It’s best to approach this cache from the south. The recommended parking is less than 300 metres from the cache. The approach could be muddy, so don’t try this one in your best shoes!
The cache container is a 0.5 litre round container with a clip lid. There is some room for small swaps.
It is situated alongside one of the bridges on the former Barry Railway Penrhos line. The Barry Railway is one of the most fascinating of the south Wales railway companies, and the last successful newcomer. The man behind it was David Davies (originally of Llandinam), who secured sufficient backing to build a rival Dock at Barry. Cardiff was already congested, and unable to expand at a rate to keep pace with rising coal tonnages. The docks situation throttled mine owners trade, with frustration compounded by the steep tariffs charged by the Marquis of Bute.
The Barry Dock & Railway Company offered both the chance to increase capacity and break the Bute's monopoly. To achieve this, a new railway was also essential, to provide a complete 'colliery to port' service. Without this, the Butes could hold the Barry Dock to ransom as it also controlled the Taff Vale Railway- the main conduit to Cardiff.
The Barry Dock did not expand slowly like Cardiff, and was built in one intense frenzied exercise. Compare a map of Barry in 1880 to one of 1905 to see this amazing transformation. The Act of Parliament authorising the project was passed on the basis that Cardiff (quite correctly) was desperately overwhelmed and could not cope, a view naturally denied by the Bute Company.
In building its railway, the Barry was faced with significant engineering problems arising from the simple fact that the easiest alignments were already occupied by other railways. It was vital that it tapped into the Rhondda, and also the Taff, and Rhymney- collectively where the best steam coal was raised. The first main line was the Penrhos line describe. The southern section did see a regular passenger service, but the section from St. Fagans to Penrhos was essentially freight only. It was however regularly used for Barry Island weekend excursions from the eastern valleys in summer.
As can be seen from the line diagram, there were several major viaducts and a tunnel, with the final section known as the Barry Railway Extension- from Penrhos to a junction with the B&M at Pwll y Pant. “The Barry” intended to go further! It applied to Parliament to build east from Penrhos- skirting Caerphilly on its south side, following the lower Rhymney Valley to Bassaleg, and turning north into the Sirhowy! The decline of trade after 1913, and the outbreak of war put an end to such ambitions.
I would hope that “Beeching’s Legacy” could become a series of similar caches. I will set some more in the coming months. Please feel free to use the name if you wish to set some too.
We have started the cache off with a few trinkets, a BBC Radio Wales wrist band and Poppy and Eric’s TB.
Well done to Dave of The Gecko's for being the first to find this railway relic cache.
I am indebted to Paul Burgess for the detailed information about the Barry Railway.
Happy Caching!
Dave and Pat