Hi all,

I live within the Vaynor area of Merthyr Tydfil and I vaguely remember a friend saying a few years ago that there was a large caving system under the river near Cefn Coed Cemetry, Looking on the maps and it seems to be Ogof Pont Yr Meirw, does anyone have any information on this cave or has anyone attempted it?

Thanks

That's a cracking name! The only bridges of death I know of are up north. I'm mainly comenting to make sure I catch a reply sorry!  :-[

I remember the Cefn Coed Cemetary scandal back in the 80's when shallow graves were discovered, with evidence of body tampering and looting of valuables.

With respect to Pont y Meirw Cave, the Cambrian Cave Registary describes it thus: "Only the first 36m of the cave is accessible to non Divers. The sump has been dived to around 76m. ICI Fibres SS, 1964."

The main rising, near the viaduct, which is in the overlying Bishopstone Formation appears to be Cefn Coed Risings, but the CCR states that the source of the water is unknown, so dyetests have not been performed, or were inconclusive, or the CCR not updated. Between Pont y Meirw Cave and the rising are two caves both named Taf Fawr Caves and are 100m and 200m respectively. Other significant caves forming the 'system' are Ogof Craig-y-Rhydd, Ogof Cil Sanws and Ogof Tee.

Certainly, a cursory look at a map plotting the cave locations on a geological layer show there is potential for a 1mile+ system.

I think I remember Tony Donovan telling me that the stream in Twll Clogfaen (lovely little cave, well worth a visit) had been traced to Ogof Pont-y-Meirw. It makes sense for it to be the rising for Twll Clogfaen, which isn't far away horizontally but is quite a bit higher. I believe there is just a single, small passage leading to the sump. 'There is a book'(!) of course, which contains a survey of the cave.

There is a choke beyond the sump in Pont-y-Meirw, which has been dug. Unfortunately, a diver died in 1998, when he ran out of air returning through the sump after a digging session.

I haven't been in the cave but the one time I was at the entrance (some years ago), there was at least one ramshackle 'building' outside. I wasn't sure if it was an ambitious kids' den or if someone had been living rough there.

A bit of history:

This is a resurgence cave discovered by the BNSSS in 4-09-64.  It consisted of 120 feet of low passage ending in a sump.  In the following month it was free dived by Colin Graham and Mike Jeanmaire for 10 feet.  Finally in November 1965 the legendary Mike Wooding and the late Dr Oliver Cromwell Lloyd pushed the sump to 250 feet with a couple of air spaces on the way. 
The cave is located on the west bank of the Afon [River] T?f Fawr about 700 yards north of the Heads of the Valleys Road near Cefn Coed cemetery.  If the cemetery is open, access can easily be gained from the A 470 Brecon to Merthyr road.  There is a bridge connecting the two halves of the cemetery and the cave is 50 yards upstream from there in an old quarry which is about 30 feet high and 50 yards long.  The entrance is 3 feet high and 6 feet across and easily seen from the bridge.  It is about 10 feet above river level.  Just below the entrance is the impenetrable resurgence for the cave.