South Wales Valleys Terraces are special

 

The South Wales Valleys' long terraces of predominantly stone houses with colourful windows and doors, slate roofs and large chimneystacks creating a rhythm down the street, are known throughout the world.  Built within a short period of time, often in a random plan, they met the massive demand for housing created by the influx of thousands of people coming to work in ironworks or coalmines.  The sheer quantity of this type of housing, to this day, provides the valleys with its identity.

Iron towns such as Merthyr or Aberdare originally developed as clusters around several ironworks.  Gradually these clusters grew and gaps between filled to form towns.  These 'early' house types generally date from before 1860.  'Later' linear terraces date from 1870s to the turn of the twentieth century.  These generally follow the contours of the land.

The influence of architectural trends from outside the area and the inappropriate use of modern materials has taken its toll on many of our terraces.  But, according to the Valleys Built Heritage Partnership, with care and thought the present decline can be halted and the situation improved.

Creating the original persona of your house by reverting to sash windows and replacing a chimney which may have been removed, could add value to a property.


www.myvalleyshouse.org.uk

http://www.civictrustwales.org/