Ystalyfera
Encyclopedia
Ystalyfera is a former industrial village
in the upper Swansea Valley
, on the River Tawe
, about 13 miles (21 km) north-east of Swansea
. It is an electoral ward and a community
in the unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot
, Wales, comprising a resident population of just over 3,000 people, approximately 60% of whom speak Welsh
.
National Cycle Route 43
passes though the village.
words, Ynys (meaning River Meadow), Tal (meaning End), Y (The) and Berran (A Composite of Ber and Rhan, which indicates a land-share). A short piece of shared land (probably between agricultural labourers). The history of the name can be seen as it evolved through the ages: -
Ystalyfera grew as a village with the advent of coal mining
and iron
working, which were a huge part of everyday life in the local communities of the Swansea Valley
.
In 1838 a furnace
was built by James Palmer Budd at Ystalyfera and from this grew the iron
and tinplate works which by 1863 was described as 'the largest tinplate manufactory in the world'. A new cold-blast process was successfully introduced here and, despite some early crises, the works prospered. By the mid 1850s there were forty furnaces for puddling and balling in operation and sixteen tin mills and houses. The output of iron increased from the 4,893 tons of 1843 to 29,828 tons in 1858. The works continued to grow during the 1860s and reached peak production in 1872 with the sale of 182,000 boxes of tinplate.
By this time, however, the years of prosperity were numbered. The 1870s witnessed little further addition to the plant of the works. Steel
had now come to challenge iron
on a larger scale, new methods of production demanded the energy, technical skill and capital
which the ageing J. P. Budd at Ystalyfera could not supply. The works continued to operate during the eighteen seventies, but with Budd's death in 1880 the end was in sight. By this time the works were incurring heavy losses and late in 1885 the works finally closed. For more than forty years the works had been the colossus of the district and, more than anything else, had been responsible for the transformation of the latter's economic basis and social structure. Less significant in their contribution were the two ironworks, at Pontardawe
and Brynamman
, though both became substantial producers of tinplate from the 1860s.
The expansion in iron
production inevitably created a heavy demand for local coal
. The middle decades of the 19th century saw the expansion of existing mines and the sinking of new ones in the parish
and the neighbouring districts.
With the closure of the iron works and later the coalmines, Ystalyfera suffered very heavily on the economic front. Through the 20th century, the village rebuilt and redefined its role. At present, there are various small businesses that run in the village, though most of the village's inhabitants commute
to nearby Swansea
or Neath
to work.
schools at both primary school and comprehensive school
level. The Wern (English: Alder) Primary School, which was established at the end of the 19th Century and Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, the latter having consistently good examination results. These schools reflect the high proportion of Welsh speakers in the area.
Ystalyfera is home to Ystalyfera RFC
– a rugby union
club, which is an integral part of the village – and a cricket
team. The village was home to two cinemas, as well as one just outside the boundary, which were all later demolished.
Ystalyfera is also the home to the Wern Fawr public house
, and its famed Bryncelyn Brewery
. The Brewery
on site produced the Champion Beer
of Wales in 2002/3 and 2003/4, coming 3rd in 2004/5. All of the beers produced have a Buddy Holly
theme.
(Females / male) 1.07 (1.05 for UK)
Average commute 12.03 miles (8.73 miles for UK)
Average age 41 (39 for UK)
Home ownership 12% (16.9% for UK)
Student population 2% (4.4% for UK)
People in good health 58% (69% for UK)
People in bad health 42% (53% for UK)
county borough
and consists of some or all of the following settlements: Ystalyfera and Gurnos in the parliamentary constituency of Neath
. The ward consists of a dense settlement to the east and north around the A4067 road
in the Swansea Valley
. An area of woodland
lies to the west and the rest of the ward consists of open moorland
with a few farms.
Ystalyfera is bounded by the wards of Cwmtwrch
and of Powys
to the northeast; Ystradgynlais Town
(Ynyscedwyn ward), Powys
to the east; Rhos
to the southeast; Godre'r Graig
to the south; Pontardawe
to the west; and Cwmllynfell
to the northwest.
In the 2008 local council elections
, the electorate turnout was 49.08%. The results were:
project in 2008.
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 the upper Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
, on the River Tawe
River Tawe
The River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its main tributaries are the right bank Upper and Lower Clydach...
, about 13 miles (21 km) north-east of 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...
. It is an electoral ward and a community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in the unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
, Wales, comprising a resident population of just over 3,000 people, approximately 60% of whom speak Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
.
National Cycle Route 43
National Cycle Route 43
National Cycle Network, Route 43 is part of the National Cycle Network and the Celtic Trail, which connects Swansea with Builth Wells. Most of the route is still awaiting development...
passes though the village.
History
The history of Ystalyfera begins with a small farming family who shared the land. This is reflected in the village's name, composed from the WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
words, Ynys (meaning River Meadow), Tal (meaning End), Y (The) and Berran (A Composite of Ber and Rhan, which indicates a land-share). A short piece of shared land (probably between agricultural labourers). The history of the name can be seen as it evolved through the ages: -
- 1582 Ynys Tal y Veran
- 1604 Tir Ynystalverran
- 1797 Stalyfera Issa, Ycha, Genol
- 1831 Ystal-y-fera
Ystalyfera grew as a village with the advent of 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,...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
working, which were a huge part of everyday life in the local communities of the Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
.
In 1838 a furnace
Furnace
A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
was built by James Palmer Budd at Ystalyfera and from this grew the iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and tinplate works which by 1863 was described as 'the largest tinplate manufactory in the world'. A new cold-blast process was successfully introduced here and, despite some early crises, the works prospered. By the mid 1850s there were forty furnaces for puddling and balling in operation and sixteen tin mills and houses. The output of iron increased from the 4,893 tons of 1843 to 29,828 tons in 1858. The works continued to grow during the 1860s and reached peak production in 1872 with the sale of 182,000 boxes of tinplate.
By this time, however, the years of prosperity were numbered. The 1870s witnessed little further addition to the plant of the works. Steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
had now come to challenge iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
on a larger scale, new methods of production demanded the energy, technical skill and capital
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
which the ageing J. P. Budd at Ystalyfera could not supply. The works continued to operate during the eighteen seventies, but with Budd's death in 1880 the end was in sight. By this time the works were incurring heavy losses and late in 1885 the works finally closed. For more than forty years the works had been the colossus of the district and, more than anything else, had been responsible for the transformation of the latter's economic basis and social structure. Less significant in their contribution were the two ironworks, at Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
and Brynamman
Brynamman
Brynamman is a village sitting on the south facing side of the Black Mountain, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The village is split in two into Upper Brynamman and Lower Brynamman by the River Amman which also acts as the boundary between the counties of Carmarthenshire and Neath Port...
, though both became substantial producers of tinplate from the 1860s.
The expansion in iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
production inevitably created a heavy demand for local coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. The middle decades of the 19th century saw the expansion of existing mines and the sinking of new ones in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
and the neighbouring districts.
With the closure of the iron works and later the coalmines, Ystalyfera suffered very heavily on the economic front. Through the 20th century, the village rebuilt and redefined its role. At present, there are various small businesses that run in the village, though most of the village's inhabitants commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
to nearby 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...
or Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
to work.
Present
The village has Welsh languageWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
schools at both primary school and comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
level. The Wern (English: Alder) Primary School, which was established at the end of the 19th Century and Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, the latter having consistently good examination results. These schools reflect the high proportion of Welsh speakers in the area.
Ystalyfera is home to Ystalyfera RFC
Ystalyfera RFC
Ystalyfera Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Ystalyfera in south Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is also a feeder club for the Ospreys...
– a 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, which is an integral part of the village – and a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team. The village was home to two cinemas, as well as one just outside the boundary, which were all later demolished.
Ystalyfera is also the home to the Wern Fawr public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, and its famed Bryncelyn Brewery
Bryncelyn Brewery
Bryncelyn Brewery is a brew pub in 'Wern Fawr Inn', a pub located near Ystalyfera, Neath Port Talbot in Wales. Brewing was begun in July 1999, and the brewers are Will Hopton and Robert Scott....
. The Brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
on site produced the Champion Beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
of Wales in 2002/3 and 2003/4, coming 3rd in 2004/5. All of the beers produced have a Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
theme.
Population breakdown
Population density (People / sq mi) 2.8 (24.9 for UK)(Females / male) 1.07 (1.05 for UK)
Average commute 12.03 miles (8.73 miles for UK)
Average age 41 (39 for UK)
Home ownership 12% (16.9% for UK)
Student population 2% (4.4% for UK)
People in good health 58% (69% for UK)
People in bad health 42% (53% for UK)
Government and politics
The electoral ward of Ystalyfera is a division of Neath Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
and consists of some or all of the following settlements: Ystalyfera and Gurnos in the parliamentary constituency of Neath
Neath (UK Parliament constituency)
Neath is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election and one Assembly Member by the first past the post system of election.- The Constituency of Neath :The constituency...
. The ward consists of a dense settlement to the east and north around the A4067 road
A4067 road
The A4067 road is an A road in Wales connecting Swansea with Sennybridge. It runs in a southwest to northeast direction beginning at Oystermouth Square in Mumbles, Swansea, and continuing from there to Swansea city centre, where there is a break in the route...
in the Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
. An area of woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
lies to the west and the rest of the ward consists of open moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
with a few farms.
Ystalyfera is bounded by the wards of Cwmtwrch
Cwmtwrch
Cwmtwrch is a village in the Swansea Valley, Wales, some 15 miles north of Swansea.- History and origins :The name Cwmtwrch derives from the “Twrch Trwyth” a mythical wild boar of King Arthur’s legends and the ancient Welsh folklore tales of the Mabinogion in early Welsh literature...
and of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
to the northeast; Ystradgynlais Town
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
(Ynyscedwyn ward), Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
to the east; Rhos
Rhos, Neath Port Talbot
Rhos is a village in the Swansea Valley, located between Neath and Pontardawe, in Neath Port Talbot county borough, South Wales.-History:Originally part of the Cilybebyll estate, the Primrose Colliery was developed from the mid-1800's, close to the village. On 13 October 1858, when owned by Morgan...
to the southeast; Godre'r Graig
Godre'r Graig
Godre'r Graig is village and an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.The village developed alongside the coal workings at the Tarenni Colliery, which closed in 1949....
to the south; Pontardawe
Pontardawe (electoral ward)
Pontardawe is an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is a division of the Pontardawe community and falls within the parliamentary constituency of Neath....
to the west; and Cwmllynfell
Cwmllynfell
Cwmllynfell is the name of a village, community and electoral ward in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.- Amenities :Cwmllynfell has its own local rugby union team - Cwmllynfell RFC. Also, a Welsh Primary School, CK's Supermarket, Post Office, village hall, church, chapel and a grooming parlour...
to the northwest.
In the 2008 local council elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2008
The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
, the electorate turnout was 49.08%. The results were:
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alun Llewelyn | Plaid Cymru | 749 | Plaid Cymru hold |
| Noir James | Labour | 388 |
Community Archives Wales
Ystalyfera Heritage Society is a well-established local history group based in Ystalyfera Development Trust. The group also holds larger meetings at the British Legion Club in Ystalyfera. Members of the group have a great deal of local knowledge which they are keen to share and the society has gathered a wonderful collection of photographs. The group's aim is to encourage and promote an interest and awareness of all aspects of local heritage and to make their collection available to the local community and to the wider community on the World Wide Web. With this in mind they joined the Community Archives WalesCommunity Archives Wales
Community Archives Wales is a website of digital content created and maintained by a number of community heritage groups from across Wales...
project in 2008.