Official launch of the Trevithick Trail PR507 The official launch of Merthyr Tydfil's Trevithick Trail took place on Thursday 26th June, with a number of people enjoying a gentle paced walk along the developed trail to experience the offerings and surroundings subsequent to the opening ceremony, which included speeches from the Heritage Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas, MTCBC's Leader, Councillor Jeff Edwards and His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Clive Jones which were witnessed by all stakeholders that have contributed to the completion of the trail.
The Trevithick Trail is a 15.2km walking and cycling heritage path following the original tramroad route used by Richard Trevithick’s world-first steam locomotive to haul loads on rails in 1804.
Since the 2004 bi-centenary events held to celebrate the world's first invention in Merthyr Tydfil, the Local Authority and many other bodies have been dedicated to transform the original route into an attractive heritage attraction. The trail presents the rich history of surrounding valley villages, displays the original 1804 stone sleepers which have been used as feature and emphasises the historical significance which will be used as a catalyst for tourism and encourage healthy lifestyles. Following two years of construction, the route has recently been completed presenting the opportunity for a launch of the trail and the associated website.
Council Leader, Councillor Jeff Edwards commented: "Over 200 years ago, this very track was used by the world's first steam locomotive to transport iron from the furnaces of Penydarren down to the Glamorganshire Canal at Abercynon and in doing so making Merthyr Tydfil the Iron Capital of the World. Those heavy industries which were the raison d’etre of our communities have long gone leaving behind the wastes of industrialization, however over the years and with the help of the former Welsh Development Agency and more recently the Welsh Assembly Government and European funding, we have been able to remove that industrial dereliction and return to an environment that is clean and physically attractive. A physical environment in which we should all be proud and one that we should be selling as an attractive place to come and visit, in addition to being a benefit to local residents, with increasing numbers using the trail for walking, jogging cycling and generally keeping healthy."
Heritage Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, congratulated all the partners involved, he said: “The preservation and transformation of the Trevithick tramroad is a great example of the kind of heritage projects we want to see developed and promoted by local authorities and communities. Attractions such as this emphasise the importance of preserving our heritage and contributes to our aspiration for Wales to become a world-class cultural and sustainable tourism destination.”
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