Ystradgynlais & District

History and Heritage

Ystradgynlais History and Heritage

Ystradgynlais is an old mining and industrial town in the Swansea Valley and many remnants of those times can still be found in the local area, including the iconic Ynyscedwyn Ironworks arches, in Glanrhyd.


Views of Ystradgynlais


As well as the sections above, we have created a Photograph Album section to our website, Views of Ystradgynlais. We aim to show series of photographs by the website authors, providing a fuller picture of modern Ystradgyynlais and district (we also include Llangiwg Church further down the valley).
See our webpages of Photo Albums of Ystradynlais


The History of Ystradgynlais and District

The history of the Gorsedd Stones, Ystradgynlais, and of the 1954 National Eisteddfod of Wales is covered in detail.
NEW AS OF 2016 - The Changing Face of Gorsedd Park, Ystradgynlais.

We have a detailed history of Maesydderwen School, from its beginnings in the old Maesydderwen Mansion associated with the Ynyscedwyn Ironworks. Also covered are four of the recently-closed local primary schools: Cynlais, Ynyscedwyn, Gurnos and Cwmtwrch.

South Wales was also a centre of the religious revival in the nineteenth century that saw a score or more of different independent chapels established in the district of Ystradgynlais. Many of these are now being closed, and sold or demolished, and we preserve the memory of some of them here. Throughout a lot of local history, the name of the Gough family shines out, as local landowners and benefactors of chapels, schools and charitable enterprises throughout the district.


All copyright remains with the original copyright holder, and all original research is copyright Val Trevallion, YEARGroup and is put online as a free community project by Wolfian Design. You can contact the Ystradgynlais and Ystalyfera History and Heritage websites by emailing:- contact@ystradgynlais-history.co.uk or Val Trevallion by emailing:-
yeargroup@hotmail.co.uk.



Remembering The Fallen
The war graves and remembrance graves of Ystradgynlais and of Ystalyfera form an important part of local history, and on separate domains we have established websites dedicated to preserving the memory of those who fell in the world wars. These websites also index local cemeteries, memorials and monuments, as well as include many excerpts from the Llais newspaper, archived at Ystradgynlais Library.



FEATURED ON THIS WEBSITE

 
History of Schools
The history of the schools of Ystradgynlais, including Maesydderwen and the old, now closed, primary schools.

  Aircraft Crash Sites
Aircraft crash sites in the Brecon Beacons near to Ystradgynlais, including a Vulcan, as well as WW2 aircraft.

 
Saint Cynog's Church
The history of Saint Cynog's Church, Ystradgynlais, rebuilt as a new building in 1861.

  Gorsedd Park
The history of Gorsedd Park, Ystradgynlais, with the stones laid out for the National Eisteddfod of 1954.

 
Chapels of Ystradgynlais
This section of the Ystradgynlais History website is to give a home to historical and photographic information about the chapels of Ystradgynlais, and district.

  Commercial History
From the late nineteenth century into the early decades of the twentieth, industry, commerce, and services within Ystradgynlais grew in proportion to the increasing population.

 
Ystradgynlais - Interesting Lives
When entering their obituary, the writer actually exposes just what an interesting life he/she actually led. And there was our title 'INTERESTING LIVES'.
 
  Ystradgynlais - History Articles
Ystradgynlais History and Heritage has at its disposal a large canvas upon which to paint the picture of life in the local area over the last two hundred years.


 

 

Ystradgynlais - South Wales

Saint Cynog's Church, Ystradgynlais

Contact Ystradgynlais History
Telephone : Available on Request

Email Yeargroup:
yeargroup@hotmail.co.uk
Email Wolfian Design:
webdesign@wolfianpress.com
Ystradgynlais Wargraves
Wolfian Press
Whether you have a book all ready to go, or just the idea for a book, the Wolfian Press can make your dream a reality.
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Valley Boys in the Great War

VALLEY BOYS IN THE GREAT WAR
We are pleased to present our First World War project as a contribution to the Centenary of WWI It is a document entitled: YSTALYFERA YSTRADGYNLAIS And DISTRICT 1914 -1918..

Download the full version
Download the smaller version

Stepping Out Into Showbusiness

Click the cover to purchase the paperback


Simone dreamed of becoming a showbusiness star during her nights in the air raid shelter in the garden of her home in Southall, during World War Two. After joining the A.T.S. in the war, she became part of the concert party entertaining the troops, eventually joining the Windmill Theatre.



 
 




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