Page 98 - Borders 6

Chapter 6

Railway Links and Railway Features

The nature of the border counties terrain proved a challenge for the canal builders. Tramways and
Railways were needed to access the steep hillsides to reach the limestone quarries at Llanymynech,
Pant and Porthwain.

Black Park Colliery, Chirk
Tramway linked canal basin at Chirk with mines

Crickheath Tramway
The tramway from Whitehaven Quarry to Crick Heath Wharf was built for the Ellesmere Canal
Company to limestone quarries that had been intended to be served by the canal before the route
was altered. It was said to be opened between 1794 and 1795, although canal records indicate that
this work was a couple of years later.

Froncysyllte Tramway
Tramway laid from quarry to wharf and limekilns beside canal.

Glyn Valley Tramway
This horse-drawn tramway originally was constructed from a basin beside the Ellesmere Canal
north of Rhosweil to Cambrian Quarry, Glyn Ceiriog, and was built under the direction of G R Jebb,
engineer to the Shropshire Union Railway & Canal Company. The gauge was 2ft 4 ½ in when the
tramway opened in 1873 and it remained this gauge throughout.. It was managed by the canal
company until 1881. This line included a bridge that crossed the Ceiriog River at Pontfaen near the
intended location of the original canal aqueduct. Later, under private ownership, the tramway was
rebuilt for locomotive traction in 1888 diverted to the canal north of Chirk Tunnel and terminating
beside the basin that served Black Park Colliery.

Ifton Colliery
There was a colliery at Ifton Rhyn, which was north of St Martins, that had a tramway that was laid
west towards Chirk. Later, a deep mine was developed at the former Ifton Rhyn site which came
into production during 1921. A private railway was laid from this mine to the GWR at the former
Preesgweene Colliery sidings. This line crossed the Ellesmere Canal by a new bridge south of Bridge
18.

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