103-613: Rhondda Urban District Council was a local authority in Glamorgan , Wales. It was created in 1894 as a result of the 1894 Local Government of England and Wales Act and the 1894 election saw the election of the first members of the authority, initially known as the Ystradyfodwg Urban District Council. The Council existed until 1973 and replaced the Ystradyfodwg Local Board of Health which had functioned since
206-412: A "reasonable" level of economic activity, and the anthracite coalfield in western Glamorgan (and eastern Carmarthenshire) also managed to maintain production and exports above pre-war levels. With the outbreak of World War II the coalfields of Glamorgan saw a sharp rise in trade and employment. Despite the demand the want for the youth to conscript in the war effort in the valley areas meant that there
309-600: A community under the patronage of St. Peter's Gloucester . The building of parish churches also began in the 12th century, densely in the Vale, but very sparsely in the upland and northern areas. The Laws in Wales Acts of 1535 established the County of Glamorgan through the amalgamation of the Lordship of Glamorgan with the lordships of Gower and Kilvey ; the area that had previously been
412-527: A group of industrialised peri-urban valleys in South Wales . Most of the valleys run north–south, roughly parallel to each other. Commonly referred to as "The Valleys" ( Welsh : Y Cymoedd ), they stretch from Carmarthenshire in the west to Monmouthshire in the east; to the edge of the pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain near the cities of Swansea , Cardiff , and Newport . Until
515-518: A large labour force – up to 200 men – suggestive of large communities nearby. Archaeological evidence from some Neolithic sites (e.g. Tinkinswood) has shown the continued use of cromlechi in the Bronze Age . The Bronze Age – defined by the use of metal – has made a lasting impression on the area. Over six hundred Bronze Age barrows and cairns , of various types, have been identified all over Glamorgan. Other technological innovations – including
618-500: A larger Royalist to prevent a siege of Cardiff. The period between the Laws in Wales Acts and the industrialisation of Glamorgan saw two distinct periods architecturally. From the 1530s throughout to 1650, the newly empowered gentry attempted to show their status by building stately homes to show their wealth; but the period from 1650 through to the mid-1750s was a fallow time for architectural grandeur, with few new wealthy families moving to
721-618: A local outcropping of coal near the surface, gave Swansea economic advantages in the smelting industry. Early iron smelting within Glamorgan was a localised and minor industry, with historical evidence pointing to scattered ironworks throughout the county. John Leland mentions a works at Llantrisant in 1539, an operation in Aberdare existed during the reign of Edward VI and two iron furnaces were recorded as being set up by Sir W. Mathew in Radyr during
824-523: A mound of earth known as a round barrow ; sometimes with a distinctive style of finely decorated pottery – like those at Llanharry (discovered 1929) and at Llandaff (1991) – that gave rise to the Early Bronze Age being described as Beaker culture . From c. 3350 BP, a worsening climate began to make agriculture unsustainable in upland areas. The resulting population pressures appear to have led to conflict. Hill forts began to be built from
927-503: Is the re-opening of services between Ebbw Vale and Newport (via the Gaer Tunnel ) which is projected to be completed by 2021. The South Wales Valleys contain a large proportion of the Welsh population and remain an important centre of Welsh culture , despite the growing economic dominance of Cardiff. The UK Parliament's first Labour Party MP , Keir Hardie , was elected from the area, and
1030-622: The Red Lady of Paviland – was discovered in a coastal cave between Port Eynon and Rhossili , on the Gower Peninsula. The 'lady' has been radiocarbon dated to c. 29,000 years before present (BP) – during the Late Pleistocene – at which time the cave overlooked an area of plain , some miles from the sea. From the end of the last ice age (between 12,000 and 10,000 BP) Mesolithic hunter-gatherers began to migrate to
1133-660: The British Peninsula – through Doggerland – from the European mainland . Archaeologist Stephen Aldhouse-Green notes that while Wales has a "multitude" of Mesolithic sites, their settlements were "focused on the coastal plains", the uplands were "exploited only by specialist hunting groups". Human lifestyles in North-West Europe changed around 6000 BP; from the Mesolithic nomadic lives of hunting and gathering, to
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#17328798603401236-528: The Brown Lenox Chainworks , which during the 19th century was the town's main industrial employer. The largest change to industrial Glamorgan was the opening up of the South Wales coalfield , the largest continuous coalfield in Britain, which occupied the greater part of Glamorgan, mostly north of the Vale. The coalfield provided a vast range in quality and type, but prior to 1750 the only real access to
1339-678: The Diocese of Llandaff became incorporated into the Province of Canterbury, the Bishop of Llandaff rebuilt over the small church with the beginnings of Llandaff Cathedral in 1120. In the western region of Morgannwg two monastic foundations were sited, a Savigniac house in Neath in 1130 and the Cistercian Margam Abbey in 1147. In the Vale a Benedictine monastery was founded in 1141, Ewenny Priory ,
1442-553: The Elizabethan era . By 1666 a furnace was in operation in Hirwaun and in 1680 a smelting hearth was established in Caerphilly . Despite the existence of these industries, the scale of production was small, and in 1740 the total output of iron from Glamorgan was reported at 400 tons per year. Glamorgan, now falling under the protection of the crown, was also involved in the conflicts of
1545-575: The General Strike of 1926 and then most disastrously the interwar depression of 1929–1931, which changed the face of industrial Glamorgan forever. In 1932, Glamorgan had an unemployment rate of more than 40 per cent, and one of the highest proportions of people receiving poor relief in the United Kingdom. This was a contrast with relatively recent prosperity: for example, in 1913 unemployment in Merthyr
1648-464: The Local Government Act 1972 , the county boroughs and administrative county of Glamorgan were abolished on 1 April 1974, with three new counties being established, each containing a former county borough: West Glamorgan , Mid Glamorgan , South Glamorgan . The name also survives in that of Vale of Glamorgan , a county borough . Glamorgan comprised distinct regions: the industrial valleys ,
1751-605: The Mansels at Margam , Williams of Neath , the Herberts at Cardiff and Swansea, Sir David Ap Mathew of Llandaff, and the Stradlings of St Donats . The main industry of Glamorgan during this period was agriculture. In the upland, or Blaenau area, the hilly terrain along with many areas being densely wooded, made arable farming unprofitable, so the local farming concentrated on the rearing of horses, cattle and sheep. The lowland, or Bro
1854-531: The Marquess of Bute with the intention of erecting buildings to meet the administrative, legal and educational needs of Glamorgan's county town. From 1901 onwards, Cathays Park was developed into "possibly the finest... civic centre in Britain" with a range of public buildings including the Baroque City Hall and the rococo -style University College . The majority of Nonconformist chapels were built in
1957-493: The Tawe valley also became a location for the manufacture of nickel after Ludwig Mond established a works at Clydach in 1902. Even at its peak, copper smelting was never as significant as iron smelting, which was the major industrial employer of men and capital in south Wales before the rise of the sale-coal industry. Ironmaking developed in locations where ironstone , coal and limestone were found in close proximity – primarily
2060-558: The United Kingdom . Her policies of free market economics soon clashed with the loss-making, government-owned National Coal Board. In 1984 and 1985, after the government announced plans to close many mines across the UK, mineworkers went on strike . This strike, and its ultimate failure, led to the virtual destruction of the UK's coal industry over the next decade, although arguably costs of extraction and geological difficulties would have had
2163-450: The rail network into Cardiff is extensive, train times and frequencies beyond Caerphilly and Pontypridd impede the development of a significant commuter market to city centre jobs. Although the housing stock is not of significantly worse quality than elsewhere in Wales, there is a lack of variety in terms of private dwellings. Many homes are low-priced, older and terraced, concentrated in
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#17328798603402266-524: The terrace house or miners cottage, railway stations, hospitals, churches, chapels, bridges, viaducts, stadiums, schools, universities, museums and workingmen's halls. As well as the architecture of Glamorgan entering modernity , there was also a reflection to the past, with some individuals who made the most from the booming industrial economy restoring symbols of the past, building follies and commissioning Gothic-style additions to ancient churches. Robert Lugar 's Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr (1825) and
2369-472: The wheel ; harnessing oxen ; weaving textiles ; brewing alcohol ; and skillful metalworking (producing new weapons and tools, and fine gold decoration and jewellery, such as brooches and torcs ) – changed people's everyday lives during this period. Deforestation continued to the more remote areas as a warmer climate allowed the cultivation even of upland areas. By 4000 BP people had begun to bury, or cremate their dead in individual cists , beneath
2472-502: The 1870s. . Initially, the Council had fifteen members but this was increased to twenty in 1906, as a result of the increase in population. There were five wards. The first councillors were elected at the 1894 election . From the outset there was a strong representation on the Council of middle-class nonconformist liberals, who were typical of the new elite who rose to prominence in Wales in the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods. Following
2575-462: The 1930s, especially in and around the villages of Trelewis and Bedlinog , which served the local collieries of Deep Navigation and Taff Merthyr . The South Wales coalfield attracted huge numbers of people from rural areas to the valleys; and many rows of terraced housing were built along the valley sides to accommodate the influx. The coal mined in the valleys was transported south along railways and canals to Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Cardiff
2678-440: The 19th century. They progressed from simple, single-storey designs to larger and more elaborate structures, most built in the classical style. Perhaps the most ambitious chapel was John Humphrey's Morriston Tabernacle (1872), incorporating Classical, Romanesque and Gothic elements, which has been called the 'Noncomformist Cathedral of Wales'. Industrial architecture tended to be functional, although some structures, such as
2781-417: The 8th-century king Morgan ab Athrwys, otherwise known as "Morgan Mwynfawr" ('great in riches') who united Glywysing with the neighbouring kingdoms of Gwent and Ergyng , although some have argued for the similar 10th-century ruler Morgan Hen . It is possible it was only the union of Gwent and Glywysing that was referred to as Morgannwg. By virtue of its location and geography, Morgannwg or Glywysing
2884-744: The A4054 from Quakers Yard . Stagecoach in South Wales provides bus services linking many towns and villages directly to Cardiff city centre . Many settlements in the Valleys are served by the Valley Lines network, an urban rail network radiating from Cardiff which links them to the city's stations, principally Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central , with connections onto the South Wales Main Line . There are six main lines from Central Cardiff to
2987-511: The Act of Union, allowed the leading Welsh families to gain in wealth and prosperity, allowing equal footing to those families of English extraction. Old monasteries, with their lands, were acquired by the wealthy and turned into country houses; their notable residents preferring to live in gentry houses rather than the fortified castles of the past. Major families in Glamorgan included the Carnes at Ewenny ,
3090-455: The American coal miners' strike. Cardiff Docks reached an exporting peak in 1923, but soon production fell and unemployment in the upland valleys began to increase at a dramatic rate. Between April 1924 and August 1925 the unemployment rate amongst South Wales miners jumped from 1.8% to 28.5%. Several factors came together to cause this collapse, including the over-valuation of sterling, the end of
3193-503: The British output of copper . The industry was developed by English entrepreneurs and investors such as John Henry Vivian and largely based in the west of the county, where coal could be purchased cheaply and ores imported from Cornwall , Devon and later much further afield. The industry was of immense importance to Swansea in particular; in 1823 the smelting works on the River Tawe , and
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3296-595: The Bronze Age, it was not until non- ferrous metalworking became a major industry in the late 17th century that Glamorgan saw a concentration of works appearing in a belt between Kidwelly and Port Talbot. Smelting of copper started around Neath under the Mines Royal Society c. 1584 but the scale of the works increased dramatically from the early 18th century when Swansea displaced Bristol as Britain's copper smelting capital. Easy access to Cornish ores and
3399-576: The Glamorgan coast – e.g., Burry Holms (Gower Peninsula). Excavations at one – Dunraven hill fort ( Southerndown , Vale of Glamorgan) – revealed the remains of twenty-one roundhouses . Many other settlements of the Silures were neither hill forts nor castles. For example, the 3.2-hectare (8-acre) fort established by the Romans near the estuary of the River Taff in 75 AD, in what would become Cardiff,
3502-540: The Gower Peninsula was not under the Lordship of Glamorgan, and became the Gower Lordship which had previously been the cantref of Gŵyr . The lowlands of the Lordship of Glamorgan were manorialized, while much of the sparsely populated uplands were left under Welsh control until the late 13th century. Upon the death of William, Lord of Glamorgan , his extensive holdings were eventually granted to Gilbert de Clare in 1217. The subjugation of Glamorgan, begun by Fitzhamon,
3605-606: The Great Depression because of the high proportion of its workforce employed in primary production rather than the manufacture of finished products. Other parts of Britain began to recover as domestic demand for consumer products picked up, but unemployment in the South Wales Valleys continued to rise: the jobless rate in Merthyr reached 47.5 per cent in June 1935. However, the coastal ports, Cardiff and Swansea, managed to sustain
3708-576: The Late Bronze Age (and throughout the Iron Age (3150–1900 BP)) and the amount and quality of weapons increased noticeably – along the regionally distinctive tribal lines of the Iron Age. Archaeological evidence from two sites in Glamorgan shows Bronze Age practices and settlements continued into the Iron Age. Finds from Llyn Fawr , thought to be votive offerings , include weapons and tools from
3811-574: The Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The hoard, described as "one of the most significant prehistoric metalwork hoards in Wales" has given its name to the Llyn Fawr Phase , the last Bronze Age phase in Britain. Excavations at Llanmaes , Vale of Glamorgan, indicate a settlement and "feasting site" occupied from the Late Bronze Age until the Roman occupation . Until the Roman conquest of Britain ,
3914-455: The Lower Valleys and 71% across Wales as a whole. A relatively large number of local people are employed in manufacturing, health and social services. Fewer work in managerial or professional occupations, and more in elementary occupations, compared to the rest of the country. A large number of people commute to Cardiff, particularly in Caerphilly , Torfaen and Rhondda Cynon Taf . Though
4017-710: The Neolithic agrarian life of agriculture and settlement. They cleared the forests to establish pasture and to cultivate the land and developed new technologies such as ceramics and textile production. A tradition of long barrow construction began in continental Europe during the 7th millennium BP – the free standing megalithic structures supporting a sloping capstone (known as dolmens ) ; common over Atlantic Europe . Nineteen Neolithic chambered tombs (or long barrows ) and five possible henges have been identified in Glamorgan. These megalithic burial chambers, or cromlechi , were built between 6000 and 5000 BP, during
4120-490: The Rhondda grew from 3,035 in 1861 to 55,632 in 1881, peaking in 1921 at 162,729. Much of this population growth was driven by immigration . In the ten years from 1881 to 1891, net migration to Glamorgan was over 76,000, 63 percent of which was from the non-border counties of England – a proportion that increased in the following decade. Until the beginning of the 18th century, Glamorgan was almost entirely agriculture based. With
4223-460: The Valleys remain a stronghold of Labour Party power. Rugby union is very popular, and pitches can be seen along the valley corridors. The geographical shape of the valleys has its effect on culture. Roads stretch along valleys and connect the different settlements in the valley, whereas neighbouring valleys are separated by hills and mountains. Consequently, the towns in a valley are more closely associated with each other than they are with towns in
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4326-739: The Victorian terrace of Cardiff or the ribbon cottages of the valleys. Several of these projects were failures architecturally and socially. Of note were the Billybanks estate in Penarth and Penrhys Estate (Alex Robertson, Peter Francis & Partners) in the Rhondda, both described by Malcolm Parry , the former Head of the School of Architecture at Cardiff University, as "...the worst examples of architecture and planning in Wales." South Wales Valleys The South Wales Valleys ( Welsh : Cymoedd De Cymru ) are
4429-473: The agricultural vale and the scenic Gower Peninsula . The county had boundaries with Brecknockshire (north), Monmouthshire (east), Carmarthenshire (west), and to the south it was bordered by the Bristol Channel . The total area was 2,100 km (811 sq mi). Glamorgan contained two cities, Cardiff , the county town and from 1955 the capital city of Wales, and Swansea . The highest point in
4532-543: The area are also planned to go ahead. The Valleys are home to around 30% of the Welsh population, although this is declining slowly because of emigration, especially from the Upper Valleys. The area has a relatively high proportion of residents (over 90% in Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil ) born in Wales. The Valleys have the highest percentage of Welsh identifying population in all of Wales. Merthyr Tydfil reported
4635-509: The area that would become known as Glamorgan was part of the territory of the Silures – a Celtic British tribe that flourished in the Iron Age – whose territory also included the areas that would become known as Breconshire and Monmouthshire . The Silures had hill forts throughout the area – e.g., Caerau ( Cardiff ), Caerau hill fort, Rhiwsaeson ( Llantrisant ), and Y Bwlwarcau [Mynydd Margam], south west of Maesteg – and cliff castles along
4738-405: The area. Of the eight major gentry houses of the time only St Fagans Castle survives with its interior intact; five, Neath Abbey, Old Beaupre Castle , Oxwich Castle , Llantrithyd and Ruperra Castle are ruinous. Of the remaining two manors, The Van at Caerphilly was reconstructed in 1990 while Cefnmabli was gutted by a fire in 1994. The old castles became abandoned throughout this period due to
4841-604: The authority, originally known as the Ystradyfodwg Urban District Council. The initial election was held in 1894 and this election was followed by the 1897 election . All the wards were uncontested. In four wards, members returned at the previous election were unopposed, while in Ward No.3, the Labour member, Ebenezer Davies, checkweigher at the Clydach Vale Colliery did not seek re-election. The Rhondda parliamentary constituency
4944-698: The cantref of Gwynllwg was lost to Monmouthshire . With Wales finally incorporated with the English dominions, the administration of justice passed into the hands of the crown. The Lordship became a shire and was awarded its first parliamentary representative with the creation of the Glamorganshire constituency in 1536. The Reformation , which was closely followed by the Dissolution of the Monasteries , led to vast social changes across Britain. These events, along with
5047-507: The century progressed, symbols of the past industrial period were torn down and replaced with industrial estates populated by unadorned geometric factories. With concrete becoming the favourite post-war building material, larger office blocks began appearing within the cities, though few were of any architectural significance. Despite entering a fallow period of architectural design, several structures of note did emerge. Although work began in 1911, The National Museum of Wales (Smith and Brewer)
5150-525: The coal subsidy, the growth of electric power, the adoption of oil as the fuel of choice for many industries, and over-expansion of the mines in the late nineteenth century. The Welsh coal owners had failed to invest mechanisation during the good years, and by the 1930s the South Wales Coalfield had the lowest productivity, highest production costs and smallest profits of all Britain's coal-producing regions. These structural problems were followed by
5253-421: The collieries and shipping dependent on them, supported between 8,000 and 10,000 people. Imports of copper ores reached a peak in the 1880s, after which there was a steep fall until the virtual end of the trade in the 1920s. The cost of shipping ores from distant countries, and the growth of foreign competitors, ended Glamorgan's dominance of the industry. Some of the works converted to the production of zinc and
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#17328798603405356-402: The copper plants of Swansea. In 1828 the South Wales coalfield was producing an estimated 3 million tons of coal, by 1840 that had risen to 4.5 million, with about 70 percent consumed by local commercial and domestic usage. The 1840s saw the start of a dramatic increase in the amount of coal excavated within Glamorgan. Several events took place to precipitate the growth in coal mining, including
5459-503: The county was Craig y Llyn (600 metres (1,969 ft)) near the village of Rhigos in the Cynon Valley . Glamorgan's terrain has been inhabited by humankind for over 200,000 years. Climate fluctuation caused the formation, disappearance, and reformation of glaciers which, in turn, caused sea levels to rise and fall. At various times life has flourished, at others the area is likely to have been completely uninhabitable. Evidence of
5562-759: The crown. With the start of the First English Civil War , there was little support from the Welsh for the Parliamentarians. Glamorgan sent troops to join Charles I at the Battle of Edgehill , and their Member of Parliament Sir Edward Stradling was captured in the conflict. In the Second English Civil War , the war came to Glamorgan at the Battle of St Fagans (1648), where the New Model Army overcame
5665-457: The demand was for quality coals, especially coking coal , which was required by the steel industry. Fifty percent of Glamorgan coal was now supplied to steelworks , with the second biggest market being domestic heating, in which the "smokeless" coal of the southern Wales coalfield again became fashionable after the Clean Air Act of 1956 was passed. These two markets now controlled the fate of
5768-419: The demand. The richest source for steam coal was the Rhondda Valleys, and by 1856 the Taff Vale Railway had reached the heads of both valleys. Over the next fifty years the Rhondda would grow to become the largest producer of coal of the age. In 1874, the Rhondda produced 2.13 million tons of coal, which rose to 5.8 million tons by 1884. The coal now produced in Glamorgan far exceeded the interior demand, and in
5871-442: The discovery of steam coal in the Cynon Valley , the building of a large masonry dock at Cardiff and the construction of the Taff Vale Railway . In 1845, after trials by the British Admiralty , Welsh steam coal replaced coal from Newcastle-upon-Tyne as the preferred fuel for the ships of the Royal Navy . Glamorgan steam coal quickly became a sought-after commodity for navies all over the world and its production increased to meet
5974-606: The early Neolithic period, the first of them about 1500 years before either Stonehenge or the Egyptian Great Pyramid of Giza was completed. Two major groups of Neolithic architectural traditions are represented in the area: portal dolmens (e.g. St Lythans burial chamber ( Vale of Glamorgan ), and Cae'rarfau (near Creigiau )); and Severn-Cotswold chamber tombs (e.g. Parc Cwm long cairn , ( Parc le Breos Cwm , Gower Peninsula), and Tinkinswood burial chamber ( Vale of Glamorgan )), as well as tombs that do not fall easily into either group. Such massive constructions would have needed
6077-448: The financial survival of the mines in the valleys was massive investment from the National Coal Board , but the "Plan for Coal" drawn up in 1950 was overly optimistic about the future demand for coal, which was drastically reduced following an industrial recession in 1956 and an increased availability of oil. From 15,000 miners in 1947, Rhondda had just a single pit within the valleys producing coal in 1984, located at Maerdy . In 1966,
6180-415: The following decades saw a continual reduction in the output from the Welsh mines. The decline in the mining of coal after World War II was a country-wide issue, but South Wales was more severely affected than other areas of Britain. Oil had superseded coal as the fuel of choice in many industries, and there was political pressure influencing the supply of oil. Of the few industries that still relied on coal,
6283-434: The four-storey engine house at Cyfarthfa Ironworks (1836), were built to impress. Coal mining eventually became the dominant industry in Glamorgan and tall winding towers – originally made of timber or cast iron, later steel – became symbolic icons. After the First World War, there was an initial drop in coal and iron production, there was still enough demand to push the coalfields to their limits, helped by events such as
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#17328798603406386-413: The great ironworks, Penydarren Ironworks was built in 1784. These works made Merthyr Tydfil the main centre of the industry in Wales. As well as copper and iron, Glamorgan became an important centre for the tinplate industry. Although not as famous as the Llanelli or Pontypool works, a concentrated number of works emerged around Swansea, Aberavon and Neath towards the late 19th century. Glamorgan became
6489-434: The highest rate of Welsh identifying, with 70.0%. They also had the highest rates of reporting themselves to have 'No religion'. The Valleys as a whole do suffer from a number of socio-economic problems however. A high proportion of people report a limiting long-term health problem, especially in the Upper Valleys. In 2006, only 64% of the working age population in the Heads of the Valleys was in employment compared with 69% in
6592-405: The inaugural elections there were comparatively few contests during the next few years. In the years leading up to the First World War, representatives of the Labour Party began to gain ground. In 1974 the authority was abolished, and replaced by the Rhondda Borough Council which, in turn, was subsumed into the unitary authority of Rhondda Cynon Taf in 1996. This was the second election to
6695-443: The industrialisation of the county, farming became of far less importance, with industrial areas encroaching into farming lands. In Glamorgan, from the late 19th century, there was a significant reduction away from arable land towards pasture land. There were two main factors behind this trend; firstly the increase in the population of the county required more milk and other dairy produce, in an age before refrigeration. Secondly there
6798-478: The late 19th century additions to Cardiff Castle , designed by William Burges , exemplify how Gothic was the favoured style for rich industrialists and entrepreneurs. Greek Revival architecture , popularised in France and Germany in the late 18th century, was used for a number of public and educational buildings in Wales including the Royal Institution of South Wales in Swansea (1841) and Bridgend Town Hall (1843). In 1897, Cardiff Corporation acquired land from
6901-467: The late 2000s, powers over the Wales and Borders rail franchise are now held by the Welsh Government . As a result, financing has been advanced through the Cardiff City Deal for a South Wales Metro . The metro will consist of route electrification, new Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles trains manufactured at Llanwern for use in 2023, new stations, more frequent services, and faster journey times across most valleys. The first major improvement
7004-420: The later half of the 19th century the area became a mass exporter for its product. In the 1890s the docks of South Wales accounted for 38 percent of British coal exports and a quarter of global trade. Along with the increase in coal production came a very large increase in the population, as people emigrated to the area to seek employment. In Aberdare the population grew from 6,471 in 1841 to 32,299 in 1851 while
7107-437: The lowest Council Tax bands; few are higher-priced detached homes. A report for the Welsh Government concluded that the Valleys is "a distressed area unique in Great Britain for the depth and concentration of its problems". However, the area does benefit from a local landscape described as "stunning", improving road links such as the upgraded A465 , and public investment in regeneration initiatives. Following devolution in
7210-422: The mid-19th century, the South Wales valleys were sparsely inhabited. The industrialisation of the Valleys occurred in two phases. First, in the second half of the 18th century, the iron industry was established on the northern edge of the Valleys, mainly by English entrepreneurs. This made South Wales the most important part of Britain for ironmaking until the middle of the 19th century. Second, from 1850 until
7313-400: The mines in Wales, and as demand from both sectors fell, the mining industry contracted further. In addition exports to other areas of Europe, traditionally France, Italy and the Low Countries , experienced a massive decline: from 33% around 1900 to roughly 5% by 1980. The other major factor in the decline of coal was the massive under-investment in Welsh mines over the past decades. Most of
7416-419: The mines in the valleys were sunk between the 1850s and 1880s, so they were far smaller than most modern mines. The Welsh mines were comparatively antiquated, with methods of ventilation, coal-preparation and power supply all of a decades-earlier standard. In 1945 the British coal industry as a whole cut 72% of its output mechanically, whereas in the south of Wales the figure was just 22%. The only way to ensure
7519-627: The most populous and industrialised county in Wales and was known as the 'crucible of the Industrial Revolution'. Other areas to house heavy industries include ironworks in Maesteg (1826), tinplate works in Llwydarth and Pontyclun and an iron ore mine in Llanharry . Alongside the metalworks, industries appeared throughout Glamorgan that made use of the works' output. Pontypridd was well known for
7622-570: The neighbouring valley, even when the towns in the neighbouring valley are closer on the map. The A470 from Cardiff is, as far as its junction with the A465 Heads of the Valleys road , a dual-carriageway providing direct access to Taff's Well , Pontypridd , Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil . It links with the A4059 from Abercynon , Aberdare and Hirwaun ; the A472 from Ystrad Mynach and Pontypool , and
7725-474: The new security brought by Glamorgan coming under the protection of the crown, with only the Stradlings of St Donat's Castle electing to remain in their old ancestral home. By the 17th century, the availability of fine building stone permitted the construction of high-quality lime-washed rural cottages and farmhouses in the Vale of Glamorgan, which drew favourable remarks from travellers. A Glamorgan yeoman of
7828-664: The northern and south-western parts of the South Wales coalfield . In the second half of the 18th century four ironworks were built in Merthyr Tydfil . In 1759 the Dowlais Ironworks were established by a partnership of nine men. This was followed by the Plymouth Ironworks in 1763, which was formed by Isaac Wilkinson and John Guest , then in 1765 Anthony Bacon established the Cyfarthfa Ironworks . The fourth of
7931-600: The outbreak of the First World War , the South Wales Coalfield was developed to supply steam coal and anthracite . The South Wales Valleys hosted Britain's only mountainous coalfields. Topography defined the shape of the mining communities, with a "hand and fingers" pattern of urban development. There were fewer than 1,000 people in the Rhondda valley in 1851, 17,000 by 1870, 114,000 by 1901 and 153,000 by 1911; but
8034-591: The presence of Neanderthals has been discovered on the Gower Peninsula . Whether they remained in the area during periods of extreme cold is unclear. Sea levels have been 150 metres (490 ft) lower and 8 metres (26 ft) higher than at present, resulting in significant changes to the coastline during this period. Archaeological evidence shows that humans settled in the area during an interstadial period . The oldest known human burial in Great Britain –
8137-699: The present day though many are now ruinous. Of the castles built during the medieval period, those still standing above foundation level include, Caerphilly Castle , Cardiff Castle , Ogmore Castle , St Donat's Castle , St Quintins Castle , Coity Castle , Neath Castle , and Oystermouth Castle . Many of the castles within Morgannwg were attacked by forces led by Owain Glyndŵr during the Welsh Revolt of 1400–1415. Some were captured, and several were damaged to such an extent they were never maintained as defences again. When
8240-478: The region are early stone monuments, waypoints and grave markers dating between the 5th and 7th century, with many being moved from their original position to sheltered locations for protection. The most notable of the early stone markers still in its original place is on a high mountain ridge at Gelligaer . Of the later plaitwork patterned standing crosses the finest and best preserved is the 9th century 'Houelt' stone at Llantwit Major . The Lordship of Glamorgan
8343-490: The rise in drug abuse in the local area, which was highlighted in the national media during the autumn of 2002 and largely linked to drug dealing gangs from Birmingham and Bristol . More recently however employment levels have risen significantly in the area, including growing faster than elsewhere in Wales. This has been driven by billions of pounds of investment into the valleys from EU structural funds, UK government and Welsh government. Significant further investments in
8446-402: The same result, perhaps a little later. No deep coal mines are left in the valleys since the closure in 2008 of Tower Colliery in the Cynon Valley . Tower had been bought by the workers in 1994, despite government attempts to close it. By 2002, the unemployment rates in the Welsh valleys were among the highest in the whole United Kingdom since the 1980s, and have been seen as a major factor in
8549-405: The seams was through bell pits or digging horizontally into a level where the seam was exposed at a river bank or mountainside. Although initially excavated for export, coal was soon also needed for the smelting process in Britain's expanding metallurgical industries. Developments in coal mining began in the north-eastern rim of Glamorgan around the ironworks of Merthyr and in the south-west around
8652-564: The thirteen historic counties of Wales in the south of Wales . Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying boundaries known in Welsh as Morgannwg (or Glywysing ), which was then invaded and taken over by the Normans as the Lordship of Glamorgan . The area that became known as Glamorgan was both a rural, pastoral area, and a conflict point between the Norman lords and the Welsh princes. It
8755-452: The time generally lived in greater comfort than his contemporaries of the more westerly or upland parts of Wales such as Cardiganshire or north Carmarthenshire . From the mid-18th century onwards, Glamorgan's uplands underwent large-scale industrialisation and several coastal towns, in particular Swansea and later Cardiff , became significant ports. From the late 18th century until the early 20th century Glamorgan produced 70 per cent of
8858-432: The uplands and in the coastal regions, reflecting the increasing population and the need for new cheap housing to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of workers coming into the area. As the towns urbanised and the hamlets became villages, the trappings of modern life were reflected in the buildings required to sustain new and growing communities. The period saw the appearance, not only of the works and pits themselves, but of
8961-546: The village of Aberfan in the Taff valley suffered one of the worst disasters in Welsh history , referred to today as the Aberfan disaster . A mine waste tip on the top of the mountain, which had been developed over a spring , slid down the valley side and destroyed the village junior school , killing 144 people, 116 of them children. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of
9064-433: The wider impact of urbanisation was constrained by geography—the Rhondda remained a collection of villages rather than a town. The population of the Valleys in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was disproportionately young and male; many of them were migrants drawn from other parts of Wales or from further afield. The new communities had extremely high birth rates—in 1840, more than 20 per cent of Tredegar 's population
9167-590: Was a shortage of workers to run the mines; this in turn saw the introduction of the Bevin Boys , workers conscripted to work in the mines. During the war both Cardiff and Swansea were targets for German air attacks due to their important docks. After the First World War, Glamorgan, as was typical for Britain as a whole, entered a period of modernity, which saw buildings built and designed for functionality rather than splendour with period features watered down. As
9270-406: Was aged under seven, and Rhondda's birth rate in 1911 was 36 per thousand, levels usually associated with mid-19th century Britain. Merthyr Tydfil , at the northern end of the Taff valley , became Wales's largest town thanks to its growing ironworks at Dowlais and Cyfarthfa . The neighbouring Taff Bargoed Valley to the east became the centre of serious industrial and political strife during
9373-469: Was an employment shortage in farming due to the call of better paid industrial work, and pastoral land was less work intensive. Stock rearing became prominent with breeds such as Hereford , Devon and Shorthorn cattle being bred in the Vale of Glamorgan, while the unenclosed wilds of the Gower saw Welsh Ponies bred on the commons. The industrial period of Glamorgan saw a massive building program throughout
9476-484: Was applied was the University Hospital of Wales (S.W. Milburn & Partners). Begun in the 1960s, and completed in 1971, the building is the third largest hospital in the United Kingdom and the largest in Wales. It was designed to bring the care of patients, research and medical teaching together under one roof. The demands of modern living saw the growth of housing estates throughout Glamorgan, moving away from
9579-607: Was below 2 per cent and the borough had 24,000 miners. By 1921, the number of employed miners had fallen to 16,000, and in 1934, it was down to 8,000. Steel production was no less depressed than the coal industry. The inter-war years saw the closure of the old Cyfarthfa and Dowlais works, as steel-making became increasingly concentrated in the coastal belt. Both the coal and steel industries were increasingly dominated by large amalgamations, such as Powell Duffryn and Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds . The smaller companies progressively disappeared. Glamorgan suffered disproportionately during
9682-557: Was built over an extensive settlement established by the Silures in the 50s AD. The region originated as an independent petty kingdom named Glywysing , believed to be named after a 5th-century Welsh king called Glywys , who is said to have been descended from a Roman Governor in the region. Saint Paul Aurelian was born in Glamorgan in the 6th century. The names Morgannwg ( Morgan + territorial suffix -wg , 'territory of Morgan') and Glamorgan ( gwlad + Morgan , 'land of Morgan') reputedly derive from
9785-568: Was defined by a large concentration of castles. After falling under English rule in the 16th century, Glamorgan became a more stable county, and exploited its natural resources to become an important part of the Industrial Revolution . Glamorgan was the most populous and industrialised county in Wales, and was once called the "crucible of the Industrial Revolution", as it contained the world centres of three metallurgical industries (iron, steel and copper) and its rich resources of coal. Under
9888-467: Was described as "Wales' finest interwar building". Although functionality often deprived a building of interest, Sully Hospital (Pite, Son & Fairweather) is an example of a building which gained from its functional requirements. Initially built for tubercular patients, whose cure required the maximum amount of light and air, the functional architecture left a striking glass-fronted building, completed in 1936. Another hospital to which functionalism
9991-404: Was devoted to more general branches of farming, cereal, grass for pasture, hay and stock raising. Non-agricultural industries were generally small scale, with some shallow coal pits, fulling mills , weaving and pottery-making. The main heavy industry of note during this period was copper smelting, and this was centred on the towns of Swansea and Neath. Although copper had been mined in Wales since
10094-530: Was established by Robert Fitzhamon following the defeat of Iestyn ap Gwrgant , c. 1080 . The Lordship of Morgannwg was split after it was conquered; the kingdom of Glamorgan had as its caput the town of Cardiff and took in the lands from the River Tawe to the River Rhymney. The Lordship took in four of the Welsh cantrefi , Gorfynydd , Penychen , Senghenydd and Gwynllwg . The area later known as
10197-518: Was finally completed by the powerful De Clare family, and in 1486 the kingdom was granted to Jasper Tudor . The legacy of the Marcher Lords left the area scattered with historic buildings including Norman castles, Cistercian Abbeys , churches and medieval monuments. The kingdom of Glamorgan was also notable for the number of castles built during the time of the Marcher Lords , many surviving to
10300-463: Was not completed until 1927 due to the First World War. Designed to reflect sympathetically in dimensions with its neighbouring city hall, the dome-topped museum combines many architectural motifs with Doric columns at its facade, while internally a large entrance hall with stairs, landings and balconies. Percy Thomas ' Guildhall in Swansea, an example of the 'stripped modernist' style completed in 1936,
10403-453: Was represented by the Lib-Lab MP, William Abraham, and there was significant tension at local level between the official Liberal Association and the trade unions, notably the miners. Glamorgan Glamorgan ( / ɡ l ə ˈ m ɔːr ɡ ən / ), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( Welsh : Morgannwg [mɔrˈɡanʊɡ] or Sir Forgannwg [ˈsiːr vɔrˈɡanʊɡ] ), was one of
10506-410: Was soon among the most important coal ports in the world, and Swansea among the most important steel ports. The coal mining industry of the Valleys was buoyed throughout World War II, though there were expectations of a return to the pre-1939 industrial collapse after the end of the war. There was a sense of salvation when the government announced the nationalisation of British coalmines in 1947; but
10609-514: Was the second part of Wales, after Gwent, to fall under the control of the Normans and was frequently the scene of fighting between the Marcher Lords and Welsh princes. The earliest buildings of note included earthwork dykes and rudimentary motte-and-bailey hillside defences. All that remains of these fortifications are foundations that leave archaeological evidence of their existence, though many were built upon to create more permanent defensive structures. The earliest surviving structures within
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