Our first day in Elan Valley and it was gloriously sunny. We’d driven and walked a little way around Pen y Garreg, Garreg Ddu, and Caban Coch.

After a leisurely coffee at the Ty Penbont cafe we sauntered alongside the river to the base of Craig Goch.

Craig Goch is the highest dam upstream in the Elan Valley and is often referred to as the ‘top dam.’ It’s three hundred and seventeen metres above sea level. Work on excavating the foundations for a secure base for this dam started in July 1897, around three years after the start of work on the lowest dam at Caban Coch.

Viewed as the most attractive of the dams, with an elegantly curved retaining wall and a series of arches, there is a narrow path across the top of the dam.

Railways were the main form of transport at the time. As with all the dams, work couldn’t begin before the construction of the railway line in order to transport equipment, materials and men to the dam sites.

Construction of the railway began in 1893 and was completed in 1896.

The official opening took place on 21st July 1904 by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Image courtesy of Elan Valley: https://tinyurl.com/69hj4nbc

The locomotives were all named after rivers and streams on the Estate. The first two were acquired in April 1894 and were named Elan and Claerwen. These were joined by Nant Gwyllt and Methan in October 1894, followed by Rhiwnant and Calettwr in 1895.

Today’s Visitor Centre was converted from the old workshops and part of the car park was the site of the locomotive shed and sidings.

For Craig Goch the line had the furthest to go and a rocky outcrop had to be blasted and dug through on the route to the site. Blasting the cutting mid-way along this route held up the construction of Craig Goch by three months, earning it the name ‘The Devil’s Gulch’

Image courtesy of Welsh Water: https://tinyurl.com/2uem3bh3 .

But, seeing Craig Goch in all it’s glory, it was wonderful to see how the persisitance of the workers give us the views of the dam as it is today. As, I think, the Photographer would agree!

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Judith Barrow