BertyBasset
14 years ago
A colleague at work drew my attention to the third response to the article on this website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/wharfbayrailway.shtml 

Glen Garth my colleague reckons is the old bishop's residence on the Beaumaris road from Menai Bridge. The rock between there and Penmon is ancient schist before meeting limestone around Llangoed. Geologically there shouldn't be any coal there - Anglesley coal being in the younger basin around Malltraeth and Brynsiencyn.

Also while talking, we discussed what appears to be a tramway from the straits heading up towards Baron Hill above Beaumaris with a couple of bridges across roads.

Does anyone know anything about any of these ?

In addition are there any uk non mining industrial archeology forums in a similar vein to this one that anyone can recommend?

Robin
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14 years ago
"BertyBasset" wrote:

Also ... we discussed what appears to be a tramway from the straits heading up towards Baron Hill above Beaumaris with a couple of bridges across roads.


Could this be the tramway from the Saunders-Roe works used for transporting motor torpedo boats (on cradles) to the strait?

Dave
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14 years ago
I think the track used by Saunders-Roe was only a short piece, crossing the road between Beaumaris and Llangoed, leading from the grounds of the old factory to the small slip-way directly opposite. The rails still exist (under the tar of the road surface, I exposed and dug around/below them a few years ago while laying a new sewer), as does the slipway, and of course the hangers.
Yma O Hyd....
BertyBasset
14 years ago
I'm tempted to think it's something to do with the Baron Hill estate (a vanity drive maybe ?) rather than minerals. There is a quarry up top, but can't imagine it to be anything worth building a tramway for. The route seems to peter out around Baron Hill.

For interest, grid references are:
start SH 58225 74303
bridge SH 59695 75573
dam ? SH 59700 75955
bridge SH 59720 76323

Robin
Vanoord
14 years ago
It is indeed the drive to the old Baron Hill house 😉

The residence of the Bishop of Bangor was on the site now occupied by the particularly horrible white block of flats, the result of a 'persuaded' officer granting planning permission. The original looked like this: http://www.penmon.org/userimages/Glyn_Garth_B_Palace.jpg 


The Saunders Roe factory used a wedge-shaped cradle for transporting motor torpedo boats not dissimilar to those used in many mines and quarries (in particular Dinorwic):

UserPostedImage



The only place locally that I suspect there may have been use of tramways would have been internal narrow-gauge transport in the two limestone quarries at Penmon:

Dinmor Park
AditNow database: http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Dinmor-Park-Limestone-Quarry/ 
Aerial: http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.311923&lon=-4.054222&z=16.7&r=0&src=msl 
The two buildings are pretty recent and contain fish farms

Flagstaff
AditNow database: http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Flagstaff-Limestone-Quarry/ 
Aerial: http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.306264&lon=-4.049557&z=17.3&r=0&src=msl 
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
Digit
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14 years ago
In 1897 there was a proposal to build a 2ft 6inch gauge electric light railway/tramway from Llanfair P.G. to Beaumaris and then onwards to Llangoed. In April 1898 the Light Railway Commissioners met in Beaumaris to consider the proposal (Llanfair P.G. - Beaumaris only, the continuation to Llangoed had already been dropped). The route would have followed the A5 from Llanfair P.G. to Menai Bridge and then the coastal road to Beaumaris. The county council was reported to be in favour but strong opposition from local landowners prevailed and the Commissioners could not justify submitting an order to the Board of Trade for the line.

Other than the 'luggage tramway' on the Beaumaris Pier and the Saunders-Row 'slipway' that would appear to have been Beaumaris only flirtation with rail/tramways.

It is possible that the landscape features reported by Robin are indeed part of the Barron Hill estate. Pathways for (dry weather) walks and driveways for (wet weather) carriage-drive viewing of oftain very extensive gardens were very popular with the owners of large estates. Who was it said "if you've got it, flaunt it", and there are spectacular views to be had from that general area!


~~~ The future is not what it used to be ~~~
BertyBasset
14 years ago
Thanks for the replies. Interesting despite no mines or quarries!!


Robin
Vanoord
14 years ago
"BertyBasset" wrote:

Thanks for the replies. Interesting despite no mines or quarries!!


Robin



Two at Penmon though ;)

Provided the stone for both bridges.
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
sinker
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14 years ago
"Vanoord" wrote:




The Saunders Roe factory used a wedge-shaped cradle for transporting motor torpedo boats not dissimilar to those used in many mines and quarries (in particular Dinorwic):

quote]

:thumbup: So...that picture of the torpedo boats on the cradles is where the rail track crossed the road. Is that that also where the flying boats were launched?

Yma O Hyd....
Vanoord
14 years ago
"sinker" wrote:

"Vanoord" wrote:




The Saunders Roe factory used a wedge-shaped cradle for transporting motor torpedo boats not dissimilar to those used in many mines and quarries (in particular Dinorwic):

Quote:



:thumbup: So...that picture of the torpedo boats on the cradles is where the rail track crossed the road. Is that that also where the flying boats were launched?



The Catalina flying boats were originally launched on the concrete slipway - the slipway with the wedge-shaped trolley was built in 1952/3 - http://dave-mills.yolasite.com/saro---other.php  and scroll down virtually to the bottom of the page.
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
Gwyn
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14 years ago
Baron Hill was rebuilt circa. 1776 by Samuel Wyatt and the landscaping was done by William Emes. The Grand Drive was entranced via the ornate, wrought iron gateway at SH58267433 . As Digit has pointed out, very much a case of "if you've got it, flaunt it", especially if Wyatt and Emes did the work.
The Menai Bridge to Beaumaris Road was constructed 1804/5 and re-worked and turnpiked in 1826. Prior to this, the road went via Llandegfan.
As for coal seams at Glyn Garth, I'm mystified! A quick perusal of Greenly (1919) has drawn a blank.
http://www.archive.org/details/geologyofanglese01greeuoft 
The quarry at Home Farm was a small quarry of convenience.
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