Railways across the Gwent Levels

History RATS Glyn Parkhouse recounts the story of the coming of the railway to the Gwent Levels.

During the eighteenth century, the way of life on the Gwent Levels was dominated by agriculture and fishing. Tidal flood risk and surface water drainage was overseen by the commissioners of sewers, and their 1830s maps detail a centuries-old system which, in some instances, was laid out in Roman times.[1] From the start of their construction, the railways caused significant changes to the landscape and drainage of the Gwent Levels. The inescapable power of water was evident at every stage as watercourses were disrupted, perilous ferry crossings linked the English and Welsh railway systems and the 'Great Spring' flooded the Severn Tunnel. In the late nineteenth century, several previously small settlements expanded rapidly in response to the influx of workers and industry to the area, and many communities underwent considerable transformation heavily influenced by the presence of the railways.

Driven by demand from colliery owners and ironmasters, an Act of 1845 provided for the formation of the South Wales railway which opened in 1850 linking Swansea with Chepstow, and thence following the banks of the Wye up to Gloucester. The course of the tracks went directly across the Gwent levels with little regard for the existing landscape, following a straight line on a level gradient, often dissecting existing farm field boundaries, drainage ditches, footpaths, lanes and roads: this left unusual and irregular field shapes which are still visible today.

At the time, level crossings, underpasses and footbridges were only erected in the busiest of places such as Magor and Caldicot. In 1880, for example, there was an underpass at Bishton as well as a level crossing controlled by a signal box, still visible today. Footbridges are a notable feature on the flat landscape of the Levels as the building of embankments would have been required to take the bridge across the railway. These footbridges offer wide panoramic views across the landscape.

As construction of the railway proceeded, it became clear that it interfered with the drainage system of the Levels as the line cut through many reens and ditches. This exercised the Monmouthshire Court of Sewers for some considerable time and afforded a very fertile source of complaint from the occupiers of adjacent land. In numerous instances the ditches, drains and watercourses had been diverted or wholly stopped up without adequate culverts being made under the railway to carry off water. As early as 1847, a survey was undertaken by the Levels’ surveyors and a lack of suitable culverts was reported.[2] Monksditch, for example, which was the largest, principal water outlet for the Caldicot Level, was intersected by a railway viaduct just below Llanwern. Below this the water had to pass through 5 large pipes which caused obstruction to the waterway, resulting in overflow on the banks and flooding on adjacent farmland.

The Great Western Railway, who acquired the South Wales Railway in 1868 was anxious to reduce the distance between London and South Wales and to tap the mineral resources of the coalfield. An Act for a Severn Tunnel Railway was passed in 1872, and the dramatic story of its construction is told here. One of the consequences of this huge engineering project was the creation of the village of Sudbrook to accommodate the railways workers. This comprised a ‘model workers village’, including a mission room, school, hospital, post office, and various types of dwelling houses. A personal account of one local railway man can be found here.

Aerial view of marshalling yards at Rogiet, circa 1977 (Colin Park)

Another consequence of this expansion of the system was the building of Severn Tunnel Junction station and marshalling yards. The demand for coal from the South Wales Coalfield increased dramatically during the early twentieth century reaching a peak of production in around 1913. To enable the collection and sorting of the increasing number of coal wagons, the marshalling yards at Severn Tunnel Junction grew in size and covered a large expanse of land either side of the station, comprising maintenance and wagon repair shops, engine sheds, coaling stages and water towers. The number of trains passing through the Tunnel in 1913 was 18,099. This had increased to 24,027 in 1917, equivalent to sixty-six trains a day.[3] Other industries, such as the Tintern wire works, moved location to be near or even alongside the railway lines.

Llanwern Steelworks, circa 1965, looking southeast across the works towards Redwick and the Severn Estuary.

Finally, the huge Llanwern steelworks were constructed between 1958 and 1962 adjacent to the GWR line to the east of Newport on the northern edge of the Caldicot Level. To coincide with the opening of the works, a large rail modernisation scheme was undertaken which entailed an alteration to the existing arrangement with two lines nearest the works dedicated to goods traffic and a flyover arrangement known as the ‘Bishton Flyover’. This ensured that there would not be any delays to passenger traffic on the main line and allowed up to 150 more train movements each day.[4]

The marshalling yards at Severn Tunnel Junction were closed in 1987 and good use has been made of the land: Since the railway tracks were removed, nature has recolonised the site, returning it to scrub and wild flower meadows full of wildlife. When the railway sidings were dismantled in the 1990s, the soil was disturbed. Seeds of grasses, flowers and trees that had been buried and dormant for many years were brought to the surface and germinated. Today the wild flower meadows are cut once a year. There are 166 different varieties of plants, bees and butterflies now found here.[5]

This small piece of the Gwent Levels has now gone full circle from unspoilt farmland to a floodlit twenty-four-hour operation and now a countryside park.

References:

[1] Stephen Rippon, Gwent Levels: The Evolution of a Wetland Landscape (CBA Research Report 105, 1996).

[2] GwA D695.

[3] E. T. MacDermot & C. R. Clinker, History of the Great Western Railway, vol. 2, 1863-1921 (Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing, 1973).

[4] Birmingham Post 4 April 1960. The Birmingham Post’s interest in the steelworks stems from the fact that some of the steel would be transported to the Midlands’ car industry.

[5] https://www.visitmonmouthshire.com/things-to-do/rogiet-countryside-park-p1505661 [Accessed 07.01.23]