Llwydcoed

Llwydcoed
Welsh: Llwydcoed
View from Llwydcoed towards Hirwaun
Llwydcoed  Llwydcoed shown within Rhondda Cynon Taf
Principal area	Rhondda Cynon Taf
Ceremonial county	Mid Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Cynon Valley
List of places: UK • Wales • Rhondda Cynon Taf

Llwydcoed is a village in the Northern end of the Cynon Valley near the town Aberdare, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales.

History

Initial development of the village was based around the Tregibbon area, where in 1801 workers' housing was built by Thomas ap Shencin ap Gibbon of Fforchaman Farm. Other early housing was built at Miner's Row, Founder's Row and Scales Houses. The names of these streets betray their early origins; the Scale family were among the founders of the works and remained partners until 1846.

Red Cow Pub

In the second half of the 19th century a new period of growth was instigated by the development of the coal industry in the area. Matthew Wayne Esq. of the Gadlys Ironworks opened the Dyllas Colliery in 1840 and in 1849 Ysguborwen Colliery was sunk by Samuel Thomas and Thomas Joseph. Among the houses built in this period were those at Moriah Place, Horeb Terrace and Grey's Place. Exhibition Row was built in 1851 and was named Exhibition Row in honour of the Great Exhibition held at Crystal Palace that year.

Eight public houses were open in Llwydcoed at this time. They were The Earl Grey, Fox and Hounds, Red Cow, Corner House, The Mason's, Miner's Arms, the Dynevor Arms and the Croes Bychan. At that time stop tap was midnight and a local essayist recounts the boisterous nature of the revelries.

"It is said that more beer was lost (wasted) when the furnaces, coal mines and iron-ore undertakings were being worked, especially at the start of the month, and on pay Saturday Night, than is being drunk now." (Unknown Author. 'A Glance at the History of Llwydcoed' Translated by D Williams and D L Davies.)

Landmarks

Llwydcoed War Memorial is an obelisk-type war memorial located within the local park. It was unveiled in 1921.

St.James' Church Llwydcoed is also known as the Red Church.

Notable people

• Stage and screen Actor Ioan Gruffudd was born in Llwydcoed.
• Griffith Rhys Jones aka Caradog worked at the Aberdare Ironworks within Llwydcoed village. There is a statue of Caradog in Victoria Square in the heart of Aberdare.
• Roy Noble Radio Presenter on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru, lives in Llwydcoed.
• Stuart Cable, former Stereophonics drummer, as well as radio and television presenter lived in Llwydcoed, originally from the nearby village of Cwmaman until his 2010 death.

External links

• Llwydcoed Heritage Trail
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Lwydcoed and surrounding area
• http://www.theredcowpub.co.uk/