Shropshire Routes to Roots

4. The local infrastructure

The Morda Tramway

Although the new technology of the canal highway opened up a much wider market to the mines of Morda and Llanymynech there was still the problem of getting the Coal and Limestone to the canal.

This was nowhere more apparent than when the Drill colliery opened up in 1836. Also known as the Gronwen Colliery, it was the only mine in the area that accessed all seven coal seams running underneath Morda. It had a much larger output than the Bell Pits and shallow mines of Coed-y-Go, so consequently required a good means of distribution.

Remains of Old Bell Pits Nant-y-Caws, Oswestry Larger image, in a new window [79kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Brian Goodger]

Morda Tramway Larger image, in a new window [66kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Shropshire Newspapers]

The mine was just to the south-west of Morda village, OS Reference SJ287275 (Link courtesy of Streetmap.co.uk. Opens in a new window), and the coal needed to be taken by the shortest route to its destination. There had been a tramway since 1813 going south-eastwards to a wharf on the Montgomery canal just north of Gronwen Bridge at Maesbury, OS Reference SJ304246 (Link courtesy of Streetmap.co.uk. Opens in a new window). It was now modernised with new rails fitted to take the heavier and more frequent loads.

Whilst Coal was being loaded and other goods unloaded for local consumption, the Limestone barges were passing by from the wharf at Llanymynech. This area took on the air of a very busy dock with the constant movement of boats and vehicles.

Gronwen Bridge Larger image, in a new window [60kb] [Photograph: Nic Elvey]	Gronwen Wharf Larger image, in a new window [32kb] [Photograph: Nic Elvey]	Gronwen Cantilever Larger image, in a new window [31kb] [Photograph: Nic Elvey]
The view south to the unrestored section	The tramway came in from the right	The view north towards Frankton

The shape of things to come

In 1860 Thomas Savin constructed a wider gauge railway (Opens in a new window) from the mine at Coed-y-Go down to the main line of the Cambrian Railway at Whitehaven. It was only a first step in the withdrawal from canal transport but, as always, if anything can be made or moved in a cheaper fashion - it will be. The railways caused an instant loss of certain types of cargo and also depressed prices, but canals could still compete for low value bulk cargoes.

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