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Pont Fawr Aqueduct is a post-medieval stone viaduct built to carry water across the Afon Neath valley in South Wales. Constructed to serve the industrial demands of the region, it spans terrain underlain by the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a geological sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interbedded with coal and ironstone seams. This coal-rich bedrock reflects the industrial heritage of the surrounding landscape, where extractive industries once flourished.
The aqueduct's masonry construction demonstrates the engineering sophistication required to maintain water supply across challenging topography. Built upon foundations sunk into the variable strata beneath, the structure had to accommodate the unstable ground conditions created by coal workings and natural variations in the Coal Measures geology. The presence of ferricrete deposits in the bedrock would have presented particular challenges during construction.
Now protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference GM393, Pont Fawr Aqueduct survives as a testament to Wales's industrial infrastructure. The monument stands as evidence of investment in water management systems that supported the region's economic development during the post-medieval period, when demand for reliable water supply became integral to industrial expansion.
Pont Fawr Aqueduct / Viaduct is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM393. View the official record →
Pont Fawr Aqueduct is a post-medieval stone viaduct built to carry water across the Afon Neath valley in South Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM393.
Pont Fawr Aqueduct / Viaduct 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.
Pont Fawr Aqueduct / Viaduct 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 GM393.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Roman Camp (7.1 km), Chain Home Low Radar Station, Margam (7.1 km), Margam Medieval Bath House (7.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Pont Fawr Aqueduct / Viaduct'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.
Pont Fawr Aqueduct / Viaduct 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.