Archaeology and the A465 in the Clydach Gorge

Wessex Archaeology

Welsh Government’s decision to upgrade the A465 between Bryn-mawr and Gilwern to a dual carriageway provided an opportunity for main contractor Costain to employ archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology to find out more about the unique industrial landscape of the Clydach Gorge. This is the story of the archaeological investigations that took place in 2015−19 in advance of and during the construction of the new road. This extremely challenging project included building 14 major structures, over 12.5 km of retaining walls, and moving 1.2 million cubic metres of soil and rock whilst maintaining traffic flows on the existing route.