Ystradyfodwg or Ystrad Dyfodwg (Vale of Tyfodwg) was an ancient uplandparish in Glamorgan, Wales. It is believed to have been named after Dyfodwg (or Tyfodwg) a 6th-century saint or chieftain. The parish included most of the area which would later be known as Rhondda named for the parish rivers, Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach.
Map showing the boundaries of Ystradyfodwg ancient parish (orange) and the areas added and subtracted in the formation of Rhondda Urban District.
The parish of Ystradyfodwg covered a vast area of 10,127 Hectares, but only had 542 inhabitants in 1801. It stretched from the confluence of the Rhondda rivers at Porth, over the mountain as far as the Vale of Neath. It was divided into four townships:
The small village of Ystradyfodwg was centred on its parish church, at the site now occupied by the church of St John the Baptist in Ton Pentre. Prior to the industrial revolution, Ton Pentre (then just called Ton) was a hamlet a short distance to the west of Ystradyfodwg, but as Ton grew it absorbed the older village. A railway station opened at Ystradyfodwg in 1861 on the Taff Vale Railway's Rhondda branch line, with the station initially called Ystrad. It was renamed Ystrad Rhondda in 1930, and renamed Ton Pentre in 1986 when a new Ystrad Rhondda railway station also opened about a mile further down the line to the east.
A local government district, governed by a local board, was established in 1877 covering most of the parish of Ystradyfodwg, but excluding the Rhigos area.[1] The district was enlarged in 1879 to cover parts of the neighbouring parishes of Llanwonno and Llantrisant.[2][3] The Ystradyfodwg Local Board built itself a headquarters on Llewellyn Street in Pentre in 1884.[4][5]
The local government district became the Ystradyfodwg Urban District in 1894, when the parish boundaries were also adjusted to match the urban district.[6] In 1897 the Ystradyfodwg Urban District Council formally changed the name of the parish and urban district from Ystradyfodwg to Rhondda.[7]
Development
The area would become better known in the mid 19th century a dynamic centre of the coal mining industry, with a large, new industrial population. During the 19th century, the population of the parish increased as follows:
1811
1821
1831
1841
1851
1861
1871
1881
1891
1901
Population
973
985
1047
1363
1998
3857
17777
45052
69685
89907
Lower-quality coal from the Upper Coal series was worked in a small way in Trealaw as early as 1807, but the development of the Rhondda steam coal gave rise to the rapid population growth. The development began with the start-up of the Bute Merthyr colliery in Treherbert in 1855.[8] In the Rhondda Fach, the first coal was mined in 1862 at Ferndale. The Taff Vale Railway reached Treherbert in 1856. Collieries then rapidly developed along the valley, with the lower part of the valley developing last because of the deeper pits required to find the steam coal in that area. By the end of the century, mining villages formed an almost continuous urban strip along both valley floors, with coal mining and its ancillary trades virtually the sole industry.
In 1877, the Hamlet of Rhigos was made a separate civil parish, and the remainder of Ystradyfodwg, together with the adjoining Rhondda valley portions of the parishes of Llanwonno and Llantrisant, became the urban sanitary district of Ystradyfodwg. This extended district became Ystradyfodwg Civil Parish and Urban District in 1894, and was renamed Rhondda Civil Parish and Urban District in 1897. See Rhondda (district).
^Annual Report of the Local Government Board. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1895. p. 250. Retrieved 19 October 2022. The County of Glamorgan (Pontypridd, &c.) Confirmation Order, 1894
^"Rhondda Urban District Council: The change of name sanctioned". Glamorgan Free Press. Pontypridd. 24 July 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
ystradyfodwg, ystrad, dyfodwg, vale, tyfodwg, ancient, upland, parish, glamorgan, wales, believed, have, been, named, after, dyfodwg, tyfodwg, century, saint, chieftain, parish, included, most, area, which, would, later, known, rhondda, named, parish, rivers, . Ystradyfodwg or Ystrad Dyfodwg Vale of Tyfodwg was an ancient upland parish in Glamorgan Wales It is believed to have been named after Dyfodwg or Tyfodwg a 6th century saint or chieftain The parish included most of the area which would later be known as Rhondda named for the parish rivers Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach Map showing the boundaries of Ystradyfodwg ancient parish orange and the areas added and subtracted in the formation of Rhondda Urban District Contents 1 Extent 2 History 3 Development 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksExtent EditThe parish of Ystradyfodwg covered a vast area of 10 127 Hectares but only had 542 inhabitants in 1801 It stretched from the confluence of the Rhondda rivers at Porth over the mountain as far as the Vale of Neath It was divided into four townships Home between the rivers Clydach south of the Rhondda Fawr Middle the upper part of the valley Rhigos north of the mountains History EditThe small village of Ystradyfodwg was centred on its parish church at the site now occupied by the church of St John the Baptist in Ton Pentre Prior to the industrial revolution Ton Pentre then just called Ton was a hamlet a short distance to the west of Ystradyfodwg but as Ton grew it absorbed the older village A railway station opened at Ystradyfodwg in 1861 on the Taff Vale Railway s Rhondda branch line with the station initially called Ystrad It was renamed Ystrad Rhondda in 1930 and renamed Ton Pentre in 1986 when a new Ystrad Rhondda railway station also opened about a mile further down the line to the east A local government district governed by a local board was established in 1877 covering most of the parish of Ystradyfodwg but excluding the Rhigos area 1 The district was enlarged in 1879 to cover parts of the neighbouring parishes of Llanwonno and Llantrisant 2 3 The Ystradyfodwg Local Board built itself a headquarters on Llewellyn Street in Pentre in 1884 4 5 The local government district became the Ystradyfodwg Urban District in 1894 when the parish boundaries were also adjusted to match the urban district 6 In 1897 the Ystradyfodwg Urban District Council formally changed the name of the parish and urban district from Ystradyfodwg to Rhondda 7 Development EditThe area would become better known in the mid 19th century a dynamic centre of the coal mining industry with a large new industrial population During the 19th century the population of the parish increased as follows 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901Population 973 985 1047 1363 1998 3857 17777 45052 69685 89907 Lower quality coal from the Upper Coal series was worked in a small way in Trealaw as early as 1807 but the development of the Rhondda steam coal gave rise to the rapid population growth The development began with the start up of the Bute Merthyr colliery in Treherbert in 1855 8 In the Rhondda Fach the first coal was mined in 1862 at Ferndale The Taff Vale Railway reached Treherbert in 1856 Collieries then rapidly developed along the valley with the lower part of the valley developing last because of the deeper pits required to find the steam coal in that area By the end of the century mining villages formed an almost continuous urban strip along both valley floors with coal mining and its ancillary trades virtually the sole industry The majority of the incomers came from West Wales particularly Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion and spoke Welsh Over 70 of the population of the parish was Welsh speaking in 1891 In 1877 the Hamlet of Rhigos was made a separate civil parish and the remainder of Ystradyfodwg together with the adjoining Rhondda valley portions of the parishes of Llanwonno and Llantrisant became the urban sanitary district of Ystradyfodwg This extended district became Ystradyfodwg Civil Parish and Urban District in 1894 and was renamed Rhondda Civil Parish and Urban District in 1897 See Rhondda district See also Edit1894 Ystradyfodwg Urban District Council electionReferences Edit Parliamentary papers London House of Commons 1877 p 41 Retrieved 20 October 2022 Ystradyfodwg Urban Sanitary District A Vision of Britain through Time GB Historical GIS University of Portsmouth Retrieved 20 October 2022 Public Works London House of Lords 1879 p 23 Retrieved 21 October 2022 Opening of the Ystradyfodwg Public Offices Western Mail Cardiff 5 May 1884 p 4 Retrieved 20 October 2022 Cadw Former Rhondda Borough Council Offices Grade II 18105 National Historic Assets of Wales Retrieved 20 October 2022 Annual Report of the Local Government Board London Her Majesty s Stationery Office 1895 p 250 Retrieved 19 October 2022 The County of Glamorgan Pontypridd amp c Confirmation Order 1894 Rhondda Urban District Council The change of name sanctioned Glamorgan Free Press Pontypridd 24 July 1897 p 3 Retrieved 20 October 2022 Davies J A History of Wales Penguin 1994 ISBN 0 14 014581 8 p 402 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Wood James ed 1907 The Nuttall Encyclopaedia London and New York Frederick Warne a href Template Cite encyclopedia html title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a Missing or empty title help External links EditYstradyfodwg on GenukiCoordinates 51 38 58 N 3 29 12 W 51 64944 N 3 48667 W 51 64944 3 48667 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ystradyfodwg amp oldid 1117443298, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
