The Garw Valley

Continued


North of square looking south We have moved another 200 yards south and around the slight bend and now the difference is very marked. On the left the photograph shows the rubble that was left when the colliery closed. The rail track is also clearly seen and by the wall on the left hand side you can see the colliery pipe line and directly below this hidden from view is the ' Black River ' The river through the Valley was nicknamed the Black River because it quite literally was black in colour because of all the coal dust in the water The picture on the right shows where all this area has been landscaped as part of the lower Garw reclamation scheme. You can see that a lake has been formed and the river is now clean and fish are now back in the river. Maybe in the future it will be called the blue river but I suspect it will take a long time to lose the ' Black River ' Tag.

Looking South to Square Another 200 Yards south and we see what was one of the best know landmarks of the valley ' The Back Bridge ' . Although it is not very plain here you can follow the rail track and you will see that it goes under an iron bridge which was always painted black. The Large building on the right hand side is the Ambulance hall and was used by the St. Johns Ambulance Brigade. The Bridge has now gone and the gap beneath the bridge has been filled in sadly the Ambulance hall has now also been demolished.

North east from the Black Bridge. The Picture on the left in the next two sets of images are earlier than the last few photographs and show very much haw this part of the Valley has Changed. You can see much of the colliery buildings and also the Black Bridge in the foreground

North West from The Black Bridge . These two photographs are of the sand era as the previous two but looking slightly more westwards.

As you can see from these series of photographs the centre of the valley has changed out of all recognition and although we sometimes look at the ' Before ' photographs with pride and great feelings from our past it is good that the landscape has now been transformed and the hidden beauty that was below all the dirt of the coal industry is now shining through once again. It should not be forgotten that without the dirty coal industry, The Garw valley almost certainly would not have prospered as in the past people moved to where the work was as the commuting that goes on today was not possible, So we owe a lot to the coal industry but the coal industry also owes a lot to the ex miners and the people of the Garw and this return to the former natural glory goes a little way to repay the debt.