Exploring the Glyn Valley...

Living near Llangollen in North Wales has proven to be a boom for exploring old industrial narrow gauge tramways, quarries and such like. Since I moved I'd been meaning to visit Glyn Ceiriog, but finally got around to it this weekend...

It all started with picking up a second hand copy of the Milner OPC book (the dog ticket features inside) and getting somewhat more interested in the history of this peculiar and unique line's history.

So with the kids in the back of my trusty aging S3 we set off, starting at Chirk station - arriving to find a pair of trains passing! An express heading South in a 170 and an old 150/2 on a local service heading north.

Once they'd left we took a stroll to the up platform, and spotted this large sign... (which I believe is now somewhat defunct?)

...and the old bridge over the GVT featured in many photos of the station at Chirk.

Looking north from the new footbridge an industrial estate on the left takes the place of the carriage sheds, engine sheds and goods yard.

We got back in and headed up the Ceiriog valley, and saw the embankments on Chirk bank as we headed down towards the bridge at Pontfaen, where the tramway joined the road up through Pontfadog...

and it's old station and Dolywern (photos later). Arriving at Glyn Ceiriog we found the museum open so we went into and spent a happy hour with the museum manager explaining exhibits to my two eager children.

Outside the shed there are a pair of tracks and a recreation of the later steam era platform. I'm told these are in the correct alignment as when they excavated they found indentations from the old sleepers.

Heading back out of the valley on the weekend, we stopped at Dolywern to look at the diversionary bridge and station...

...where the tramway was slewed over from the old road bridge when converted to steam.

Yesterday I headed back with the dog to walk the foot path north of Glyn Ceiriog on the old mineral extension to Hendre quarry, which is a lovely National Trust stroll through a tree lined path in the bottom of the valley next to the river.

The unique tramway fencing caught my eye - I intend to produce an etch design for this shortly...

What a lovely day out. I really am lucky living in such a beautiful spot surrounded by a rich industrial heritage. More soon...