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The 11.75 mile journey takes approximately one hour in each direction. Listen to the sound of a powerful narrow-gauge steam locomotive working to climb up 700ft (200m) from Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge. In the late 1960s, when the mine was closed, a major blowout of water contained in an adit coloured the whole river an ochre orange colour and greatly added to the concentrations of lead and zinc in the river. Today, management of water still draining from the mine is by the use of constructed wetlands. Previous management had included a limestone filter bed installed in the 1960s and now redundant. The filter bed is still in place and can be seen from the road. A series of aqueducts collects the water and channels it into the Nant-Y-Moch reservoir. From there, water flows to a power station at Dinas featuring a 13 MW generator. Hop aboard at Aberystwyth and watch the scenery passing by your window. You will soon see the countryside change travelling through wide open fields, ancient woodland and rugged mountain scenery as the line twists and turns, clinging to the hillside to reach Devil's Bridge - home of the famous Mynach Falls and Devil's Punchbowl. Following financial and construction difficulties, the routes from Strata Florida to Llanidloes via Devil's Bridge and branch to Aberystwyth were not built, instead in 1865 the Manchester and Milford Railway built an easier route via the Ystwyth valley to Aberystwyth. This left the Rheidol Valley and lead ore mines without a railway.
The operational base is at Aberystwyth, where there is an engine shed. Heavy overhauls are undertaken in a purpose-built workshop on the south side of the line.
NATURE TRAIL, WATERFALLS & THREE BRIDGES
The railway is promoted as one of The Great Little Trains of Wales, a joint marketing scheme launched in 1970 that encompasses eleven narrow gauge railways, mostly found in Wales. [23] It continues to operate as a tourist railway, operating between Easter and the end of October, with extra services during February half-term and at Christmas. The timetable provides the operating dates. [24] During the summer months, the railway offers a Driver for a Fiver experience on a short demonstration line at Devil's Bridge station. From Nant y Moch reservoir the river flows through the village of Ponterwyd, before rushing into a steep sided gorge clad in ancient Welsh oak woodland, plunging over the beautiful Gyfarllwyd Falls, which you can see through the trees from Devil's Bridge. Dinas' additional reservoir then supplies water to the largest power station at Cwm Rheidol with two 20.5 MW generators. At Cwm Rheidol, a further reservoir has been created to avoid large variations in the flow of water down river towards Aberystwyth. This reservoir collects the water that flows through the power station and releases it slowly through a 1 MW generator at Cwm Rheidol Dam. Entry into the visitor centre and tours of the station are all free of charge. The Visitors Centre has interactive educational models for the younger generation who want to learn about renewable energy as well as a café for those who want a quiet cup of relaxing tea. Ceredigion’s uplands are characterised by small lakes, often the remains of glacier activity. The source of the River Rheidol - Llyn Llygad Rheidol (the lake of the eye of Rheidol) on the north slope of Pumlumon occupies a moraine dammed corrie - a hollow gouged from the side of the mountain by glacier ice.
The environment was taken into consideration when designing it’s scheme in the 1950’s: The award winning Felin Newydd Falls in Cwm Rheidol were designed to blend in with the surrounding countryside, and many of the scheme’s buildings are clad with local stone. The railway has been seen on television on many occasions, including an episode of Great British Railway Journeys filmed in 2012 and the detective series Y Gwyll filmed in 2016.
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From 30 May 2023, Hywel Dda University Health Board patients will be able to receive outpatient physiotherapy clinics on the ground floor of the Canolfan Rheidol building in Aberystwyth. The environment was taken into consideration when designing its scheme in the 1950s. The award winning Felin Newydd Falls in Cwm Rheidol were designed to blend in with the surrounding countryside, and many of the scheme’s building are clad with local stone.
Dinas Reservoir and Nantymoch Reservoir provide an excellant angling experience. Both lakes are bank fishing only. Nantymoch is fly only but on Dinas spinning and worming are also allowed. There is additional parking in nearby Pay & Display Car Parks. Please avoid parking at the mainline railway and local shopping centre car parks as higher charges apply.Yes you really can hire a whole train! You can charter your own private excursion along the scenic Rheidol Valley on board the Vale of Rheidol Railway Opened in 1902, the railway is a masterpiece of engineering and has been delighting passengers young and old for generations. Although the line no longer carries lead ore from the mines it has been carrying holidaymakers to the beauty spot of Devil's Bridge for over a hundred years! For many centuries the economy of the Rheidol valley had been based on metal mining. This has now been replaced by forestry, tourism and the farming of beef, dairy cattle and sheep. Alison Shakeshaft, Executive Director of Therapies and Health Science for Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to enable the health board to bring clinical services closer to home for residents in the north of Ceredigion, complementing the health board’s strategic vision to bring services closer to local communities and to support them to live active, healthy lives. The first of these opportunities sees agreement between the Council and Hywel Dda that part of Canolfan Rheidol will be used to provide physiotherapy services. This will be on a temporary basis whilst the hybrid trial period continues, and the Council considers the best longer term alternative use of space in its offices.
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