The Glamorganshire and Aberdare Canals

The Glamorganshire Canal ran 25 miles from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff, while the shorter Aberdare Canal ran from Ty-draw near Aberdare to Abercynon where it joined the Glamorganshire Canal. Now much buried by the A470 trunk road, these canals boasted a proud history and enabled the area to become rich and Cardiff to prosper as they connected Glamorganshire iron works and collieries with towns and ports, as well as numerous other local industries, from lime kilns to tin plate and brick works. Today much of these canals might have disappeared but there are still many places worth a visit and much of interest to be seen, from bridges, tram roads and tunnels to lock-houses and old industrial works. Local author Ivor Jones has spent a lifetime in this area and affectionately recalls the glory days of these canals while exploring what remains today.