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Aberdulais Aqueduct is a post-medieval aqueduct located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM506. Constructed to transport water across the landscape, the aqueduct exemplifies the engineering solutions developed during the industrial expansion of South Wales. The monument sits upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, Westphalian in age, comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interbedded with coal, ironstone and ferricrete layers. This geology reflects the region's rich mineral resources that drove industrial development.
The aqueduct represents the practical infrastructure demands of the period, when water supply became critical for mills, collieries and manufacturing works. Built to carry water efficiently over difficult terrain, such structures required skilled engineering and substantial investment. The monument's survival demonstrates the durability of its construction methods and materials.
Today, Aberdulais Aqueduct stands as a physical reminder of Wales's industrial heritage and the ingenuity applied to harnessing natural resources. Its presence in the landscape reflects the region's transformation during the post-medieval and modern periods, when engineering works became defining features of the Welsh valleys and hillsides.
Aberdulais Aqueduct is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM506. View the official record →
Aberdulais Aqueduct is a post-medieval aqueduct located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM506.
Aberdulais Aqueduct dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a aqueduct. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Aberdulais Aqueduct is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is GM506.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mynydd y Gaer (Lower) Camp (5.2 km), Buarth y Gaer, Mynydd y Gaer (5.8 km), Foel Fynyddau Round Cairn (5.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Aberdulais Aqueduct's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Aberdulais Aqueduct stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.