The Story of Glamorgan
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, net THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE STORY OF GLAMORGAN. Count? Series BY C. J. EVANS "profusely "3llustrate6 1908 THE EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, LIMITED TRADE STREET. CARDIFF. DA 74 O PREFACE. " " THE STORY OF GLAMORGAN is a modified form of a prize essay at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales, Mountain Ash, 1905. It has been re-written, and put in a more readable form for schools and the general public. The book deals with the county in districts chiefly districts lying within the several river basins with further chapters dealing with general geographical and historical facts. All the more important towns and industrial centres have special chapters devoted to them. The best books on Glamorgan have been consulted, and every care has been taken to ensure accuracy both in the information given and the maps and plans that illustrate the text. The writer here desires to acknowledge his great indebtedness to the works of previous writers on the subject. Thanks are also due for photographs lent by the Great Western and Messrs. Barry Railway Companies ; H. W. Wills, Cardiff; J. Storrie, Cardiff; Fred Evans, W. F. and Llangynwyd ; Dinsley, Manchester; D. Jones, Cymmer. The Publishers beg to announce that they have in the Press three booklets which will form valuable aids to this volume, viz. : 1. A Short Glossary of Glamorganshire Place Names. 2. Short Biographies of Glamorganshire Worthies. 3. School Journeys in Glamorgan. 880061 Vi. PREFACE The design on the cover will be new to most of our readers, and for it we are indebted to T. H. Thomas, Esq., R.C.A., the Herald Bard of Wales. It is a design that the people of Glamorgan should be proud of, as it formed the Blazon of the Men of Glamorgan at the famous Battle of Agincourt, where Welshmen did much towards winning the victory, though they got but little of the praise. Drayton, however, in his poem, refers to the Blazon in the following words : " Glamorgan men, a castle great and high, From which, out of the battlements above, A flame shot up itself into the sky." Though much interesting information has, of necessity, been omitted from this book, it is hoped that enough has been written to arouse in the sons and daughters of Glamorgan, for whom it is intended, a desire for a further and deeper knowledge of their native county, a county which is second to none in the possession of an honourable and blood-stirring past, a prosperous present, and, it is to be hoped, a glorious future. COURT ROAD SCHOOLS, CARDIFF, August, 1908. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE i. The County : Its Name, Position, and Extent . 1 ii. The Surface of the County . 4 iii. A Trip along the Coast. I. Cardiff to Swansea 7 iv. II. Around Gower 18 v. Climate . .27 " " vi. The Ladie of all Countries . .30 vii. Agriculture . .32 viii. The Basin of the Rhymney . 36 ix. Caerphilly Castle . .40 x. The Basin of the Taff. I. The Taff Yalley 45 xi. II. Yalley of the Cynon 54 xii. III. TheRhondda Valleys . 61 xiii. The Basin of the Ely ... 71 xiv. The River Ewenny . .78 xv. The Basin of the Ogwr or Ogmore . 82 xvi. The Basin of the Afan . .91 xvii. The Vale of Neath ... 98 xviii. The Basin of the Tawe . 104 xix. The Basin of the Llwchwr . Ill xx. 1. The Vale of Glamorgan . .115 xxi. II. 121 xxii. III. 128 xxiii. Between the Ogwr and the Afan . 137 xxiv. I. Gower .... 146 xxv. II. 151 xxvi. III. .156 xxvii. The Rocks of Glamorgan . 160 xxviii. Industries .... 164 xxix. Means of Communication 168 Vlll. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE xxx. Population, Language, and Education . 176 I. xxxi. The City of Cardiff . .180 xxxii. II. .185 xxxiii. I. The History of Cardiff . 190 xxxiv. II. ... 195 xxxv. Cardiff Castle . .200 xxxvi. The Port of Cardiff , . .206 xxxTii. Llandaff . 214 xxxviii. The Merthyr District . 222 xxxix. Neath and Briton Ferry . 231 xl. I. The Borough of Swansea . 239 xli. II. .'.' 243 xlii. The History of Swansea . 248 xliii. Swansea Docks . 253 xliv. I. Antiquities of the County . 257 xlv. II. 262 xlvi. The Early Inhabitants of Glamorgan . 269 xlvii. The Roman Conquest of Siluria . 272 xlviii. Roman Remains in Glamorgan . 276 xlix. The Introduction of Christianity . 279 1. Glamorgan under the Welsh Princes . 281 li. The Norman Conquest of Glamorgan . 286 lii. Glamorgan in the Twelfth Century . 289 liii. Glamorgan under the De Clares . 294 liv. Llewelyn Bren's Rebellion . 297 Iv. From Hugh le Despenser to the Tudor Period 300 Ivi. Owen Glyndwr's Rebellion . 303 Ivii. The Tudor Period . .306 Iviii. The Stuart Period '. 309 lix. Conclusion . 313 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS PAGE Gwrt-yr-Ala, Dinas Powis . .1 Entrance to the West Bute Dock, Cardiff . 7 The Pier, Penarth . .9 The Lias Formation, near Llantwit Mnjor . 12 One of the Caves at Llant .vit Major . .13 Pebble Beach, Barry . .16 A Stormy Day at Porthcawl . .17 Swansea, 1779 . .19 Present Day Swa.isea . .20 Worm's Head, showing Natural Arch . 23 Weobley Castle, Gower . .24 Map of the Basins of the Rbymney, Taff, and Ely . 37 Caerphilly Castle (restored) . .41 Caerphilly Castle, 1908 . V . 44 Pontypridd Bridge . .47 Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd . 49 . Castell Coch . .51 ' The Garth, Creigiau . 53 Aberdare . .56 - Aberdare Park . ". 58 " Dyffryn, Mountain Ash . .59 Mountain Ash . 60 Craig y Llyn, Llyn Fawr . ; . .62 View near the source of the Rhondda f . fit A View on the Ely . .74 Cromlech at St. Nicholas . 76 Map of the River Basins of Mid-Glamorgan . 77 Ewenny Priory ..... 78 Ogmore Castle . .82 Town Hall, Maesteg .... 84 Cefn Ydfa Ruins . 85 X. ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Ewenny Pottery . .87 Hospice of the Knights of St. John, Bridgend . 89 Scene between Aberavon and Cwmavon . 92 Scene in the Afan Valley . ... .94 Pontrhydyfen . ', . .90 . Cwm Nedd . .99 The Lady Fall, Glyn Neath . 102 Craig y Ddinas . - 103 Map of the Basins of the Nedd, Tawe, and Lhrchwr 105 Morriston, Swansea . 108 Cwmdu Waterfall, Pontardawe . 110 Welsh FishWife . -. '. .113 Map of the River Basins of the Vale . 116 A Winter's Scene in the Vale . .117 Gileston Village, Gileston . 121 Porthkerry House, Barry . 122 St. Donats' Church, Llantwit Major . 124 Dunraven Castle ..... 126 The Old Church, Llantwit Major . '. 128 Grammar School and Town Gate, Cowbridge . 130 Monastic Building, Llantwit . 132 Tower showing Outer Defence, Newton Nottage . 1 39 Section showing Outer Defence, Newton Nottage . 140 Chapter House, Margam .... 142 Margam Abbey . .143 The Orangery, Margam . .144 Map of the Gower Peninsula . 147 " - Swansea Bay .. 148 Oystermouth . .150 Arthur's Stone, Cefn y Bryn . 154 Penclawdd . 155 Geological Map of Glamorgan . 159 . 169 Map showing Railways and Ports . The Old Tramroad, Treharris ." .. .172 Cardiff City Hall (Copyright, Wills, Cardiff) 183 Cardiff in 1802 . 185 ILLUSTRATIONS xi. PAGE St. Mary Street, Cardiff (present day) . 186 Roath Park, Cardiff . .IKK Old Westgate Street, Cardiff . .198 Cardiff Castle (present day) .... 201 Cardiff Castle, 1789 . .204 Barry Public Offices . .212 Speed's Map of Llandaff . 214 ' Gateway of Bishop's Palace, Llandaff . 215 Norman Doorway, Llandaff Cathedral . 220 Llandaff Cathedral . .221 Pontsarn Caves in Winter .... 227 Dowlais . 2HO Neath in 1835 ..... 232 A Maid of Glyn Neath . 233 Neath Abbey (present day) . 236 Swansea Castle .... 251 Swansea Docks ..... 254 Irbic Cross, Llandough, near Cardiff . 260 Mynydd Castell Camp, near Margam . 263 Bwlwarcan Camp, Llangynwyd . 264 Roman Camp on British Intrenchments . 266 Danish Camp, near Pyle .... 268 Turberville and the Lord of Coity . 292 Beaupre Porch .... 295 Cwrt-yr-Ala, Dinas Powis. The Story of Glamorgan. CHAPTER I. The County : Its Name, Position, and Extent. How many of the boys and girls of Glamorgan have any knowledge of the county in which they live, out- side the small district which contains their homes ? And how many of them have any idea of the interesting and pleasing things to be found around them ? This little book has been written to try to tell them of those things, and to show them that Glamorgan is as interesting and important as any in county the Kingdom ; to tell them about its surface about its ; people and their work ; and about its history. 2 THE STORY OF GLAMORGAN In olden times the district now called Glamorgan was part of an independent state. To the people who lived here at that period it was known as Essyllwg, and these people were called Essyllwyr. When the Romans came into this part of the country they turned that name into a Roman form, and called it Siluria. The people were called Silures. Another name for this Welsh state was Gwent, which, in later times, was used only for that portion of the ancient state now known as Monmouthshire. Gwent and Essyllwg " " " both mean the same thing, Fair or Beautiful." So you see that the people who lived here in those days were proud of their home-land, and thought so " much of it that they even called it The Beautiful Country." In the sixth century, that is about fourteen hundred years ago, a prince of this state was named Morgan. He it was who changed the name of the district. Instead of calling the whole state Gwent, he said that it should be called Morganwg. He also said that the eastern portion of his lands should still be called Gwent, while the western part was to be known as Gwlad Morgan The Land of Morgan. From Gwlad Morgan the present name Glamorgan comes. The old state, Gwent or Morganwg, was much larger than the present county. It included the whole of the Glamorgan of to-day (except the district lying between the River Nedd and the Llwchwr), the whole of the present Monmouthshire, and portions of the THE COUNTY : ITS NAME, POSITION, AND EXTENT 3 counties of Brecon, Radnor, Hereford, and Shropshire.