History of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

Sneaking through the Brecon Beacons National Park for much of its length, the isolated Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal must rate as one of the prettiest to be found anywhere on the waterway system. It closely follows the valley of the River Usk, which is also a water supply for the line, and meets with the derelict parts of the Monmouthshire Canal at Pontymoile.

What is nowadays popularly referred to as the Mon & Brec started life as two separate canals: the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal, and the Monmouthshire Canal. The navigable section seen today is mostly the former. In the 1790s, the Monmouthshire Canal Company received its Act of Parliament at the same time that the Brecknock & Abergavenny was being planned. Following discussions, it was decided to link the two at Pontymoile.

The Monmouthshire Canal, including a branch from Malpas to Crumlin, was opened throughout in 1799 with the Brecknock & Abergavenny extending from Brecon to Gilwern by 1800 and reaching Pontymoile by 1812. Both canals were supported by horsedrawn tramroads that were mainly used to bring coal, limestone and iron ore from the hillsides. In 1880 the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canals, as they were then known, were taken over by the Great Western Railway - a revered name among railway enthusiasts, but not a great benefactor of the canals. Within 35 years, commercial carrying had all but ceased.

Throughout the 20th century various parts of the Monmouthshire Canal and its Crumlin Arm were filled in for road construction. The line was all but obliterated through Cwmbran, and was effectively unnavigable further north. But vigorous campaigning by canal enthusiasts heralded a new dawn for the canal, and in 1968, restoration work from Brecon to Pontymoile began in earnest.

Restoration was not without its setbacks. Following a major breach at Llanfoist in 1975, it was a further six years before the line from Brecon to Pontymoile was reopened. More recent developments have included a complete regeneration of the terminus at Brecon, and various works to reclaim the navigation between Pontymoile and Newport.

Hanes Camlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu
Gan fod rhan fawr o Gamlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu yn llifo drwy Barc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog, dyma un o’r camlesi prydferthaf ar y system ddyfrffyrdd. Mae’n dilyn dyffryn yr Afon Wysg yn agos, sydd hefyd yn cyflenwi dŵr i’r gamlas, ac yn cwrdd â rhannau diffaith hen Gamlas Mynwy ym Mhont-y-moel.

Dechreuodd Camlas Mynwy ac Aberhonddu fel dwy gamlas wahanol: Camlas Brycheiniog a’r Fenni, a Chamlas Mynwy. Mae’r rhan y gellir teithio arni heddiw yn cynnwys rhannau o Gamlas Brycheiniog yn bennaf. Yn y 1790au, fe dderbyniodd Cwmni Camlas Mynwy ei Ddeddf Seneddol ar yr un pryd yr oedd Camlas Aberhonddu a’r Fenni yn cael ei chynllunio. Yn dilyn trafodaethau, penderfynwyd cysylltu’r ddwy ym Mhont-y-moel.

Agorwyd Camlas Mynwy, yn cynnwys cangen o Falpas i Grymlyn, ym 1799 gyda Chamlas Brycheiniog a’r Fenni yn ymestyn o Aberhonddu i Gilwern ym 1800, ac yn cyrraedd Llanfihangel Pont-y-moel erbyn 1812. Roedd y ddwy gamlas yn cael eu hategu gan dramffyrdd a ddefnyddiwyd yn bennaf i ddod â glo, calchfaen a mwyn haearn o’r bryniau.

Ym 1880 cafodd Camlesi Mynwy ac Aberhonddu, fel yr adnabyddir hwy bryd hynny, eu meddiannu gan Reilffordd Great Western – cwmni oedd ag enw da am ei reilffyrdd ond nad oedd wedi arfer ariannu camlesi. O fewn 35 mlynedd, roedd cludo masnachol wedi dod i ben mwy neu lai.

Gydol yr 20fed ganrif cafodd rhai rhannau o Gamlas Mynwy a Braich Crymlyn eu llenwi er mwyn adeiladu ffyrdd. Roedd y llwybr drwy Gwmbrân bron wedi’i ddileu yn llwyr, ac felly roedd hi’n amhosibl teithio ymhellach i’r gogledd. Ond wedi ymgyrchu mawr gan gefnogwyr y gamlas daeth cyfnod newydd i’r gamlas, ac ym 1968 dechreuwyd ar y gwaith adfer rhwng Aberhonddu a Phont-y-moel.
Ond cafwyd problemau gyda’r gwaith adfer. Yn dilyn toriad mawr yng nglannau Llan-ffwyst ym 1975, fe gymerodd chwe blynedd arall cyn i’r llwybr rhwng Aberhonddu a Phont-y-moel ail agor. Mae datblygiadau mwy diweddar yn cynnwys adfer terfyn y gamlas yn Aberhonddu, a gwaith amrywiol er mwyn gallu teithio rhwng Llanfihangel Pont-y-moel a Chasnewydd.