Brecon Forest Tramroad

[1][2] The tramroad project was conceived by John Christie, a Scottish-born entrepreneur based in London who had amassed a fortune from his involvement in the indigo trade with India.

His original intention was to use the tramroad to convey limestone sourced from quarries near Penwyllt to the farms of the Usk valley and Mynydd Epynt where its soil-improving qualities would be appreciated.

Initially Christie's probable intention was to link this line to that at Pwll Byfre by an incline through what is now the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu National Nature Reserve.

[citation needed] Christie further extended the tramroad southwestwards from its southern terminus to a colliery at Gwaun Clawdd on the northern slopes of Mynydd y Drum and connected it to the Swansea Canal at Cae'r Lan near Abercraf.

Claypon built a further extension southwest and then west from the Drim colliery to join the Swansea Canal and to supply limestone to the Ynyscedwyn Ironworks at Ystradgynlais.

These served numerous limestone quarries as well as sources of silica sand though it seems that the connection to extensive rottenstone workings to the north of Cribarth was not completed and did not come fully into operation.