Rhayader, the Dams of the Elan Valley, and the Birmingham Waterworks Railway

Colin Judge discovers and records the history and the postcards - May 2000

Why and how did I start collecting postcards of this remote area in central Wales? I am sure that most PPM readers ask the same question about the authors every time they read the interesting articles in this magazine. However, in this case it was NOT a collecting theme idea, but the thirst for knowledge and pictures about the enormous dams in the Elan valley and their construction that prompted this interest. Being a railway publisher at the time, I discovered, whilst browsing one Sunday afternoon through early 1900 magazines, an article on the Birmingham Waterworks Railway. This prompted immediate interest, as I did not know that Birmingham had a waterworks railway. A railway colleague then also stated that I would find very little information out about it - even more so, discover any photographs.

So the challenge was laid, and if my research proved fruitful, then I promised myself that I would pen my endeavours into a small book - little did I know what task I had set myself and how this project would take up two years of my life!

I initially made a visit to the County Records office in Birmingham, only to find out that the Birmingham Waterworks Railway was in fact nowhere near Birmingham, but had been some 75 miles to the west of the City in the Elan Valley, Central Wales, Powys and existed from 1893 to 1916. The railway was a unique undertaking, being built solely for the construction traffic for the building of the four major dams (said to be the eighth wonder of the world by many Victorians) that would control the water that eventually sustains Birmingham. This water actual runs by gravity from Wales to Birmingham through a wonderful pipeline.

To understand the area and the railway, I felt that a visit to the Elan Valley was the next immediate step and so a few days in the area was arranged. The Elan Valley is superb, with its natural beauty and dramatic scenery, being a large region of 'upland plateau', rough hills and moorland areas, and containing both the Claerwen and Elan rivers - these are the two rivers that were dammed at the turn of the century to supply the water for Birmingham. It's impossible not to be totally enthralled by the area and its beauty.

As with most historical research, you need some elements of luck, and this project was no exception. During this visit, I established local contacts at the Elan Visitor centre and local shops. I noticed whilst walking around the small nearby. town of Rhayader, that the chemist J. Roberts had some postcards for sale in the window. I found out later that these were stocks found in the attic of the building, and consisted of the original cards that the chemist had produced in the early 1900 period and thus this proved to be the start of my 'area collection'.

Believe it or not, these were not only in mint condition but were also numerous in their content, as not only his own cards were present, but packets of Photochrom Co Ltd '6d sets', large panoramic Mail Cards and even six-set J.Salmon Gravure cards, plus numerous singles.

I remember that the cost was only in pence, as the gentleman who now owned the shop wanted to 'get rid of them as soon as possible.'

These early views allowed me to see some of the railway route - the subject that was soon to take over all my spare time in writing and researching. Several other people were contacted, and soon I had made several friends in the town (who were also interested in the railway), to such a degree that I was asked to produce a coloured guide to Rhayader with the research and information that I had gleaned. This eventually I published as a 48-page, 50-photograph booklet entitled 'Rhayader - Gateway to the Elan Valley'. Being asked to do this gave me the opportunity to contact all the traders, historians and local museum for photographs, postcards and information, which then released so many more facts for the original reason to be at Rhayader -The Railway and the Dams!

This was an interesting time, and I really looked forward to revisiting the area to see what else had materialised. As you can appreciate, many postcards were loaned to me for both the guide and railway book (the Welsh being very generous and trusting in their nature), which I had to give back, but I did try to purchase as many as I could and if not, visited postcard fairs and contacted dealers (using photocopies of the postcards I had to return) so that I purchased my own copies. The collection started to accumulate well and the subject became more and more intriguing, and it was also obvious that the building of the dams coincided with the early 'heyday' of the picture postcard as many different publishers and views became available (my collection now exceeds 100 views).

Whilst looking for the obvious cards on the Dams, it was also interesting to collect the Rhayader town cards and several are reproduced within this article.

This initial foray into Welsh territory produced so many good early views of the area, Rhayader and the railway that I then started serious research into the railway history itself. This again was tinged with extreme luck.

I arranged another visit to the Records Office in Birmingham and asked for information on the waterworks, but the official response was that these did not exist. However, a young lady overheard my request and told me that ALL the 'day to day' ledger books regarding this undertaking were upstairs in a room awaiting recording. Did I wish to see them? Naturally!

After spending a morning looking through these 'unofficial records' I decided to be cheeky and ask for some photocopies. This I was allowed to do myself and so I produced over 500 pages for me to take back to use as the basis for my research. You cannot put into words how you feel holding the original beautifully bound daily ledgers that had been so well recorded over 100 years ago, and regrettably now, I wish I had photocopied very much more than I did, mainly to do with the project and not just only the railway and village life. Also during this time I was told of a lady draughtswoman that worked for Severn Trent Water and who had a particular interest in the records of the project, so contacting her also elicited many photos and documents that were so vital to the project. In fact I discovered that Birmingham was so proud of the project that they hired a professional photographer to go to Wales on a regular basis and to any major development at the site, to record it on film. Thus there were many superb albums of large plate pictures to choose from - many also being used in the publishing of postcards of the time!

Other research avenues took me to the Newspaper Library at Hendon where you can read the original newspapers of the time and also obtain photocopies. This area of research allowed me to get some idea of the daily events, accidents, squabbles and unrest that were part of the atmosphere surrounding the railway and its operation - all used and recorded in the book.

So, armed with all this textual and photographic evidence, I began the writing of this tome THE ELAN VALLEY RAILWAY - The Railway of the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks which was finally published in 1987 by the Oakwood Press and has been so popular that it since has been reprinted in 1999.

The book contains, within its 240 pages, over 170 photographs, plans and documents with up to 20 interesting views taken from postcards, including those post- cards of real photographs from the LGRP collection (now at NRM York). Although the book is finished, I am still collecting any cards from this area, and am amazed just how many different views there are of the same subject still coming to light, with 'local' publishers competing with the big postcard producers of the day. I have included several to show the variety, but I reckon my favourite card is that of a colour picture of the 'Opening Ceremony, July 21st 1904' showing the King performing the act at the 'filter beds', with a rake of four-wheeled Cambrian railway coaches in the background making up the Royal Train (the only time Royalty had ever travelled in four-wheeled coaches and that trip is worth reading!). Note in the postcard view the film cine cameraman in the lower left corner, who on good authority came from Fox photos of the time. I would love to discover if the cine film still existed, as it would make fascinating viewing!

The same picture used in the book is taken from the official photograph by the Water Company but the card was produced later from this negative and hand coloured afterwards for the postcard.

The visitor centre at Elan Valley requested (with the local history society) that I gave a talk to the inhabitants of Rhayader, and this I did as a slide show (as I had converted all the photographic evidence into over 200 professional slides). However I wished that I could have done this before writing the book, as so many more postcards, pictures and artefacts came to light at this event, which was attended by over 150 people. One elderly lady brought a Post Office bank book that had been used in Nant Gwyllt, the village now many feet under the reservoir waters, another the table napkin the King used at the reception where her mother was in attendance. The amazing postcard of the opening ceremony was given to me by another resident.

I hope that in the future more interesting cards will come to light to add to my continued enjoyment in collecting postcards of one of the most beautiful areas of Great Britain.

West Street, Rhayader, in 1914. Compare this view with the black & white illustration from some ten years earlier. In the intervening period, new buildings and telegraph poles were added. Card published by Valentine of Dundee.



A card published by a Llandrindod Wells firm showing King Edward VII opening the flow of water from the Elan Valley on 21st July 1904.



The filter beds above the Elan navvy village. The long shed housed railway workshops. This view, on a postcard published by Rhayader chemist J. Roberts, shows the wooden village and an enormous array of wagons c. 1905.



This view of Pen-y-Garreg taken from the railway track in 1905 shows clearly the zig-zag track beds of the construction railway. Card published by J. Roberts.