6 May 2025

More lost farms above Cardiff

by | posted in: Archaeology, Heritage Paths, Pilgrimage, Welsh History | 0

I had another go at the hollow lanes which form part of the pilgrimage route from Llandaff to Penrhys. The waymarked path goes up Church Road to Pentyrch and swings round to cross Heol Pantygored and rejoin the road near the entrance to the quarry. The original hollow way, though, goes straight on past Craig y Parc. On the way up, you pass two more of the little ruined farmsteads that dot the hills above Cardiff. The lane is now called Tawel-fan, and indeed it is a quiet place, but on the tithe map the farms have different names. This one

is Gockatt Isha (Cockid Isaf on the 2nd edition OS, c 1900). In c 1840 it was a smallholding of just over 7 a., held of the Bute estate by a John David.

This one

a little further up the lane, is also called Gockatt Isha on the tithe map but is described in the apportionment as a house and garden, held of the Bute estate by Miles Evan. On the 2nd edition OS map it is called Cockid Ganol.

Gockid Ucha, at the top of the lane, seems to have completely disappeared. It was part of the Dynevor estate, an even smaller holding of just over 3a., held by William Evans.

And this is what I call a hollow lane.

5 May 2025

Lost churches in the south Wales uplands

by | posted in: Archaeology, Heritage (General), Welsh History | 0

The hills above the mining valleys of south Wales are dotted with the remains of little medieval churches. (Technically they were chapels – chapels of ease, where the congregation still had to go to the parish church for baptisms, marriages and burials, or possibly parochial chapelries which could perform these rituals. But in the Welsh valleys the word ‘chapel’ always calls to mind the Nonconformist churches of the industrial era.) Manmoel, Capel Brithdir, Capel Gwladus, Coly Uchaf, Forest Chapel, Capel y Fan, Capel Baiden; further to the west, Capel Gyfylchi may have had a medieval predecessor (it was recorded as ‘an old chapel in ruins’ in 1763: John Morgan-Guy, the Diocese of Llandaff in 1763, South Wales Record Society, 1991, p. 44). There was a chapel at Resolven, in ruins by 1718 (Morgan-Guy, Diocese of Llandaff in 1763, p. 46) and William Rees marked a chapel called Llaneithrim on Mynydd Carnllechart, west of Pontardawe. (He never gave references, which can make retracing his work a bit tricky.)

Some of these little churches have evidence for nearby peasant housing. At Manmoel, the boundaries of the Cistercian grange go carefully around what must have been a settlement north of the Nant y Felin, and there are house platforms dotted aound Coly and Capel Gwladus on Cefn Gelli-gaer. Accrding to Nathaniel Jones, rector of Merthyr 1640-62, there was a hamlet of over 50 houses served by Capel y Fan; by his time, the chapel had been converted into a dwelling house and the inhabitants were unable to come to church. (His account is transcribed by Frank T. James in Y Cymmrodor vol. 35, 1925, online at https://journals.library.wales/view/1386446/1398546/168#?xywh=-168%2C464%2C3333%2C1801 .) There is no evidence now for any housing near the remains of the chapel.

Other lost churches seem completely deserted, though they must have had a congregation at some time. One of the most remote is Forest Chapel, at SO 08203 00565 on the ridge between the Taff and the Rhymney. All that is left of it is the foundations of its walls under the turf and a faint bank round a little enclosure to the east. (Details on Coflein at https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/15316/ )

The only evidence of housing is the very faint foundations of a rectangular building about 1½ km to the south, and a little to the west of Fforest Farm at ST 0864 9938. According to the Royal Commission inventory, this could be an early house but could also have been a farm building.

A steep minor road runs up to the ridge from Treharris, deteriorating into a track after Tir-lan Farm. Along the track, at about ST 09205 99611, is this

Virtually unphotographable, but there is stone under the turf. Could it be a cross-ridge dyke, one of those early medieval land boiundaries which appear on several of the ridges between the mining valleys. There is something marked as ‘field system’ on the OS 1:25,000 map but I can’t find anything on Coflein or the Royal Commission inventories.

We rarely know anything about the foundation and desertion of these little churches. Manmoel and Capel Gwladus both appear in Lifris’s late C11 life of St Cadoc so are presumably pre-Norman; Capel Gwladus also an early medieval inscribed stone (now in the parish church at Gelli-gaer). Brithdir had another simple early medieval inscribed stone built into its fabric (it is now in the church at Bargoed) and it was near a major early medieval stone, the Tegernacus stone (now in the National Museum), so that too could be early. Others were probably established to serve the needs of peasant farmers in the period of agricultural expansion in the C12 and C13 when the climate was rather better. Most would then have gone out of use when the climate deteriorated in the early C14. Manmoel and Capel Gwladus were both converted into houses. Manmoel is still a farm house, but Capel Gwladus is little more than stones under the turf. As we have seen, Capel y Fan was also converted into a dwelling house. Capel Brithdir must have been a parochial chapelry, as it has a graveyard, which was in use well into the C19. It was rebuilt on its medieval foundations but went out of use and was demolished in 1960. Baiden was also rebuilt at some point and was being used in 1763 but was ruinous again by 1781 (Morgan-Guy, Diocese of Llandaff in 1763 p. 39). Other former chapels of ease Blaengwrach, Crynant and Aberpergwm have also become parish churches in their own right. As with the lost farmsteads which dot the hills round Cardiff, it is hard to see why one chapel of ease should have fallen into ruins while another has become a parish church.

4 Dec 2024

Newsletter 2024

by | posted in: Family | 1

The year began with Rachel, Sean and boys moving in while their kitchen was rebuilt and other work done. It was all great fun – here we are in early morning mode

But the job took a lot longer than expected and it was awkward getting the boys to school and Meithrin.

They are both growing, and all boy – interested in anything mechanical.

Seth also likes making bread (mainly so he can make currant buns and eat currants while I am not looking).

Ethan’s Meithrin folded in the summer (they couldn’t find find suitably experienced, Welsh speaking staff to cover a half day nursery) so we are back to looking after him 2 days a week. He loves Castell Coch – mainly so he can play with the big 3-D jigsaw.

Here he is feeding his breakfast to the animals from his toy ark.

I spent quite a bit of the summer in St Davids – having lectured 6 times on the tomb of Edmund Tudor (father of Henry VII) to different groups I think I might have got it right by now! Here it is in all its glory

But Edmund had quite a complicated journey to get here.

Then in November Rachel and I got to Bruges. It was magnificent – every where you look is lovely.

We climbed the belfry – 360+ steps but worth it

The other big news is that Sean has learned to drive. He took to it very quickly, passed first time, and it’s a great help.

Steve still isn’t quite back to where he was before the pandemic, but he’s making progress – he even talks about getting back to doing field work. We shall see. My lovely young French cousin is coming to stay again for Christmas so we can do some church trips.

Love from us all – Nadolig Llawen, a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

10 Aug 2024

Early mining on Cefn Carnau

by | posted in: Heritage (General), Welsh History | 0

Following on from my blog posts on deserted cottages and farmsteads above Cardiff, I have been sent some information about early coal mining on Cefn Carnau. In his History of Caerphilly, H. P. Richards says (without references, unfortunately) that coal was being mined on Cefn Carnau in 1307 and the mone was still in operation in 1542. He also referred to early mines in Rhydri and Machen Forest.

I would need to do some more work to track down the evidence for all this. Meanwhile, I have been told that there are conical tips on the ridge above Blaen Nofydd, one at ST 169 849 and one a little further down the Heol Hir. So Gwen and I set out with my sharp-eyed French cousin Amy to have a look.

Looking with early industry in mind, the lane up from Blaen-nofydd to the Heol Hir has plenty of what could have been fairly shallow pits and the upcast from them. These

are quite near the bottom of the lane. ST 169 849 is further up, just east of the junction with the Heol Hir. There are some possible tips

but nothing really definite. This

got us quite excited – at first sight it looked like a house platform but on closer inspection it was an outcrop.

And were these

further evidence of digging?

This was as near as we could get to something like a tip further down the Heol Hir

– we will have to go back when the leaves are off the trees and the undergrowth has died down a bit.

And where would the workers in these mines have lived? Should we be looking for more house platforms in the adjoining fields? Bwlch-y-llechfaen is right next to the upper tip, and Bwlch y Gelli is less than half a kilometer down the lane. A little further away are Ty Draw to the north (¾km) and a farm and cottage about the same distance down the Heol Hir to the south. If (and it’s a big if) these are on the site of medieval houses, and given that the mine would have been fairly small and not worked continuously, it’s possible that the men from these little farms worked in the mine when there was work to be had and that the women worked the land. This was the basis of much early industrial society. My own house originally had a garden almost big enough for a smallholding, with buildings for chickens and pigs. The men worked in the local mines and iron works and the women produced the food.

31 Dec 2023

Mitchel Troy

by | posted in: Church Tourism, Graveyards | 0

Amy and I set off to Mitchel Troy, just south of Monmouth, to look for this

https://twitter.com/johnevigar/status/1716331933066572125

which the wonderful John Vigar posted on Twitter back in October.

It’s a medieval church, probably part of the great Norman rebuilding of churches in south-east Wales, but heavily restored by John Prichard in 1873-6. Recently the parish has raised some serious funding to provide a kitchen, toilet facilities and more comfortable seating. (Replacing the Victorian pews probably caused howls of outrage but chairs are (a) infinitely more comfortable and (b) more flexible.)

The base of the west tower could be late C12/early C13. Built into the SW buttress, about 5’ up, is this

ORATE PRO GODEFRI
DO ET JOHANNE

Did they contribute to the building of the tower, or could it possible be a tombstone? It’s rather short, and a hefty lump of stone. The west end has been used for a benchmark.

 

Inside we found this

A miniature cross slab, probably C13 – possibly commemorating a child, but perhaps more likely to have been a heart burial. . It was discovered during the reconstruction, turned over and reused as the base of a piscina (see the drilled drainage hole). That must have been later medieval reuse.

But where was John Vigar’s stone? Eventually Amy spotted it,

The perils of church-crawling at Christmas. It’s a good excuse to go back. And I probably ought to measure all the slabs.

I can’t see me measuring this one, though  – in the SE angle, is this a fragment of the shaft of a medieval cross slab?

 

There’s a lot to enjoy in the churchyard. Several headstones with chubby cherubs

But one local firm of stonemasons seems to have specialised in elaborately-draped urns – a range of styles

And this one with both urns and cherubs.

This one has the angel of the Last Judgement

With a scroll beginning ‘Arise ye dead and come to judgement’

– there’s a lot more text on the stone but frustratingly just below the margin of legibility. Another reason for a second visit on a dry day.

 

We also found something like the Luggage from Terry Pratchett

And this, an unusual way of putting a cross on a grave.

The churchyard has its medieval churchyard cross with the shaft still in place, decorated with shields and ballflower.

A good day – and already looking forward to a revisit.

10 Dec 2023

Grandparenting 2023

by | posted in: Family | 3

Seth and Ethan are both growing – which means they are more able to play together. Here they are at St Fagan’s last summer

And here sharing the joy of puddles

and jigsaw puzzles (at which they are both pretty good)

Seth is now in the reception class at the local Welsh primary school.

He is apparently very good at Numbers but needs to work on Reading.

He also likes making bread.

We took them on the boat around Cardiff Bay for his birthday.

High point was watching the road go up so boats could go through the Barrage and into the marina.

We look after Ethan two days a week (his other grannie now has him for a day) but he starts Meithrin (a Welsh nursery) on 12 December. He already enjoys the parent and toddler group there.

He enjoys being helpful


feeding the birds

helping Steve with the Sudoku

and here are the lads together, planning their next exploit

 

16 Oct 2023

More lost farmsteads: Craig yr Allt

by | posted in: Archaeology, Heritage (General), Welsh History | 1

Now that Gwen the cockapoo puppy is a little older (and a little more ready to come back when called), we are doing longer walks. Today, we went up Craig yr Allt, and I was reminded that I never did look for details of this

 

at about OS Grid Ref: ST 12516 84638. From the path just a heap of tumbled stone,

 

but up in the brambles there is a bit more of a wall.

 

And a little further up the slope, at about ST 12575 84628

 

a little more stonework.

They took some finding on the wonderful https://places.library.wales but they are there – it’s just tricky overlaying the 2nd edition OS and the tithe plan on the modern satellite image. Also the tithe plan shows the 2 buildings much closer together that they actually are.

In 1839, the date of the tithe plan for the huge parish of Eglwysilan, they were part of a farm called Tir Craig yr Allt. They may originally have been part of another smaller farm which had been absorbed into Tir Craig yr Allt. The lower of the two buildings isn’t named but is in a small field called Cae dan y ty, the field below the house. The upper building is in a field called Cae ysgubor, Barn field. T he main farmhouse of Tir Craig yr Allt (described as ‘Homestead’ on the tithe plan) was at about ST 13787 84873. This added to the confusion: between the tithe plan and the 1st edition OS map (surveyed 1875), the farmhouse had been rebuilt a little further down the valley of the Nant Brynau. This farm, now just called Craig yr Allt, is still there: it is a large farm and riding stables. Alas, the site of the ‘Homestead’ isn’t accessible: it’s in the woods between the drive to Craig yr Allt and the Nant Brynau, so we can’t check if anything remains of the old farmhouse.

In 1840, Tir Craig yr Allt was the property of Robert Henry Clive, part of what would become the Plymouth estate, and the tenant was Mary Williams. It was a substantial farm of nearly 130 acres, though just over 50 a. of that was rough mountain grazing.

A little further up the lane (I need to go back and check the grid reference) was this

 

(Gwen for scale) – presumably an old adit. Coal levels and quarries are marked along the lane on the 2nd edition OS, and both lead and iron were found in the area.

12 Feb 2023

Fforest Fach

by | posted in: Archaeology, Heritage (General) | 0

This is yet another of those ‘medieval forest boundaries I have walked past dozens of times without recognising them’ posts (see also https://www.heritagetortoise.co.uk/2022/11/forest-boundaries/, https://www.heritagetortoise.co.uk/2022/11/coed-rhiwr-ceiliog/, https://www.heritagetortoise.co.uk/2022/12/fforest-ganol/ ). Fforest Fach runs between the ridge of Rhiwbina Hill and the little valley of the Nant Cwmnofydd. The boundaries are the road up Rhiwbina Hill, the lane from the road down to the stream, and the lane back up towards Bwlch-y-cwm Cottage. But which came first, the lanes or the forest with its boundary banks?

The boundary of Fforest Ganol runs up to the road over Rhiwbina Hill at ST 14371 83141. There is a bank running north along the road which could be the eastern boundary of Fforest Ganol: the road at this point is slightly hollowed into the hillside but the bank is clear of ground level on the western side.

The boundary of Fforest Fach should run east from this point but it has been lost under the gardens of Forest Lodge and St Hilarion (on the site of Coedwig-du on the 2nd edition 6” OS map). It should run down to the lane along the Nant Cwmnofydd but there doesn’t seem to be a change in the banking along that lane at any point. Here it is near Seaview at about ST 14574 83125

and here further down at about ST 14606 83233

There is no obvious bank going north, but matching the modern OS map with the tithe plan it does look as though the boundary followed the line of the modern fence (just visible through the undergrowth at about ST 14604 83215)

then went along the lane until the turning to the footbridge and ford, where the line of the boundary follows the stream.

No evidence of a bank where the boundary turns NW away from the stream – but a very clear bank to the east of the lane leading back up towards Bwlch-y-cwm.

 

(How many times have I walked this lane, with a succession of dogs …)

Near the top of the slope, another track joins from the left. From the tithe plan and 2nd edition OS it looks as though the boundary bank goes right here for a little

then turns left at about ST 14580 83820 to go up the steep slope.

No evidence of a bank here, or at the top – the slope is probably too steep – but could this tree at the top be a stub?

There is a very slight boundary bank following the lane back to Bwlch-y-cwm, suggesting that the original cottage there just outside the boundary could even have been medieval.

I keep thinking that’s as far as I’m going to get with Rackham’s work but doubtless there will be more.

11 Feb 2023

The Afterlife of Stone Monuments

by | posted in: Archaeology, Church Tourism, Graveyards, Heritage (General) | 0

Some years ago now, Steve (my husband) did the MA in Celto-Roman Studies offered by the late lamented University of Wales, Newport. He got particularly interested in the stone monuments of early medieval Wales and wrote a short article on the ways that the stone of these early monuments was reused. I never managed to persuade him to publish it, but it turned up a few days ago when we were sorting out old hard drives and back-up folders. So here it is.

THE AFTERLIFE OF STONE MONUMENTS 2

5 Feb 2023

Update on the Griffith Jones Llanddowror Heritage Tour

by | posted in: Church Tourism, Heritage Paths | 0

I have been sent this update on the project. The tour is being developed by the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society to raise awareness of the roles of Carmarthenshire people in the legacy left by Griffith Jones, especially Peter Williams, as this is the tercentenary year of his birth.

The Carmarthenshire Enlightenment Project: TOUR (and local Trails)

 

General tour: The proposed tour will use HistoryPoints QR plaques for on-site information and linkages between sites. It tells the story of the significant multiple legacies left by Rev Griffith Jones, Llanddowror. They include:

  • development of Welsh literacy across all of Wales through Circulating Charity Schools supported and continued by Madam Bevan, with her continuing legacy and his publications;
  • his prolific writing plus promotion of Welsh Bibles, which indirectly supported Carmarthen’s printing industry;
  • his fame as a preacher and embrace of all-comers that inspired so many others to follow his example, such as Peter Williams; William Williams, Pantycelyn, Thomas Charles, David Charles – all from Carmarthenshire;
  • the unintentional support of the eventual formation of the (Calvinistic) Methodist Church;
  • and, through all of those, the resurgence of the Welsh language in the C18 and C19.

Trails: At some of the locations (Llanddowror, Laugharne, St Clears and Carmarthen) there would also be linkage to a local trail, which will also have HistoryPoints QR plaques to guide the walker, and for qseveral also link to the Wales Coast Path.

Currently there are seven locations planned, as highlighted on the map, with the possible addition of Derllys.

But it could also be possible to extend further at any point in the future e.g. to include the County Museum at Abergwili and Llandovery sites (William Williams Chapel, and Pantycelyn) if they so wish.

Promotion: Each QR can be linked to further supporting information e.g. on C.A.S. website e.g. to Antiquary articles on GJ, etc. The tour will be promoted on the following websites: Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society; HistoryPoints; Discover Carmarthenshire; the National Churches Trust as well as the local council websites and possibly Celtic Routes. An official launch is planned for the 23/24th September 2023 as part of CADW’s Open Doors with events at the locations, and an exhibition is planned for November in Carmarthen town centre. A touring exhibition and booklet are also planned, which will help promote awareness.

In addition in, autumn 2024 the County Museum will hold their own exhibition on the same theme.

 

The proposed route, the sites, an outline of the relevant content and trail links are all shown in the table:

SITES, in route sequence CONTENT PROGRESS

(February, 2023)

 TRAIL FOCUS OF TRAIL LINK TO WALES COAST PATH LINK
Llanddowror Griffith Jones’ overall legacy QRs funding applied for Yes (funding ditto) plus pos. Youtube video. Training CC School teachers No
Eglwys Gymin Church history Peter Williams and John Evans QR in place No – No
Pendine Peter Williams Memorial Chapel Peter Williams’ early life and achievements Display panel + QR in place No – Yes – directly on the WCP
Laugharne St Martins church Church history and Griffith Jones preaching fame QR in place Yes – plus pos. Youtube video. Link to Madam Bevan’s house site with blue plaques and display panel, in place plus school + port QRs Yes – via the trail
Y Gât, St Clears – &/or Pentre Farm, adjacent Circulating Charity Schools; Thos & Dd Charles Funding applied for from Town Council ? Yes Story of the Circulating Charity Schools Yes – if trail(s) can be approved
?Derllys John Vaughan and Madam Bevan charity Display Panel in place – QR needed, if agreed No – No
Heol Dŵr Chapel, Water Street Peter Williams’ development of chapel, printing of bible 1770 + rise of Methodism Funding applied for Yes – funding applied for Port, Academy, Grammar School. St Peters, Printing trade, Peter Williams Yes – via the trail
Llandyfaelog St Maelog church and Village Peter Williams’ grave, former home Two QRs agreed inc funding No No