed on a lavish scale with the most modern equipment, designed to enable rapid loading and discharge of vessels. Hydraulic power

6006-436: The paddle steamer Barry was added. 191,000 passengers made steamer journeys via Barry in that year. The operation was carried out for some time by a subsidiary company, the Barry & Bristol Channel Steamship Company trading as The Red Funnel Line . In the following years the Barry Railway made commercial arrangements with the owners of the piers at Burnham-on-Sea , Weston-super-Mare , Minehead and Ilfracombe . In

6097-418: The population had soared to 160,000. The Rhondda had become the heart of a massive South Wales coal industry. Mining accidents below ground were common, and in 1896 fifty-seven men and boys were killed in a gas explosion at the Tylorstown Colliery . An enquiry found that the pit involved had not been properly inspected over the previous 15 months. Ebbw Vale, the valley of the Ebbw River which stretches from

6188-420: The present day carrying a busy passenger service to Cardiff and valleys. In the early years of the nineteenth century, it was becoming increasingly pressing to find an efficient and cheap method of bringing coal and iron from the heads of the South Wales Valleys to the ports and wharves of the Bristol Channel . The construction of the Glamorganshire Canal , and further east the Monmouthshire Canal responded to

6279-427: The summer of 1906 the Barry Railway ran the Ilfracombe Boat Express , which operated from Cardiff Riverside and non-stop from Cardiff General GWR station to Barry. Notwithstanding the considerable volume of passengers carried, the steamer operation proved of doubtful profitability, and by August 1910 the four vessels had all been disposed of. PS Gwalia was sold to the Furness Railway on 7 May 1910, and five days later

6370-401: The theological innovations of some trained ministers, and created new congregations such as that at Hengoed near Ystrad Mynach . In the same century, churches were sometimes involved in the Methodist movement, especially at Groeswen and Watford near Caerphilly , which both received frequent visits from John Wesley The largest denomination, however, became the Calvinist Methodists (later

6461-417: The town of Ebbw Vale to Newport, includes the mining towns and villages of Newbridge , Risca , Crumlin , Abercarn and Cwmcarn . The Carboniferous Black Vein coal seams in the area lay some 900 feet (275 metres) below the surface and the mining activity associated with it was responsible for many tragic subsurface explosions, roof collapses and mining accidents . Now the Valleys' heavy industrial past

6552-431: The two bills had been about £70,000, a huge sum at that time. Authorised share capital was £1,050,000, to build from Barry northward to a junction with the Taff Vale Railway at Trehafod, in the Rhondda; there was to be a south-to-west junction with the GWR main line (former South Wales Railway main line) at Peterston and an east to north connection nearby, and a spur to join the Taff Vale main line at Treforest . The dock

6643-599: The various Christian Nonconformist congregations. The Baptist congregation at Ilston , Gower , moved to Swansea, Massachusetts , but after the restoration of the Anglican worship with the issue of the Book of Common Prayer in 1662, several "gathered" churches survived belonging to the Baptist, Independent and Presbyterian denominations. In the 18th century members of some of these congregations became dissatisfied with

6734-400: The warehouse into trucks or vessels with the utmost despatch. South Wales A point of some discussion is whether the first element of the name should be capitalised: 'south Wales' or 'South Wales'. As the name is a geographical expression rather than a specific area with well-defined borders, style guides such as those of the BBC and The Guardian use the form 'south Wales'. In

6825-466: The wishes of the owner, the Bute Trustees, who could set rates and choose whether to install plant independently of the railway companies. Conversely the integrated nature of the Barry Dock and Railway's plans would give it considerable commercial advantage. The Taff Vale set about obtaining parliamentary authorisation in 1885 to acquire the Bute Docks, but this was refused by the Lords Committee when

6916-779: The years following World War II . This number is now very low, following the UK miners' strike (1984–85) , and the last 'traditional' deep-shaft mine, Tower Colliery , closed in January 2008. Despite the intense industrialisation of the coal mining valleys, many parts of the landscape of South Wales such as the upper Neath valley, the Vale of Glamorgan and the valleys of the River Usk and River Wye remain distinctly beautiful and unspoilt and have been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest . In addition, many once heavily industrialised sites have reverted to wilderness, some provided with

7007-454: Was also opened to mineral trains. The inauguration was an instant success, and considerable volumes of coal and other merchandise were passed over the railway and through the dock system. Much of this was abstracted from the Taff Vale Railway, which lost volume and income, and the Bute Trustees too suffered. They reduced their rates in an effort to remain competitive, and this started a rate war. Railway mineral rates were heavily regulated, and

7098-459: Was being found. Lord Bute then charged fees per ton of coal that was transported out using his railways. With coal mining and iron smelting being the main trades of south Wales, many thousands of immigrants from the Midlands , Scotland , Ireland , Cornwall and even Italy came and set up homes and put down roots in the region. Very many came from other coal mining areas such as Somerset ,

7189-485: Was decided to change the company name to The Barry Railway Company . This was approved in the Barry Dock and Railways Act 1891 ( 54 & 55 Vict. c. clxxxiv) of 5 August 1891. At an early date the Barry directors were considering a further extension to their network, to capture traffic in the Rhymney Valley. A proposal reached the 1888 session of Parliament to build from near St Fagans to Llanishen on

7280-470: Was demonstrably unreasonable and had attracted public criticism. The Barry therefore had a viable residential passenger operation. The passenger service was extended down the bank of the River Taff to Cardiff Clarence Road from 2 April 1894, with seventeen trains each way on weekdays. It was apparent from the outset that Barry Docks would need to be enlarged, and already in 1893 an act of Parliament for

7371-453: Was growing congestion between Cogan Junction and Penarth Curve South Junction, which was carrying all the Taff Vale traffic to Penarth Docks as well as The Taff Vale's own passenger traffic and the Barry traffic to Cardiff. The Taff Vale agreed to quadruple the line to ease the matter. Coal owners in the Llynvi , Garw and Ogmore Valleys were agitating for better access to dock facilities in

7462-479: Was increasingly becoming a seaside leisure destination. At first this was to be a 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge tramway on reserved tracks, horse or steam powered, but not electrically powered. The tramway concept was abandoned in the following year, when a conventional railway branch was substituted. At 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km) long, it was quickly built, and opened on 3 August 1896. The Barry Company made further attempts to get access to

7553-407: Was made public that mineral haulage rates would be increased by one penny per ton to pay for this line, both on traffic to Roath and to the existing Bute Docks. This deepened the hostility and further inflamed the feelings of the coal owners. David Davies had been active as a railway contractor, and in later life a politician and industrialist, and with other like-minded business people, he formed

7644-704: Was made up of the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire , areas that had previously been part of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth ('the southern land'). The legal responsibility for this area lay in the hands of the Justiciar of South Wales based at Carmarthen . Other parts of southern Wales were in the hands of various Marcher Lords . The Laws in Wales Acts 1542 created the Court of Great Sessions in Wales based on four legal circuits. The Brecon circuit served

7735-456: Was moved there in 1956. Roath contains the Church of Saint Margaret of Antioch , built in 1870 in Gothic revival style on the site of an earlier Norman chapel. Designed by Llandaff architect John Prichard on a Greek Cross plan, it was financed by the third Marquess of Bute , in spite of his conversion to Catholicism in 1868. Inside is an opulent mausoleum housing tombs of nine members of

7826-462: Was not a prime travel destination for the residents of the Taff and Rhondda except on holiday days, and the Barry Railway went about providing a train service to Cardiff, over the GWR main line from St.Fagans. Such a service was not covered by the Taff Vale's running power concession, so the trains only ran southwards from the Barry station (Graig) at Pontypridd. It started operating on 7 June 1897. There

7917-406: Was obtained to make a harbour at Barry. Both of these proposals foundered, chiefly because the Taff Vale Railway practically monopolised the transport of coal from the Taff and Rhondda Valleys to Cardiff, and was hostile to diversion of that traffic from its new harbour at Penarth. In addition, the financial crisis following the failure of the banking firm of Overend Gurney and Company meant that for

8008-590: Was opened together with a new access railway from what is now Radyr. In 1865 a Barry Railway was incorporated by act of Parliament, the Barry Railway Act 1865 ( 28 & 29 Vict. c. ccxxxiv). It was to make a branch railway from Peterston on the broad-gauge South Wales Railway to Barry, with powers to lay a third rail for mixed-gauge operation on the SWR main line between Llantrisant and Newport . The Barry Harbour Act 1866 ( 29 & 30 Vict. c. liii)

8099-734: Was provided for the operation of cranes and other plant, and the lock gates, and electric lighting was installed, as 24-hour working was in force. After 1898, the Barry Docks consisted of a 7-acre (2.8 ha) basin and two docks of 73 and 31 acres (30 and 13 ha) respectively. In 1901 the Company stated that there were 21 high-level and 9 low-level coal hoists with a further 8 movable (using traversers) two of which were placed on No. 1 dock. Nos. 1 to 11 on No. 1 dock and 22 to 31 on No. 2 dock, were served by high-level rail tiers and short viaducts and with generally two lines for

8190-541: Was refused but a complex non-discrimination requirement was imposed, giving some protection. On 20 December 1888 the line between Barry Dock and Cogan was opened to traffic, although this was only a light local passenger service. On the same day the Taff Vale opened its coastal service of passenger trains (only, at first) from Cardiff to Cadoxton which was extended back to Barry station from 8 February 1889. The Barry Railway main line required more effort in construction, but on 22 November 1888 an inspection trip had traversed

8281-464: Was to be 73 acres (30 ha) in extent, the largest enclosed dock area in the country; in fact the area between Barry Island and the mainland was to be made non-tidal, an area extending to 200 acres (81 ha). The Taff Vale Railway , and to some extent the Rhymney Railway, felt keenly the effect of the Barry developments. They did not control the Cardiff Docks and were largely subject to

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