Pontymoile Basin on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Pontymoile Basin () is a mooring point and canal junction on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
Pontymoile Basin () is a mooring point and canal junction on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
Location
The basin lies on thePontypool
Pontypool ( ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire in South Wales. , it has a population of 29,062.
Locat ...
stretch of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in the Pontypool suburb of Pontymoile
Pontymoile () is a suburb of Pontypool in Torfaen, South Wales.
It is all but merged with the nearby suburbs of Cwmynyscoy and Upper Race.
It is a community of Torfaen, and includes the electoral wards of Brynwern, Cwmynyscoy, and Pontypool ...
in the county borough of Torfaen
Torfaen (; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the City status in the United Kingdom, city of Newport, Wales, Newport to t ...
and historic county of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...
in south Wales.
History
Originally a toll point, thecanal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
narrows significantly as it approaches the basin. Junction Cottage is the old toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road, canal, or toll bridge.
History
Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and ...
, built in 1810–1812 and is Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. The basin itself is a large expanse of water adjacent to the canal. It is used for turning narrowboat
A narrowboat is a particular type of Barge, canal boat, built to fit the narrow History of the British canal system, locks of the United Kingdom. The UK's canal system provided a nationwide transport network during the Industrial Revolution, b ...
s and filling up with water.
Pontymoile Basin was the site of the junction with the three-mile Monmouthshire Canal to Pontnewynydd, containing 11 locks. This spur was fed from tramways carrying coal and iron down the valley. The junction was enacted in 1797 and completed in 1812.Eastern Valley: The Story of Torfaen. Chris Barber. Blorenge Books. The spur was problematic due to water supply issues, and it was overtaken by rail when the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company
The Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company was a canal and railway company that operated a canal and a network of railways in the Western Valley and Eastern Valley of Newport, Monmouthshire. It started as the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation and ...
drained it and reused the bed for their railway line in 1854, though it had seen decline prior to that date. Today traces of both canal and railway have disappeared under the reshaped A472 road.
Visitor attraction
The basin is becoming something of a visitor attraction. Narrowboats and cruisers can be seen along the private stretch of moorings and day boat hire was introduced in 2007. Boats can be hired for full days or half days. There is a unique narrow boat café which was itself a former canal boat. The basin is located nearPontypool Park
Pontypool Park () is a park in Pontypool, Torfaen, Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for John Hanbury (1744–1784), John Hanbury, an ironmaster, who is closely ...
and is a stopping point for boats en route to Goetre Wharf.
See also
*Canals of the United Kingdom
The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a History of the British canal system, varied history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the ...
* History of the British canal system
References
{{Transport in Torfaen Geography of Torfaen Tourist attractions in Torfaen Transport in Torfaen Pontypool