Horse-Drawn Tramways of the Wye Valley

The early tramways in the Wye Valley were a short-lived transport system of horse-drawn waggons on rails, operating from the late eighteenth century to the introduction of steam locomotives in the middle of the nineteenth century, and primarily used for transporting goods such as coal and wood.

This book explores all of the tramways known to have existed in and around the Wye Valley from Kington, through Brecon and Hay to Abergavenny, Monmouth, the Forest of Dean and Hereford; the routes taken, the companies that built and ran them, and the people that used them. It draws on extensive research of Tramway Company archives, Acts and ledgers, maps and plans, newspapers and journals, archaeological reports, books and illustrations, as well as detailed fieldwork.

Richly illustrated, this book offers captivating insights into early nineteenth-century transport history, trade routes and the beginnings of the steam railway on the Welsh border.