[1] In 1789 most of the building of Blaenavon Ironworks had been completed and the lease for the land was signed in November.
[2] At this time transport of goods between Blaenavon and Newport was by teams of packhorses and mules using hillside tracks and parish roads.
[3] A more efficient method of transport was needed and Thomas Hill I, the leading partner behind the ironworks, became one of the promoters of the Monmouthshire Canal.
The Canal Act also allowed for the building of tramroads to nearby collieries, quarries, and mines.
[8] The completed 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gauge line opened in 1854, replacing the tramroad.