Trafnidiaeth | Transport
Trafnidiaeth | Transport
Rydym yn gwybod fod unigolion a grwpiau o boblogaeth wedi symud o gwmpas Prydain a’r ardaloedd cyfagos ar hyd miloedd o flynyddoedd.
Mae trafnidiaeth ar y môr yn cwmpasu llawer o bobloedd a miloedd o flynyddoedd. Roedd llongau neu gychod yn fach iawn ac yn syml, a morwriaeth gan fwyaf yn golygu cadw’n agos at y glannau. Ar y tir mae’n rhaid bod llwybrau’n bodoli ar draws ardaloedd o dir agored a thir coediog. Fel pentir ar arfordir gorllewinol Prydain mae gan Sir Benfro a’i hardal arfordirol gofnodion am o leiaf 10,000 o flynyddoedd o deithio a thrafnidaeth. Roedd pobl yr oesoedd Mesolithig a Neolithig yn teithio’n helaeth ar hyd y tiroedd sydd erbyn hyn wedi’u gorchuddio gan Fôr y Gogledd yn cysylltu cyfandir Ewrop gyda Phrydain. Hwyliodd pobl Oes y Cerrig ar hyd moroedd gorllewin Prydain gyda chysylltiadau o Lydaw yn Ffrainc i Ynysoedd Erch, yng ngogledd yr Alban.
Gadawodd y gwahanol oesoedd dystiolaeth o’u cysylltiadau yn yr henebion a welir yma, yn cynnwys mannau claddu a meini hirion, crochenwaith gydag olion wedi’u gwasgaru ar hyd gryn bellter, offer carreg, efydd a haearn, gemwaith, a nifer o arteffactau eraill.
Ar gyfer arfordir gogleddol Sir Benfro parhaodd trafnidiaeth ar y môr i fod o gryn bwysigrwydd tan yr 20fed ganrif. Roedd llongau bach yn defnyddio porthladdoedd bychain arfordirol i gludo pobl a nwydddau fel ei gilydd. Rydym yn gwybod fod symudiadau o boblogaeth ar draws môr Iwerddon o dde-ddwyrain Iwerddon i Sir Benfro wedi bodoli ers y cyfnod neolithig. Yn fwy diweddar ymsefydlodd llwyth Gwyddelig y Deisi yng ngogledd Penfro rhwng 200 a 400 OC gyda rhai yn cyrraedd mor bell â Sir Frycheiniog heddiw. Rydym yn gwybod fod Sant Padrig wedi teithio i Iwerddon, a hynny. Mae’n bosib. o Borth Mawr ger Tyddewi. Yng ngyfnod Dewi Sant, 500-600 OC, byddai cenhadon Celtaidd yn croesi môr Iwerddon i’r ddau gyfeiriad. Roedd Finian, sefydlydd mynachdy Clonard, yn un o ddisgyblion Dewi Sant. Arweiniodd hyn yn ei dro at sefydlu mynachdai eraill yn Iwerddon ac aelodau’r mynachdai’n teithio ar hyd glannau gorllewinol Prydain i’r Alban, i arfordiroedd y gorllewin a’r dwyrain fel ei gilydd. Mae’r cysylltiadau rhwng Cymru ac Iwerddon wedi parhau hyd heddiw gyda gwasanaethau fferi yn bodoli ar draws Môr Iwerddon rhwng Abergwaun a Rosslare.
Yn eu gwrthdrawiadau â’i gilydd, ac yn erbyn y Llychlynwyr a’r Normaniaid, roedd Tywysogion Cymru yn defnyddio llwybrau cyswllt Môr Iwerddon. Lansiwyd goresgyniad Iwerddon gan y Normaniaid o Benfro ac Aberdaugleddau yn 1171 ac mae cofnod o’r brenin Harri’r Ail yn glanio ym Mhorth Mawr, Tyddewi.
Wrth astudio cysylltiadau ar y tir mae’n rhaid bod llwybrau hynafol wedi bodoli ers miloedd o flynyddoedd. Os cludwyd cerrig gleision y Preselau i Gôr y Cewri, dim ond ar hyd system o lwybrau a oedd mewn bodolaeth yn barod y gellid cyflawni hyn.
Bach iawn o dystiolaeth sydd o ffyrdd Rhufeinig yng ngorllewin Sir Benfro ond rydym yn gwybod fod eu rhwyflongau wedi ymweld â’n harfordiroedd gorllewinol. Yn ystod oes y seintiau Cymreig a’r tywysogion cynnar roedd pobl yn symud o gwmpas gan ddilyn rhyw system o lwybrau yn ôl pob tebyg. Roedd Dewi Sant yn teithio o gwmpas yr ardal ac roedd tywysogion Cymru’n mynychu llys Sacsonaidd y Brenin Alffred a thalu teyrnged. Trefaser ar y ffordd rhwng Tremarchog ac Wdig yw man geni honedig yr Esgob Aser a symudodd i lys brenhinol y brenin Alffred.
Yn y Canol Oesoedd roedd llwybrau’r pererinion yn cydgyfarfod yn Nhyddewi a hynny o’r gogledd a’r de fel ei gilydd. Roedd llwybr y gogledd yn mynd ar draws Penrhyn Pencaer gan ymuno, yn fwy na thebyg, o Abergwaun, Eglwys Llanwnda ar draws Pencaer i Dremarchog, ac ymlaen i Fathri. Yn 1188 teithiodd yr Esgob Baldwin a Gerallt Gymro o gwmpas Cymru. Yn benodol, aeth eu llwybr o Hwlffordd i Dyddewi ac ymlaen i Aberteifi. Mae’n rhaid eu bod wedi dilyn llwybr neu lôn, ffordd bererinion efallai, gan eu bod wedi teithio o Dyddewi mewn diwrnod, siwrnai o ryw 35 milltir.
Rhwng 1536 a 1539 teithiodd John Leland drwy Gymru gan gofnodi disgrifiadau manwl. Roedd rhan o’r daith yn cynnwys y siwrnai o Hwlffordd i Dyddewi gan gyfeirio at Niwgwl, Castell y Garn (Roch), Solfach, Porth Clais, Clegyr Boia (i’r gorllewin o Dyddewi) a Phorth Mawr, ac yna Llanrhian, Trefin a Llanwnda i Abergwaun. Mae’n debyg ei fod e wedi marchogaeth ond mae’n rhaid bod traciau a llwybrau wedi bodoli.
Ar y map a gyhoeddwyd gan John Morden o Dde Cymru yn 1698, dangosir ffordd yn amlwg rhwng Tyddewi ac Abergwaun ac ymlaen i’r gogledd i Aberteifi. Felly hefyd mae map Thomas Taylor yn 1718 yn dangos yr un manylion. Yn 1798 cyhoeddwyd mapiau o Gymru a Lloegr gan John Cory yn dangos ffyrdd yn cynnwys y cyswllt Tyddewi/Abergwaun ac Aberteifi unwaith eto.
Ar fap Cory gwelir ffordd lai yn dilyn llwybr yr A40 presennol o Hwlffordd i gyfeiriad y gogledd i gyfeiriad Abergwaun. Ar y mapiau blaenorol i gyd o Saxton (1578) ac ymlaen, dangosir nifer o eglwysi, mae’n rhaid bod lonydd a llwybrau’n bodoli i gyrraedd y rhain a’r tai oedd, efallai, yn bodoli o’u cwmpas.
Yn 1794 gwnaeth Charles Hassall ddisgrifiad o Sir Benfro, ond bach iawn o ddisgrifiad o ogledd y sir a geir yma. Mae’n cwyno’n gryf am led y lonydd ac yn cyfeirio at “hen lwybrau sathredig ein cyndeidiau.”
Er bod statudau cyfreithiol o 1765 ymlaen yn awdurdodi creu Cwmnïau Tyrpeg, bach iawn o ddatblygiad a fu yng ngogledd Sir Benfro. Roedd ffordd tyrpeg o Hwlffordd i Abergwaun ac yna ymlaen i Aberteifi. Erbyn y 1830au roedd gweithredu’r ffyrdd tyrpeg a’r gyfundrefn tollbyrth wedi helpu i greu’r aflonyddwch cymdeithasol a arweiniodd at derfysgoedd Rebeca(1839-44). I ffwrdd oddi wrth y ffyrdd tyrpeg, roedd llwybrau a lonydd yn cysylltu pentrefi, ffermydd a bythynnod. Byddai ffermwyr yn defnyddio’r rhain i symud eu hanifeiliaid er mwyn eu gwerthu neu eu symud rhwng daliadau tir.
Gwelir un enghraifft o’r defnydd o lonydd a ffyrdd cefn wrth gyfeirio at sefydlu Capel Rhydwilym ar y Cleddau Ddu i’r gogledd orllewin o Glunderwen. Hwn oedd capel cyntaf y Bedyddwyr yn Sir Benfro a byddai grwpiau o Fedyddwyr, gan gynnwys un o blwyf Treopert, yn cerdded i Rydwilym ac yn ôl ar gyfer y gwasanaethau Sul – pellter o ryw 40 milltir yna ac yn ôl.
Tua diwedd y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg cafodd ffyrdd eu gwella a daethant yn gyfrifoldeb y cynghorau sir a sefydlwyd o ganlyniad i Ddeddf Llywodraeth Leol 1888.
Erbyn 1900 cyfanswm milltiroedd y ffyrdd llai yn y gwahanol blwyfi oedd:- Llanwnda 16 milltir, Tremarchog 5 milltir, Treopert 8.3 milltir. Roedd gan Fathri, y plwyf mawr cyfagos, 28 milltir a hanner o ffyrdd lleol.
Erbyn 1897 roedd pentref Wdig wedi’i gysylltu gan y rheilffordd trwy Faenclochog i Glunderwen a phrif linell y G.W.R. Daeth y cyswllt hwn â newidiadau mawr gyda mynediad at drefi, symud anifeiliaid fferm a chynnyrch amaethyddol a danfon cynnyrch a brynwyd.
Deng mlynedd yn ddiweddarach erbyn Gorffennaf 1906 agorwyd prif linell i G.W.R. i Wdig ac Abergwaun gyda chyswllt fferi i Iwerddon.
Dair blynedd yn ddiweddarach, ar Awst 29ain 1909, croesawyd y llong stêm enwog y Mauretania i borthladd Abergwaun. Gollyngodd y leinar trawsiwerydd ei hangor tu allan i’r brif forwal a chludwyd rhyw 200 o deithwyr a sachau post i’r lan yn ystod yr arhosiad 55 munud yn harbwr Abergwaun. Roedd y siwrnai 280 milltir i orsaf Paddington, Llundain, yn cymryd 4 awr a 36 munud gan adael Abergwaun am 2.51 yp a chyrraedd Paddington am 7.28 yh. Mae’r gwasanaeth fferi o Abergwaun i Rosslare yn parhau i redeg 115 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach.
Oherwydd cyflwr gwael y traciau a ffyrdd lleol, roedd y porthladdoedd lleol yn Abercastell (plwyf Mathri) ac Abergwaun (Cwm Abergwaun heddiw) ynghyd â thraeth Wdig yn brysur ac yn bwysig ar gyfer allforio cynnyrch amaethyddol a mewnforio amrywiaeth eang o eitemau.
Un o’r mewnforion pwysicaf i’r porthladdoedd bychain a’r cilfachau oedd cwlwm, sef cymysgedd o lwch glo a chlai, ynghyd â chalchfaen a losgwyd yn yr odynau calch gan ddefnyddio cwlwm fel tanwydd. Byddai ffermwyr wedyn yn lledu’r calch llosgedig a gynhyrchwyd ar eu caeau.
Byddai mewnforion o’r math hyn yn dod i mewn i draeth Wdig ac odynnau calch Dyffryn, ac i Borth Sychan, Aberbach a harbwr Abercastell lle’r oedd odynnau calch hefyd.
Parhaodd pwysigrwydd môrlwybrau’r glannau tan flynyddoedd cynnar yr 20fed ganrif pan ddaeth cerbydau’r rheilffordd yn ddull mwy effeithiol ar gyfer cludiant. Daw enghraifft dda o’r fasnach yma ar y môr o lyfrau fferm Mr a Mrs Harries Bowen o fferm Tresissillt (plwyf Treopert).
Ymhlith nifer o gofnodion o 1896 ymlaen ceir manylion llwythi o gwlwm a fewnforwyd i draeth Aberbach. Yn 1900 mewnforwyd 3 llond llong gan amcangyfrif cyfanswm y cargo i fod yn 115 tunnell, yn costio 10/- y dunnell gyda chludiant yn £2/10s y llong. Cyfanswm y gost felly oedd £65. Gwerthwyd y cwlwm fesul ychydig i bobl leol am 2s/1c y gasgen, yn cyfateb i dua 15/- y dunnell. Y canlyniad ar gyfer 1900 oedd incwm o £75.5s.9c ynghyd â 12 tunell ar gyfer defnydd gartref.
Parhaodd y defnydd o lwythi llong tan o gwmpas 1900; ar ôl hyn byddai llond tryciau rheilffordd yn cael eu dosbarthu i orsaf Wdig lle’u prynwyd. Byddai’r llwythi llai hyn yn cael eu defnyddio ar gyfer y tŷ a gweithwyr fferm. Cofnodwyd y llwyth llong olaf ar Fehefin 21ain 1915 gyda 42 tunnell yn cyrraedd o lofa Hook. Cost y cludiant oedd 3/6 y dunnell gyda chyfanswm y gost yn £29.00. O’r 42 tunnell, gwerthwyd 28 tunnell gan adael y gweddill, tua 28 tunnell i’w defnyddio gan y ffermdy. Cyfanswm yr enillion o’r 28 tunnell oedd £21.9s.6c
Erbyn i brif linell y G.W.R. ddod yn weithredol y rheilffordd oedd yn darparu cludiant ar gyfer nwyddau a werthwyd ac a brynwyd gan y diwydiant amaethyddol yn lleol. O ganlyniad datblygodd ffermwyr lleol drefniannau cyflenwi a gwerthu gyda phrynwyr a chyflenwyr ar draws y wlad. Enghraifft dda o’r math yma o gludiant yw Harries Bowen o fferm Dresissillt. Ar Dachwedd 5ed 1918 anfonodd lo tarw byrgorn pedigri i’w werthu mewn sioe ac arwerthiant yn Bigley Hall ar bwys Birmingham. Gwerthwyd y llo am 135 gini ynghyd â £1 o wobr.
Ers can mlynedd a mwy mae’r Harbwr Abergwaun wedi darparu cyswllt prysur a phwysig i Iwerddon. Er i wasanaethau rheilffordd gael eu cwtogi, erys gwasanaeth rheolaidd o’r harbwr a gorsaf Wdig i’r brif linell rhwng Aberdaugleddau a Llundain. Mae priffyrdd wedi’u gwella’n sylweddol gyda chyswlllt hwylus ar hyd yr A40 a ffordd ddeuol y A48 i draffordd yr M4 yng nghyffordd Pont Abraham i’r gorllewin o Abertawe.
We know that over thousands of year’s individuals and groups of population have moved around Britain and its local areas.
Transport by sea covers many peoples and thousands of years. Ships or boats were very small and simple, navigation mostly involved keeping close to the coastal area. On land trackways over open and wooded countryside must have existed. As a promontory on the western coast of Britain, Pembrokeshire and its coastal area have many records of travel and transport for at least 10,000 years. Those early Mesolithic and Neolithic peoples travelled widely, over the lands now covered by the North Sea connecting continental Europe to Britain. Stone-age man sailed up the coastal waters of western Britain with connections from Brittany (France), to the Orkney Islands of northern Scotland.
The various ages have left behind the evidence of their connections in the monuments, including burial sites and standing stones, pottery with remains scattered over long distances, tools both in stone bronze and iron, jewellery and numerous other artefacts.
For the north Pembrokeshire coast sea transport remained of substantial importance until the 20th century. Small ships used small coastal harbours both with people and goods. We know population movements across the Irish Sea from south east Ireland to Pembrokeshire has existed back to Neolithic times. In more recent times Irish people’s members the Deisi tribe settled in north Pembrokeshire from AD200 to 400 and some penetrated as far as present-day Breconshire. We know St. Patrick crossed to Ireland possibly from Porthmawr St Davids to Ireland. In the time of St. David AD500-600 Christian missionaries crossed the Irish sea in both directions.. Finnian, founder of the monastery of Clonard was a disciple of David. This in turn led to the foundation of other Irish monasteries and then monastery members travelling up the western coasts of Britain to Scotland both west and east coasts. These Welsh coast-Irish connections have thus existed until the present day and the current ferry services across the Irish Sea from Fishguard to Rosslare.
The Princes of Wales in the struggles between each other and against the Viking and Norman invaders used the communication routes of the Irish Sea. The Norman invasion of Ireland was launched from Pembroke and Milford Haven in 1171, and there is a record of King Henry II landing at Porth Mawr, St. Davids.
When we look at land communications ancient trackways must have existed for thousands of years. If the Preseli Blue Stones were transported over land to Stonehenge this could only have been done over some existing trackway system.
There is very little evidence of Roman roads in western Pembrokeshire but we know their galleys visited these western coasts. The age of Welsh saints and early princes all moved around the area presumably on some trackway system, St. David travelled around the area, Welsh princes attended the Saxon court of King Alfred did homage and paid tribute. Trefasser on the road from St. Nicholas to Goodwick is the reputed birth place of Bishop Asser who transferred to the royal court of King Alfred.
In the medieval period Pilgrim routes converged on St. Davids from both north and southern areas. The northern pilgrim route went through the Pencaer peninsular, probably joining through Fishguard, Llanwnda Church over Pencaer to St. Nicholas and then on to Mathry. In 1188 Bishop Baldwin and Giraldus Cambrensis journeyed through Wales. In particular their route went through Haverfordwest to St. Davids and then through to Cardigan. They must have followed a route or trackway, may be a pilgrim trackway, because in one day they went from St. Davids to Cardigan a distance of some 35 miles.
Between 1536 and 1539 John Leland journeyed through Wales with detailed descriptions. Part of that journey passed through Haverfordwest to St. Davids with reference to Newgale, Roch Castle, Solva, Porth Clais, Clegyr Boia (west of St. Davids), Porth Mawr, Llanrhian, Trevine, Llanwnda to Fishguard. No doubt he travelled on horseback, but tracks and pathways must have existed.
On the map published by John Morden of South Wales in 1698 there is a clear roadway from St. Davids to Fishguard and north to Cardigan. Similarly the map of 1718 Thomas Taylor repeats this detail and in 1798 John Cory published maps of England and Wales with roadways, again showing the St. Davids/Fishguard and Cardigan connections.
On Cory’s map a lesser roadway is shown following the course of the current A40 road from Haverfordwest northwards to Fishguard. On all the previous maps from Saxton onwards (1578) many churches are shown and there must have been trackways and pathways to reach those churches and the houses that may have surrounded them.
In 1794 Charles Hassall made a description of Pembrokeshire, but with very little description of north Pembrokeshire. He complains strongly about the width of trackways, and refers to “the old beaten paths of our ancestors”.
Although legal statutes from 1765 onwards authorised the construction of Turnpike Trusts very little progress occurred in north Pembrokeshire. There was a turnpike road from Haverfordwest to Fishguard and then northwards to Cardigan. By the 1830’s the operation of the turnpike roads and toll barriers helped to create the social unrest which became the Rebecca Riots (1839-44). Away from the turnpike roads path and trackways connected the villages and farms and cottages. Farmers used these trackways to move their livestock for sale or between holdings.
One example of the use of tracks and byways is shown by referring to the foundation of Rhydwilym chapel on the eastern Cleddau river north west of Clynderwen. This was the first Baptist chapel in Pembrokeshire and various Baptist groups including one from Granston parish walked to Rhydwilym and back for the Sunday services, a journey out and back of some 40 miles.
Towards the end of nineteenth century, roadways were improved and becoming the responsibility of the county councils set up under the Local Government Act of 1888..
By 1900 the mileage of minor roads in the various parishes were Llanwnda 16 miles,
St. Nicholas 5 miles, Granston 8.3 miles. The adjoining large parish of Mathry had 28½ miles of local roads.
By 1897 Goodwick village was connected through Maenclochog by the railway to Clynderwen and the main GWR line. This connection brought big changes with access to towns, movement of livestock and agricultural products and delivery of purchased products.
Ten years later by July 1906 the main GWR line to Goodwick and Fishguard was opened with the ferry connection to Ireland.
Three years later in August 1909 Fishguard harbour received the famous steam ship Mauretania on August 29th. This transatlantic liner dropped anchor outside the main breakwater, some 200 passengers and mail bags were unloaded during the 55-minute halt at Fishguard harbour. The journey of 280 miles to Paddington station, London, took 4 hours 36 minutes, leaving Fishguard at 2.51 p.m. arriving Paddington 7.28 p.m. This ferry service from Fishguard harbour to Rosslare is still operating 115 years later.
Because of the poor condition of tracks and local roadways, the sea connections through the local ports of Abercastle (Mathry Parish) and Fishguard (today Lower Town harbour) together with the sands at Goodwick were both busy and important for the export of agricultural produce and for importing a whole variety of items.
One of the most important imports to both the harbours and small inlets, such as Aber Bach and Porth Sychan (Llanwnda Parish) were cargos of culm which is a mixture of small coal dust and clay, together with lime stone which was burnt in the lime kilns using the culm as a fuel source. The resulting burnt lime was then spread by the farmers on their fields.
Such imports came into Goodwick Sands, with lime kilns at Dyffryn, Porth Sychan with its lime kiln, Aberbach with its lime kiln, and Abercastle harbour also with lime kilns.
The importance of coastal shipping lasted until the early 20th century when railway wagons became the more effective means to transport. A good example of this sea borne trade comes from the farm books of Mr and Mrs Harries Bowen of Tresissillt farm (Granston Parish).
Among a number of entries from 1896 onwards the details show ship loads of clum imported into Aberbach beach. In 1900 three ship loads were imported with a total cargo estimated at 115 tons costing 10/- per ton plus haulage at £2-10d. per vessel. Thus, the total cost was £65.00. The material was sold in small quantities to local people at 2/-1d. per barrel which worked out at approximately 15/- per ton. The result for 1900 was an income of £75.5s.-9d. plus 12 tons for home use.
Use of ship loads continued until around 1900 after which time use of railway truck loads of about 9-10 tons per time, were delivered to Goodwick station and purchased. These smaller loads were used for the house and farm employees. The last ship load recorded was on 21st June 1915 with the arrival of 42 tons from Hook colliery. Freight cost 3/-6d. per ton giving a total cost of £29.00. Of the 42 tons, 28 tons were sold and the remainder approximately 14 tons used by the farmhouse. Total proceeds from the sale of 28 tons amounted to £21.9s.6d.
By the time the G.W.R. main line became operative the railway provided the transport for sales and purchases from the local agricultural industry. As a result local farmers developed supply and sale arrangements with countrywide purchasers and suppliers. A good example of such transport is Harries Bowen of Tresissyllt farm on 5th November 1918 sending by rail his pedigree Shorthorn bull calf for sale to a show and sale at Bingley Hall near Birmingham. The calf was sold for 135 guineas, plus £1 prize money.
For over 100 years Fishguard Harbour has provided a busy and important transport link to Ireland. Although rail services have been reduced, a regular service from the harbour and Goodwick station to the main London to Milford Haven line remains. Main road facilities have been substantially improved giving easy access along the A40 and the A48 dual carriageway to the M4 motorway at Pont Abraham junction west of Swansea.