Morlais Castle

Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Lord of Glamorgan, built Morlais in 1270.   Its remains of now run along the right hand side of the third fairway of the appropriately named Morlais Castle Golf Club, providing spectacular views of the border between Brecon and Glamorgan.

These ruins lie two miles north of Merthyr Tydfil on a limestone escarpment overlooking the Taf Fechan.

Possibly never completed, a print from 1741 shows the castle in spectacular ruin.   Very little of even these ruins remain today, being pillaged by local builders and farmers over the years.   A spectacular vaulted crypt does, however, exist, evidence of Gilbert de Clare's original impressive intentions.

Morlais Castle Crypt

Excavations in 1833 by Lady Charlotte Guest, revealed coins from the reign of Edward I.   Morlais was also excavated by the amateur Victorian archaeologist, G.T. Clark.  He took over ownership of the Dowlais Works from Lady Charlotte.  




Lady Charlotte was quite an impressive lady, with a name alongside Lady Lanover, for helping to create awareness of Welsh Culture, but I can find very little documented about her involvement with Morlais.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/figures/lady_charlotte_guest.shtml

Plan of original castle
both images from:  http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/Images3_I-P/MorlaisCastle_Plan.jpg

More information, prints and photographs can be seen on the links below:

www.castlewales.com/morlais.html       Morlais Castle - The Castles of Wales
http://www.morlaiscastlegolf.co.uk/
OS Map Grid Reference: SO04930957
Latitude 51.77730° Longitude -3.37948°

http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/Welshsites/432.html
Provides an interactive aerial view of the site.

The Old Boilerhouse

Huge black crows cawed incessantly amid an otherwise thick clinging silence as the building sank into the lush green vegetation on the banks around it.
The old brick outhouse stood in its own space at the back of the parish church hall, razor wire covering the old corrugated roof, red with rust.   A stark iron railing surrounding the building kept intruders out.   Bypassed by visitors attending jumble sales, coffee mornings and wedding receptions, no-one could remember a time before the building was there, but many couldn't recall it being there at all.   The tall chimney gave out emissions of water vapour, smoke or toxic fumes, no-one was certain.

The old Boilerhouse

The studded black iron door, rust laden, was larger than expected with a heavy iron frame and ancient padlock, but strangely the door handle was shiny and new.

Grass grew around the walls, but the path to the door was well worn although no-one saw anyone enter or leave.

Was it just an old boilerhouse, or was it an elevator shaft leading down to the old welsh mines and caves beneath and then onward to hell itself?

As I stood there watching, enthralled, the door slowly creaked open on its rusty hinges.  I held my breath.   From the dim insides appeared a figure.   Dark and encrusted with soot.   It was the boilerman, carrying his sandwiches and tea.   The crows hopped around waiting for lunch.

It was just an old brick built boilerhouse, sitting in a car park.

Pontypool, South Wales

A tour of Pontypool was accompanied by details of the Chartist uprising in 1839.   Rather unusually, the story was told from the Pontypool perspective.    It was organised through Pontypool Museum and more talks and courses are planned for the future.   Check the Pontypool Museum website for details of future events:
http://www.pontypoolmuseum.org.uk/

Now hardly noticeable above a shop front, this frontage is all that remains to show that this was once the old market hall.  

The current stone-built market hall is a few yards away on the other side of the road.

A new light revealed another side to the story of William Jones during the period of the march on the Westgate Hotel in Newport.   In contradiction to his reputation of being a coward, found hiding in Crumlin, it appears he spent many long hours on horseback carrying news of the uprising and organising supporters throughout the South Wales valleys.

Capel Hanbury Leigh held the position of Queens Lord Lieutenant for Pontypool at the time.   His arguments and opinions were well represented during the talk by the well turned-out gentlemen pictured here.

He lived in Park House which is now St Albans School, and Pontypool Museum is situated in what was his rather grand stable block.

Whilst the ladies of the time had their point of view well aired by a lady in period costume.  I feel a lady of the day might have been a little more intimidated by the presence of the Queen's Lord Lieutenant, but I supported her all the way.






http://oldpontypool.wordpress.com/2011/03/

A blog to brighten your day....      http://www.rainbowgeeks.com/

National Pageant of Wales 1909 in Cardiff

July 26 to August 7 1909.

The National Pageant of Wales in 1909 was intended to inspire the Welsh people to achieve great things.

Held in Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, the roles of ancient Welsh heroes and heroines were acted out by local dignitaries dressed in sumptuous costumes.   Reportedly over 5,000 local people took part.   These included groups of school children who took the part of fairies, servants and supporters, and teams of rugby players who acted as marauding armies.  

A team of ladies, overseen by Mrs T Snead Davies created many of the elaborate costumes and others were purchased from other pageant organisations from around the UK.   Mrs Perkins was Mistress of the Wardrobe.

Held over two weeks, the first week's performances were in the afternoons, whilst the second week saw hundreds of electric lights illuminating evening events.

Marchioness of Bute as "Dame Wales"

The Marchioness of Bute led the performance on 26 July as "Dame Wales," in a dress encrusted with a large red dragon.   Her understudy Miss Moya Finucane carried out the remainder of the performances as the Marchioness was required to visit the Wagner Festival at Bayreuth.   This costume returned to the city in 2009.   It was displayed at Cardiff Castle in honour of the 100 year anniversary of the pageant.   It has since been returned to the Bute family in Scotland.

90,000 children were brought over a period of three days to watch the dress rehearsals;  20,000 from Cardiff-east of the Taff;  40,000 mostly from outside Cardiff;  and 30,000 from as far afield as Herefordshire, Caernarvonshire, Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire and West Glamorgan.

Many thousands of picture postcards, stamps, leaflets, and programmes were sold.

Although the pageant attracted newpaper coverage and hundreds of visitors, it was not the success it had been hoped.   It was never the intention to make a profit, but it failed to break even, despite the railways and bus companies selling combined travel and entrance tickets.

Various reasons were suggested for its lack of impact and overspend:
1.  A failure to take advantage of possible advertising opportunities.   Very little mention was made at the Eisteddfodd in London only a few weeks earlier.
2. The cost of costumes and the spectator stands.
3. The cost of the 3,000 incandescent electric lamps used during the evening performances, alongside 14 electric flare lamps to illuminate the stage and 5 searchlights of 10,000 candle power to sweep the grounds.
4. The low cost of tickets compared to other pageants around that time.
5. The failure of the population of Wales outside Cardiff and its surrounds, to engage with the pageant.

Many of the dignitaries taking part were very aware of the influence the English Government and English industrialists could have on both their current success, and their future progress in the world.   For this reason, they could possibly have down-played their parts, having no wish to antagonise the mouths that fed them.



The National Pageant of Wales by Hywel Teifi Edwards published in 2009 by Gomer Press.
Cardiff Castle Events Programme 2009,   www.cardiffcastle.com

Sophia Gardens today is well known for its cricket ground, it also has a large park with mature trees and seasonal flower beds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Gardens

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/ground/56874.html

Excerpt from Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire 1901

LLANHILLETH including ABERBEEG  



High Street, Llanhilleth

LLANHILLETH, or Llanhiddel, is a parish with a station 1 mile south from the church on the Western Valleys section of the Great Western railway, 173 miles from London and 5 miles west from Pontypool, in the Northern division of the county, hundred of Abergavenny, petty sessional division, union and county court district of Pontypool, and in the rural deanery of Blaenau Gwent, archdeaconry of Monmouth and diocese of Llandaff, and is within the area of the Abertillery urban district.



The Monmouthshire canal runs through the parish; the river Ebbw forms the western boundary of the parish. Aberbeeg, Six Bells and Crumlin are villages of Llanhilleth; the latter will be found under a separate head.



The church of St. Illtyd, standing on rising ground, is an ancient building of stone in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, west porch and a tower with spire containing 2 bells: in the church are various monuments, an ancient font and an antique church chest: the church was restored and decorated in 1891, when the old windows were reglazed, at a cost of £600: there are 150 sittings: in the churchyard are several old yew trees. The register dates from the year 1733.



Llanhilleth Institute, build started in 1904

The church of St. Mark, standing in the centre of the village and erected in 1898, is a building of stone in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel and nave and a bell-cote containing 2 bells: there are 400 sittings.

The living is a rectory, net yearly income £160, with residence, in the gift of the Marquess of Abergavenny K.G. and held since 1895 by the Rev. Daniel Felix, of St. Bees. There are Baptist (Welsh and English) and Congregational chapels, two Primitive Methodist chapels, and a Calvinistic chapel of iron at Six Bells.

Near the church is a large barrow, and there are also some remains of a castle.

There is a colliery of some extent.

The lady and lords of the manor are as follows :-

Miss Julia Guise

Sir Nicholas William George Throckmorton bart. of Buckland House, Berks

Philip Witham esq.

Henry White esq.

Rev. Gorges Fettiplace

John Gwynne Evans-Gwynne M.A., vicar of Potton, Bedfordshire

Francis Tothill esq. of Stoke Bishop, Bristol

The principal landowners are:-

Percy Phillips esq.

Mrs. Williams

Mrs. Rosa Nurse

Messrs. Phillips, Maesycnew

Partridge, Jones and Co. Limited

Author's note:  There is conflict about who donated the land for Llanhilleth Miners Institute.  In one speech it was quoted as Henry Percy David Phillips, and in another Messrs Patridge, Jones & Co.

The soil is gravel and clay. The chief crops are wheat, oats and barley. The area is 1,998 acres of land and 11 of water; rateable value, £20,214; the population in 1891 was 1,956.

Parish Clerk, Elias Pritchard.

Post & M.O.O., S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office, Llanhilleth.- James Mead, sub-postmaster.

Letters arrive from Crumlin R.S.O. at 7.30 a.m. & are dispatched at 10 a.m. & 6.45 p.m. Letters should be addressed "Llanhilleth, Crumlin, R.S.O. Mon.". Crumlin is the nearest telegraph office, 2 miles distant.

Police Station, Wm. C. Blunt, constable in charge & two men

Glandwr Baptist now demolished.  Note builders materials still on ground.

ABERBEEG is a village in the parish of Llanhilleth, with a station at the junction of the Blaina and Ebbw Vale railways with the Western Valleys line belonging to the Great Western Company, 173¾ miles from London, 4½ south from Blaina and 8 south-west from Pontypool.

A Public Hall (which stands in the parish of Mynyddislwyn) was erected in 1891 ; it is also used for divine services. Here is also a reading room. Here are several collieries, a large brewery and a flour mill.

Six Bells is 1 mile north from Aberbeeg railway station.

Six Bells Memorial recently erected

Post M.O. & T.O., T.M.O., Express Delivery, Parcel Post, S B & Annuity & Insurance Office, Aberbeeg (Railway Sub Office. Letters should have "R.S.O. Mon." added)

Thomas Jones, sub-postmaster.

Letters arrive at 6.30 & 9 a.m. & 4 p.m. & depart 7.30 p.m. for all parts. North mail, 11.30 p.m.

Post Office, Six Bells.-Thomas Evans, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive 8.30 a.m. & 6.20 p.m., & are dispatched at 6.30 p.m. Letters should be addressed to "Six Bells, Aberbeeg HSO, Mon."

Postal orders are issued here, but not paid. Aberbeeg is the nearest money order & telegraph office, 1 mile distant.

A School Board of five members was formed 5 April, 1872 Charles William Carpenter, Aberbeeg, clerk to the board, Thomas Harris, attendance officer.

Schools Llanhilleth, erected in 1894, & opened in 1895, for 140 boys and & girls & 80 infants; John Evan Rowland, master Miss Margaret Ann Beddoe, infants' mistress.

Board School (mixed), Aberbeeg, built in 1873, & since enlarged to hold 400 children; average attendance, 240 boys & girls & 100 infants; Theophilus Evans, master; Miss Ruth Emily Evans, infants' mistress

Infants' School, Six Bells; average attendance, 86; Miss Annie Moses, mistress

Railway Station at Aberbeeg, James H. Bond, station master Mentality

Mr & Mrs Day, Sebastopol, South Wales

Mr & Mrs Day lived in a very old cottage along a cobbled street under the Mountain.   Most of the houses in the row were made from large stones which were kept freshly whitewashed.   There were steps up from the street with old fashioned flowers showing their colours against the dazzling white.

            Mrs Day was tiny even to my child's eyes and Mr Day was not much taller.   Mrs Day wore a small lace cap and a long woollen skirt, tall buttoned boots and a black cardigan or sometimes a small black shawl.   I can never remember her wearing any colours other than black, grey or white.

            Mum was employed to help Mrs Day with the weekly wash.   No washing machines then, this was a long hard process.   First the water had to be collected from the well at the other end of that cobbled street.   The well ws a small stone archway at the side of the road.   Sometimes there would be a frog and mum would move it to the side.   Buckets would have to be plunged down into the water which was engineered to stay level with the pavement.  

These buckets we would carry back to the cottage and up the stone steps around to the wash house.   These steps were very large and some had pieces missing from age making them very difficult for a small child to manoeuvre and nearly impossible with my small water bucket.   This procedure continued until the stone wash boiler was full.   Rarely was I allowed further than the door of the washhouse because of the boiling water, but I remember the whitewashed stone built boiler in the corner.   Mum would light a stick and coal fire underneath through a small opening underneath.  The washing was placed in the boiler by removing a circular wooden lid.   Various baths and bowls were used to decant the scalding washing and apply starch for stiffness and the bluebag to improve whiteness.

            The bluebag was similar to the blue chalk used by snooker players and was wrapped in a white muslin bag.   It would turn the water, and your hands, deep blue, but the sheets would adopt a blue-white making them look sparkling.   Often if we passed a cottage whose walls were painted blue, or someone had decorated their kitchen a deep blue, my mother would comment "Someone's been at the bluebag."   Apparently it was a cheap and easy way of colouring whitewash.   A little less gruesome than the pink achieved by using pig’s blood.

cultureshock.org.uk

            A large mangle with wooden rollers and a dolly and wooden dolly tub were near the door and I was allowed to help mum fold and mangle the sheets.   The pressure on the rollers was adjusted by a wheel at the top, the more pressure, the flatter the sheets would be, requiring less ironing later.

            When I got bored with watching all this endeavour, I would go off to find Mr Day.   His garden extended around three sides of the house, and was organised with fruit and vegetables at the back of the house and flowers at the front and side. While my mum helped Mrs Day, I could wander around to my heart's content. Admiring the crocosmia, and sniffing the roses.   

             The outside toilet was along a brick path made dark by overhanging laurel and fruit trees on either side, and huge spiders webs.   I never went inside, afraid of finding the owners.  

less scary and less cobwebs than in the 1950s

            Each plot in the garden at the rear contained a great variety of vegetables and was surrounded by very neatly trimmed box hedging.   I was always given a bunch of flowers from the side garden to take home.   I remember always choosing the bright orange crocosmia and silver old-man's-beard.   I was only allowed to choose if Mr Day asked if I wanted flowers.   I would have received a hard slap across the legs if ever I had deemed to ask for flowers without Mr Day initiating the conversation.

            Mrs Day made fruitcake, although I never saw her do it, because whenever I went with my mum it was washday, not baking day.   After all the washing was done and the whitest of blue-white sheets were billowing in the wind to day, well supported by a sturdy wooden prop, of course, we would be invited into the dark little cottage for coffee and fruitcake.

thecakedcrusader.blogspot.com

            The coffee was made with boiled milk and even though I was told to blow it, I walways burnt my tongue.    But it was such a treat sitting there like a grown-up with the others, sipping my coffee and eating that wonderful cake.   I would gaze out of the window of the dark little room, almost like watching television, and see the pink and red roses, knowing I could go and touch their velvet-like petals and smell their glorious perfume.   What a shame that many roses nowadays, although pest resistant, have lost those heavenly scents.

            Although I remember the dear old couple and their cottage, I can only remember one specific incident, probably because it was my first encounter with that horrible feeling,  embarrassment.   I had been playing on the oversized uneven stone steps when I slipped and sat in a puddle, getting my knickers soaking wet.   With no children in the house, there were no clothes for me to change into, but my mother had the solution.   She took off her headsquare and my knickers and tied the scarf around my behind.   How the three of them laughed at my paisley nappy, it was such a joke.   To complete my humiliation I then had to walk home through the village.   I felt the whole world was laughing.