Geograph - photograph every grid square

Taken from the western flank of Gaer Fort, this stretch of railway has an interesting history.

It was originally the route of the Tredegar to Newport tramway which was built in 1808. In order to encourage new ideas in transport, an act of parliament stated that tolls were not to be liable to Parliamentary or Parochial Taxes.

One act stated that 'Sir Charles Morgan of Tredegar, Baronet, hath proposed to the said Company to undertake, at his own expense, one mile of the said Railway or Tramway through and adjoining to Tredegar Park, now belonging to him, upon having the benefit of the Tolls to arise thereon'.

In later acts the general exemption from rates was repealed but Lord Tredegar's section escaped this allowing him to continue to charge tolls without the payment of rates. Thus this section became known as the golden mile.

The section had boundary markers stating 'Park Mile Railway' and with a capital T surmounted by a baronial crown. Link


In 1829, steam locomotives started to replace the horses in drawing the wagons containing iron, coal and limestone.

In 1883, the Park Mile was widened to accommodate the Pontypridd and Caerphilly railway, thus increasing the income from the tolls. At that time it was recorded that four million tons of freight passed along the lines in one year generating £10,000 in tolls.

The line was bought out by the Great Western Railway in 1923.

Today, some freight travels along the line and a passenger service from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff commenced in 2008 Link .