Blaenrhondda
Encyclopedia
Blaenrhondda is a village in the county borough
of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales
, lying at the head the Rhondda
Fawr valley. Blaenrhondda is a very small village and is part of the community of Treherbert
.
settlement of several roundhouses
grouped together in an obvious community, known as Hen Dre'r Mynydd. The dry wall layout of the ruinous site has led archeologists to believe that the people who lived in the area were early farmers. It has been identified as the largest undefended Iron Age settlement in south east Wales
.
Before the industrialisation of the Rhondda Valleys in the late 19th century, Blaenrhondda was an agricultural area and sparsely populated. With the coming of the coal industry
two mines were sunk in the locality. The first was the North Dunraven, also known as the Blaenrhondda, sunk in 1859
, followed by Fernhill Colliery around 1871
. The Dunraven closed in the 1920s but the Fernhill was still operating as late as 1978. In an attempt to break the monopoly of the Taff Vale Railway
and the Cardiff docks, a tunnel was constructed through Mynydd Blaengwynfy to link up with the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
to supply coal to the Swansea Docks
for export. The resulting tunnel, at a length of 3,300 yards was the longest rail tunnel
in Wales and the seventh longest in Britain
. Due to an issue with the weight the engines could pull, the rail link was never the success it was hoped to be, though it did prove popular with day-trippers from the Rhondda, visiting Swansea
and the Gower
. The station was closed in 1970.
In the hills above Blaenrhondda lies Blaenrhondda Road Cutting
, a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. It was given this status for its rock exposures showing sediments that formed on the flood plain of a river delta during the Carboniferous period, approximately 310 million years ago.
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...
of Rhondda Cynon Taf, 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...
, lying at the head the Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
Fawr valley. Blaenrhondda is a very small village and is part of the community of Treherbert
Treherbert
Treherbert is a village and community situated at the head of the Rhondda Fawr valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Treherbert is a former industrial coal mining village which was at its economic peak between 1850 and 1920...
.
History
The earliest evidence of people habitating the area are the remains of an Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
settlement of several roundhouses
Roundhouse (dwelling)
The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, originally built in western Europe before the Roman occupation using walls made either of stone or of wooden posts joined by wattle-and-daub panels and a conical thatched roof. Roundhouses ranged in size from less than 5m in diameter to over 15m...
grouped together in an obvious community, known as Hen Dre'r Mynydd. The dry wall layout of the ruinous site has led archeologists to believe that the people who lived in the area were early farmers. It has been identified as the largest undefended Iron Age settlement in south east 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...
.
Before the industrialisation of the Rhondda Valleys in the late 19th century, Blaenrhondda was an agricultural area and sparsely populated. With the coming of the coal industry
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,...
two mines were sunk in the locality. The first was the North Dunraven, also known as the Blaenrhondda, sunk in 1859
1859 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1859 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales - Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.*Princess of Wales - vacant-Events:...
, followed by Fernhill Colliery around 1871
1871 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1871 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales — The Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom*Princess of Wales — Alexandra of Denmark-Events:...
. The Dunraven closed in the 1920s but the Fernhill was still operating as late as 1978. In an attempt to break the monopoly of the Taff Vale Railway
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway is a railway in Glamorgan, South Wales, and is one of the oldest in Wales. It operated as an independent company from 1836 until 1922, when it became a constituent company of the Great Western Railway...
and the Cardiff docks, a tunnel was constructed through Mynydd Blaengwynfy to link up with the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
The Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway connected the coal mines of the Rhondda Valley to the Swansea Bay ports.Connecting with the Taff Vale Railway at Treherbert, it had branches to Aberavon and Port Talbot docks. It was later extended to Swansea and a branch to Neath was added, bringing the total...
to supply coal to the Swansea Docks
Swansea docks
Swansea Docks is the collective name for several docks in Swansea, Wales. The Swansea docks are located immediately south east of Swansea city centre. In the mid-19th century the port was exporting 60% of the world's copper from factories situated in the Tawe valley...
for export. The resulting tunnel, at a length of 3,300 yards was the longest rail tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in Wales and the seventh longest in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Due to an issue with the weight the engines could pull, the rail link was never the success it was hoped to be, though it did prove popular with day-trippers from the Rhondda, visiting 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...
and the Gower
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
. The station was closed in 1970.
In the hills above Blaenrhondda lies Blaenrhondda Road Cutting
Blaenrhondda Road Cutting
Blaenrhondda Road Cutting is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Glamorgan, south Wales.Located above the village of Blaenrhondda, Rhondda, the Blaenrhondda Road Cutting is of special interest for its rock exposures showing sediments that formed on the flood plain of a river delta during the...
, a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. It was given this status for its rock exposures showing sediments that formed on the flood plain of a river delta during the Carboniferous period, approximately 310 million years ago.