The Aberdare Canal was a canal in Glamorgan, Wales which ran from Aberdare to a junction with the Glamorganshire Canal at Abercynon. It opened in 1812 and served the iron and coal industries for almost 65 years. The arrival of railways in the area did not immediately affect its traffic, but the failure of the iron industry in 1875 and increasing subsidence due to coal mining led to it becoming uneconomic. The Marquess of Bute failed to halt its decline when he took it over in 1885, and in 1900 it was closed on safety grounds. The company continued to operate a tramway until 1944. Most of the route was buried by the construction of the A4059 road in 1923, although a short section at the head of the canal remains in water and is now a nature reserve. The company was wound up in 1955.
The cast iron bridge of 1811 which carried the canal tramway over the Afon Cynon
Aberdare Canal, c.1900
The derelict Abedare Canal at Cwmbach c.1920
The Glamorganshire Canal in South Wales, UK, was begun in 1790. It ran along the valley of the River Taff from Merthyr Tydfil to the sea at Cardiff. The final section of canal was closed in 1951.
The Glamorganshire Canal at Nightingales Bush, Pontypridd.
Navigation House at Abercynon was built in 1792 and was the headquarters of the Canal Company. It is now a pub.
North Road Lock in Cardiff (c. 1905)
This section of disused canal near Forest Farm is now a nature reserve. It is in close proximity to the M4 motorway.