Robertstown Tramroad Bridge/Pont Tramffordd Robertstown

Robertstown Tramroad Bridge/Pont Tramffordd Robertstown. . , English , This cast iron bridge across the river Cynon between Trecynon and Robertstown is one of the oldest surviving tramroad or railway bridges in the world. It was built in 1811 by the Aberdare Canal Company to carry the 4ft 2ins (1271mm) gauge tramroad on its way from Hirwaun to the canal head at Cwmbach and made locally, as evidenced by the casting of 'Abernant 1811' into its central upright. The Aberdare Canal Act of 1793 authorised a canal to be constructed from Aberdare to Navigation (Abercynon), where it would join the Glamorganshire Canal and thus access to the sea at Cardiff. The Act also gave authority for the construction of a tramroad to the terminus of the Neath Canal near Glynneath.

For the first 16 years of the Aberdare Canal Company's history no work was undertaken to build the canal. In 1793 the Hirwaun Ironworks was the only industrial enterprise in the Cynon Valley, and the business from these works alone would not have been enough to make the canal viable. Instead, the Company operated a limestone quarry at Penderyn along with the tramroad connecting it to the Hirwaun Ironworks. By 1806 the Llwydcoed and Abernant Ironworks had opened and the Aberdare Canal Company felt the time was right to exploit the potential growth of industry in the area to build their canal. The canal was surveyed in 1810 and was open in May 1812. The terminus of the canal was at Canal Head, Ty Draw, Cwmbach where four wharves, each 80 feet long were constructed. The tramroad was extended from Hirwaun Ironworks over this bridge to the canal head to transport iron to the waiting barges at Ty Draw. From here the iron could be taken to the Glamorganshire Canal at Abercynon and then on to the canal sea lock, and the later Bute docks, at Cardiff.

The bridge demonstrates the pioneering achievements of engineers working in Wales at this time, and this was probably the work of George Overton, the engineer who built the Merthyr Tramroad, on which Richard Trevithick's steam locomotive would run in 1804, and who would carry out the first railway survey for the Stockton and Darlington Railway. At the time he was also a partner in the Hirwaun Ironworks.

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council's recognition of this historic engineering structure is supported by ICE Wales Cymru.

Welsh , Mae'r bont haearn yma dros Alon Cynon, rhwng Trecynon a Robertstown, yn un o bontydd tramffordd neu reilffordd hynaf y byd. Cafodd ei hadeiladu ym 1811 gan Gwmni Camlas Aberdar. Roedd hi'n cario'r dramlfordd, a oedd yn 4 troedfedd 2 fodfedd (1271mm) o led, rhwng Hirwaun a phen y gamlas yng Nghwm-bach. Cafodd y bont ei gwneud yn yr ardal leol, mae'r geiriau 'Abernant 1811' iw gweld ar y postyn canol. Roedd Deddf Camlas Aberdar 1793 yn rhoi'r hawl i gamlas gael ei hadeiladu rhwng Aberdâr a'r Navigation (Abercynon). Yno, byddai'r gamlas yn ymuno à Chamlas Morgannwg ac felly ymlaen i'r môr yng Nghaerdydd. Roedd y Ddeddf hefyd yn rhoi'r hawl i dramffordd gael ei hadeiladu rhwng camlas Aberdår a phen uchaf Camlas Castell-nedd, ger Glyn-nedd.

Arhosodd Cwmni Camlas Aberdår 16 o flynyddoedd cyn mynd ati i adeiladu'r gamlas. Gwaith Haearn Hirwaun oedd yr unig fenter ddiwydiannol yng Nghwm Cynon ym 1793. Fyddalr busnes o un gwaith haearn ddim wedi bod yn ddigon i gadw camlas i lynd. Am y tro, agorodd y Owmni chwarel calch ym Mhenderyn, gyda thramffordd iw chysylltu å Gwaith Haearn Hirwaun. Erbyn 1806 roedd dau waith haeam arall wedi'u hagor, yn Liwydcoed ac Aber-nant. Penderfynodd Cwmni Camlas Aberdar fod yr amser wedi dod i wneud y gorau o dwf diwydiant yn yr ardal, ac adeiladu camlas. Cafodd gwaith tirfesur ei gynnal ym 1810, ac roedd y gamlas ar agor ym mis Mai 1812. Roedd pen uchaf y gamlas ar bwys T? Draw, Cwm-bach, a chafodd pedair o lanfeydd eu hadeiladu yno, roedd pob un yn mesur 80 troedfedd o hyd. Cafodd y dramffordd ei hymestyn o Waith Haearn Hirwaun a thros y bont yma i ben y gamlas er mwyn cludo haearn i'r cychod yn Nh? Draw. Wedyn, roedd hi'n bosibl cludo'r haearni Gamlas Morgannwg yn Abercynon, ac ymlaen i'r loc môr yng Nghaerdydd - sef dociau Bute yn ddiweddarach.

Mae'r bont yn dystiolaeth o lwyddiant peirianwyr Cymru o ran eu dyfeisgarwch. Mae'n bosibl mai gwaith George Overton yw'r bont yma, sef y peiriannwr a adeiladodd tramffordd Merthyr Tudful - sef y dramffordd roedd locomotif ager Richard Trevithick wedi teithio ami ym 1804. Roedd e hefyd wedi cynnal arolwg cyntaf y rheilfyrdd ar gyfer Rheilffordd Stockton a Darlington. Bryd hynny, roedd e hefyd yn bartner yng Ngwaith Haeam Hirwaun.

Mae cydnabyddiaeth Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf or strwythur peirianneg hanesyddol wedii chefnogi gan ICE Wales Cymru.