page_title: Old Iron Bridge, Merthyr Tydfil
section_title: Earlier bridges in Merthyr
hierarchical_section_title: Old Iron Bridge, Merthyr Tydfil / Earlier bridges in Merthyr
caption_attribution_description: Jackson's Bridge, the oldest remaining bridge in Merthyr Tydfil
context_page_description: The Old Iron Bridge of 1800, originally known simply as Merthyr Bridge before 1809, in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, was a cast-iron bridge across the River Taff.
  Although an important early example of iron bridge-building and well known as a local landmark within living memory, the bridge has largely disappeared from engineering history.
context_section_description: Richard Crawshay's Cyfarthfa Ironworks was on the West bank of the River Taff, the opposite side from the centre of the developing town.
  The previous stone bridge had collapsed in the winter of 1798–99. This left the only bridge across the Taff as Jackson's Bridge, which had been built in 1793 by the Dowlais Iron Company. This was an inconvenience to the inhabitants of Merthyr, many of whom now worked for the Cyfartha ironworks, who needed to cross the river to get to the works. Rivalry between the ironmasters was also intense and it was a matter of prestige for Cyfartha workers to not be dependent upon another company's bridge.
  Small iron bridges already existed at Merthyr, crossing the Glamorganshire Canal. This was a far smaller watercourse than the Taff and only needed a simple single-panel bridge. One of these still survives, although now only kept as a monument in a park.
caption: Jackson's Bridge, still standing and now the oldest surviving bridge in Merthyr Tydfil
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