Tycroes
Encyclopedia
Tycroes is a village
in Carmarthenshire
, Wales
. As measured in the 2001 Census
, the population of Tycroes was 2,156 persons (49% male, 51% female). Tycroes School has around 180 pupils.
The village forms the westernmost fringe of the Amman
valley and rests mainly on the anthracite coal measures
, part of the South Wales coalfield
. It straddles the A483
Swansea
to Manchester
Trunk road
and has a linear village
structure, having developed substantially along roads which meet at the centre of the village. The trunk road is in the main artery from north to south of the country and is connected to the M4 motorway
network which affords transportation from mainland Europe
to Ireland. The rail link at nearby Pantyffynnon
contributes a daily service to Swansea, Llanelli
and Shrewsbury
.
Topographically, the village slopes in a general south west to north east direction thus affording panoramic views of the Black Mountain
in the east with its peaks - Tair Cairn 482 m, Garreg Lwyd 616 m and behind them Fan Hir
802 m. To the south there are views from Betws Mountain
to Mynydd y Gwair above Garnswllt
. To the north there is the limestone ridge from Llandybie
to Upper Tumble.
The Fferws brook which flows from the west to the east divides the local authority administrative areas between Llanedi and Llandybie Community Councils. The name Fferws is possibly derived from the fact that the river flows over mineral rocks which contain iron ore (ferrous being the chemical name for iron). Others say it derives from a delightful house that once stood on its banks - "fairhouse".
where two properties of notable character stood. The first is Plas Mawr
also known Plas Llanedy and Cwrt y Ceidrim. The main portion of the house dates from the 16th century. This was the seat of the Penry family and their descendants, Jones. William Penry and his son Henry were High Sheriffs in 1736 and 1756 respectively. The Penry family descended from Bleddyn ap Maenarch and were at Cwrt y Ceidrim in the Elizabethan era
. In 1876 Plas Mawr Estate nearly 850 acres (3.4 km²) was offered for sale. Later the Buckley family acquired it and in 1921 they offered for sale the freehold farm 129 acre (0.52204494 km²).
A field belonging to the farm was called Ynys y Capel and, according to tradition, a chapel had once stood there; another tradition states that a 'tunnel' connected the mansion to Carreg Cennen Castle. It is also rumoured that Oliver Cromwell
rested there during his campaign in the principality during the Second English Civil War
in Wales. Today Plas Mawr has now been restored and is the family home of the Wiley and Waters family.
The other property is Erw Wasted located three-quarters of a mile from Plas Mawr. This was the home of the Price family from the 17th century. Francis Price was the High Sheriff in 1723. Later in the 18th century the price family moved to Plas Newydd
in Llanedy.
The village owes its existence
to the development of the coal mining
industry during the 19th century. A few shallow shafts and drift was constructed to the rear of Bethesda Chapel at Mynydd Bach. Mynydd Bach was the former name for the village or hamlet. A tramway ran from the mine along Pontardulais road, part of Tycroes road and Heol Brown to the Brown Colliery at Waun y Wernos beyond Heol Brown and then to the sidings of the old Wernos Colliery.
The placename "Tycroes" is derived from the cottage or house (Ty) that stood at the crossroads, which is now the village square. In 1900 the village consisted of less than 100 homes but today there are about 800. The population at the turn of the century was approximately 400 and today is 2,122. During the late 1930's and early 40's children's recreation during school holiday
s was mostly spent along Penygarn Road. It was cricket in the summer and football in the winter. Coats were used for wickets and goalpost and the 'pitch' was between the entrance between the Mission Hall and Pantyboblen. Interruption to the game was only twice a day - the milk lorry and 'Jenkins the Plas' in his Jaguar car.
Since 1965 and especially during the house building boom of the early 70's, housing development erupted spreading its wings in all directions and this changed the face of the village. Frontage development took place along the existing roads and private housing estates at Penygarn Road, Pontardulais Road and the lower end of Tycroes Road. This trend reflects Tycroes's attractive situation.
The Brynhafod area reminds us of the connection with Canada
. A Canadian maple tree grows at the bottom of the garden of 'Fernhill' (on Ammanford Road) where in previous years the Parry family once lived and some members of the family emigrated to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century and became a prominent family in Hamilton City
, Ontario
.
Mining is no longer a major source of employment. Local employment opportunities are varied and limited but is improving with the continued extension of factory units at nearby Capel Hendre and Cross Hands Industrial estates.
was provided at the local Church School, which is today used as the Church Hall. In 1904 the present county Primary School was built and was then known as the Board school.
It is now known as Tycroes primary school, its is a mixed gender school, and only teaches in English, though welsh is taught in the curriculum. The school has currently started a £4.5 million renovation, which includes; a new hall,new dining area, new sports hall and great new modern class rooms. These shall provide a great learning service for the children.
in the village pre-1870 and people had to walk either to St. Edith's Church in Llanedi or the chapels in Ammanford (then known as Cross Inn) or to Capel Hendre and Saron. It was in 1876 that the first chapels were built; Moriah (Congregational) was the 'daughter' of Christian Temple Ammanford and Caersalem (Calvinistic Methodist) was the 'daughter' of Capel Hendre. Then at the earlier part of this century Bethesda (Baptist) was built in 1913 and building work commenced at St. Edmund's Church on the 29th January, 1914. Later in 1932 the Neuadd Efengylu, locally known as the Mission Hall or Gospel Hall, was opened.
, church hall, and the Scout's hall for the social, cultural, community events and other functions. The Senior Citizens Association, St. Johns Ambulance Brigade, Local Charities Committee, Ysgol Feithrin are some of the institutions which are accommodated at these halls, not forgetting the Library. The village hall was originally built as a Billiards
hall. It was later sold to the 'Urdd Gobaith Cymru' who later sold it to the Miners Welfare Association - and is today the village hall which the residents can be proud of.
The Rugby Union
Club at Penygarn Road provides good recreational facilities for both children, youth and senior players and, over the years, has produced some fine rugby players who were honoured to represent their country.The rugby club Also provides the village with great entertainment including the now established annual music event Party on the Pitch.
Lately a football pitch
has been provided by the County Council at Heol Brown where the public park is also located. Despite the gradual change now being witnessed in its communal character, the village of Tycroes is still widely acclaimed to be a delightful place to live in.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. As measured in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the population of Tycroes was 2,156 persons (49% male, 51% female). Tycroes School has around 180 pupils.
The village forms the westernmost fringe of the Amman
River Amman
The River Amman is a river of south Wales, which joins the River Loughor at Pantyffynnon. The river gives its name to the town of Ammanford and the villages of Pontamman, Glanaman, Brynamman and Rhosaman. Garnant and Betws also lie in the Amman Valley....
valley and rests mainly on the anthracite coal measures
Coal Measures
The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
, part of the South Wales coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
. It straddles the A483
A483 road
The A483 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England, although the official title is the Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road.-Swansea:...
Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
and has a linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
structure, having developed substantially along roads which meet at the centre of the village. The trunk road is in the main artery from north to south of the country and is connected to the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
network which affords transportation from mainland Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
to Ireland. The rail link at nearby Pantyffynnon
Pantyffynnon
Pantyffynnon is a small village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, located half a mile south-west of Ammanford, and a mile east of Tycroes. It lies between the rivers Loughor and Amman at the foot of Mynydd y Betws....
contributes a daily service to Swansea, Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
.
Topographically, the village slopes in a general south west to north east direction thus affording panoramic views of the Black Mountain
Black Mountain (range)
The Black Mountain is a mountain range in Mid and West Wales, straddling the county boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys and forming the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its highest point is Fan Brycheiniog at 802 metres or 2,631 ft. The Black Mountain also forms a part...
in the east with its peaks - Tair Cairn 482 m, Garreg Lwyd 616 m and behind them Fan Hir
Fan Hir
Fan Hir is a peak at the eastern end of the Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. It is a subsidiary summit of Fan Brycheiniog. It falls within the county of Powys and is also a part of the traditional area of Fforest Fawr...
802 m. To the south there are views from Betws Mountain
Mynydd y Betws
Mynydd y Betws is a mountain located on the border between Swansea and Carmarthenshire, south Wales.It is the highest mountain in Swansea, and the highest land between the River Loughor and the Upper Clydach River. A small road between Ammanford and Clydach passes very close to the summit, on which...
to Mynydd y Gwair above Garnswllt
Garnswllt
Garnswllt is a rural village in Swansea, Wales falling within the Mawr ward. It lies in the far north of Swansea near the border with Carmarthenshire....
. To the north there is the limestone ridge from Llandybie
Llandybie
Llandybie is a community, and a large village two miles north of Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, Wales.The latest Ordnance Survey map the Grid reference at the centre of the village is SN 617 154...
to Upper Tumble.
The Fferws brook which flows from the west to the east divides the local authority administrative areas between Llanedi and Llandybie Community Councils. The name Fferws is possibly derived from the fact that the river flows over mineral rocks which contain iron ore (ferrous being the chemical name for iron). Others say it derives from a delightful house that once stood on its banks - "fairhouse".
History
Pre-nineteenth century the area was sparsely populated owing to the agricultural land being poor of quality. The best land was found to be along the banks of the River LoughorRiver Loughor
The River Loughor in Carmarthenshire, Wales has its source at an underground lake at the Black Mountain. It flows past settlements like Ammanford and Hendy in Carmarthenshire and Pontarddulais in Swansea. The river divides Carmarthenshire from Swansea for much of its course and it separates Hendy...
where two properties of notable character stood. The first is Plas Mawr
Plas Mawr
right|thumb|250px|Plas MawrPlas Mawr is a historic house in Conwy, north Wales, dating from the 16th century. The house has been restored to its original appearance, with assistance from Cadw, in whose care it is now...
also known Plas Llanedy and Cwrt y Ceidrim. The main portion of the house dates from the 16th century. This was the seat of the Penry family and their descendants, Jones. William Penry and his son Henry were High Sheriffs in 1736 and 1756 respectively. The Penry family descended from Bleddyn ap Maenarch and were at Cwrt y Ceidrim in the Elizabethan era
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
. In 1876 Plas Mawr Estate nearly 850 acres (3.4 km²) was offered for sale. Later the Buckley family acquired it and in 1921 they offered for sale the freehold farm 129 acre (0.52204494 km²).
A field belonging to the farm was called Ynys y Capel and, according to tradition, a chapel had once stood there; another tradition states that a 'tunnel' connected the mansion to Carreg Cennen Castle. It is also rumoured that Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
rested there during his campaign in the principality during the Second English Civil War
Second English Civil War
The Second English Civil War was the second of three wars known as the English Civil War which refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652 and also include the First English Civil War and the...
in Wales. Today Plas Mawr has now been restored and is the family home of the Wiley and Waters family.
The other property is Erw Wasted located three-quarters of a mile from Plas Mawr. This was the home of the Price family from the 17th century. Francis Price was the High Sheriff in 1723. Later in the 18th century the price family moved to Plas Newydd
Plas Newydd
Plas Newydd, located in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales, is the country seat of the Marquess of Anglesey. The family's former principal seat at Beaudesert, Staffordshire, was sold and demolished in the 1930s....
in Llanedy.
The village owes its existence
Mining in Wales
Mining in Wales provided a significant source of income to the economy of Wales throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth century....
to the development of the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industry during the 19th century. A few shallow shafts and drift was constructed to the rear of Bethesda Chapel at Mynydd Bach. Mynydd Bach was the former name for the village or hamlet. A tramway ran from the mine along Pontardulais road, part of Tycroes road and Heol Brown to the Brown Colliery at Waun y Wernos beyond Heol Brown and then to the sidings of the old Wernos Colliery.
The placename "Tycroes" is derived from the cottage or house (Ty) that stood at the crossroads, which is now the village square. In 1900 the village consisted of less than 100 homes but today there are about 800. The population at the turn of the century was approximately 400 and today is 2,122. During the late 1930's and early 40's children's recreation during school holiday
School holiday
School holidays are the periods during which schools are closed for study. The dates and periods of school holidays vary considerably throughout the world, and there is usually some variation even within the same jurisdiction.- Christmas holiday :In countries with a predominantly Judeo-Christian...
s was mostly spent along Penygarn Road. It was cricket in the summer and football in the winter. Coats were used for wickets and goalpost and the 'pitch' was between the entrance between the Mission Hall and Pantyboblen. Interruption to the game was only twice a day - the milk lorry and 'Jenkins the Plas' in his Jaguar car.
Since 1965 and especially during the house building boom of the early 70's, housing development erupted spreading its wings in all directions and this changed the face of the village. Frontage development took place along the existing roads and private housing estates at Penygarn Road, Pontardulais Road and the lower end of Tycroes Road. This trend reflects Tycroes's attractive situation.
The Brynhafod area reminds us of the connection with Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. A Canadian maple tree grows at the bottom of the garden of 'Fernhill' (on Ammanford Road) where in previous years the Parry family once lived and some members of the family emigrated to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century and became a prominent family in Hamilton City
Hamilton City
Hamilton City may refer to:*Hamilton City, California, a community in the United States*Hamilton City, Wyoming, a ghost town in the United States, better known as Miner's Delight...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Mining is no longer a major source of employment. Local employment opportunities are varied and limited but is improving with the continued extension of factory units at nearby Capel Hendre and Cross Hands Industrial estates.
Education
From 1863 till 1904, primary educationPrimary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
was provided at the local Church School, which is today used as the Church Hall. In 1904 the present county Primary School was built and was then known as the Board school.
It is now known as Tycroes primary school, its is a mixed gender school, and only teaches in English, though welsh is taught in the curriculum. The school has currently started a £4.5 million renovation, which includes; a new hall,new dining area, new sports hall and great new modern class rooms. These shall provide a great learning service for the children.
Places of worship
There were no places of worshipPlace of worship
A place of worship or house of worship is an establishment or her location where a group of people comes to perform acts of religious study, honor, or devotion. The form and function of religious architecture has evolved over thousands of years for both changing beliefs and architectural style...
in the village pre-1870 and people had to walk either to St. Edith's Church in Llanedi or the chapels in Ammanford (then known as Cross Inn) or to Capel Hendre and Saron. It was in 1876 that the first chapels were built; Moriah (Congregational) was the 'daughter' of Christian Temple Ammanford and Caersalem (Calvinistic Methodist) was the 'daughter' of Capel Hendre. Then at the earlier part of this century Bethesda (Baptist) was built in 1913 and building work commenced at St. Edmund's Church on the 29th January, 1914. Later in 1932 the Neuadd Efengylu, locally known as the Mission Hall or Gospel Hall, was opened.
Facilities
There are good facilities available at the village hallVillage hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, church hall, and the Scout's hall for the social, cultural, community events and other functions. The Senior Citizens Association, St. Johns Ambulance Brigade, Local Charities Committee, Ysgol Feithrin are some of the institutions which are accommodated at these halls, not forgetting the Library. The village hall was originally built as a Billiards
Billiards
Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
hall. It was later sold to the 'Urdd Gobaith Cymru' who later sold it to the Miners Welfare Association - and is today the village hall which the residents can be proud of.
The Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Club at Penygarn Road provides good recreational facilities for both children, youth and senior players and, over the years, has produced some fine rugby players who were honoured to represent their country.The rugby club Also provides the village with great entertainment including the now established annual music event Party on the Pitch.
Lately a football pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
has been provided by the County Council at Heol Brown where the public park is also located. Despite the gradual change now being witnessed in its communal character, the village of Tycroes is still widely acclaimed to be a delightful place to live in.