General History

Church Street Bus Bay – Abertillery. As Church Street was the main road through the valley and the center of a busy town, a bus bay had long been needed for passenger heading north. There was a sort of an official bus stop on the pavement opposite the vicarage, It was on the roadside behind metal railings but it was …

Mr William John Clapp. Mr William John Clapp (1833-1902). Mr W. J. Clapp, Surgeon to the Tillery Collieries and Nantyglo Iron Works and inventor, was born in 1833 at Exeter Devon, England. The son of Mr William Murray Clapp and Mary Ann Clapp nee Cooke. His father Mr W. M. Clapp was an Ironmonger, Coal Merchant and Colliery proprietor of …

The Cottonwood Cafe. On Monday 27th October 1947, the Cottonwood Cafe (as seen in the main featured image) was opened. The cafe was in the old post office building on High Street, the junction of High Street and Castle Street, at Bush Hill, Abertillery. The proprietors were Marenghi & Humphries, Tel- 259. History of the Building. The Cottonwood Cafe building …

Abertillery Rugby Football Club Park Floodlights. (Story to come).

The New Road Aberbeeg. A new road from the Square, over the railway lines to the lower part of Gold Tops at Aberbeeg had been proposed as early as the 1900’s.  The old road and bridge was narrow and steep (as seen in the old image left). In the mid 1920’s it had been brought up again and this time …

Mr John Lancaster MP, Coal and Ironmaster 1816-1884. Mr John Lancaster (as seen left) was born 19th of September 1816, at Prestwich, Lancashire England. Miss Euphemia Gibson. In November 1841, Mr John Lancaster married Miss Euphemia Gibson of Johnston, Glasgow, Scotland. Later, John and Euphemia and family lived at Ince, Lancashire, England. Their children are listed below – Mr John …

Gaen Street, Blaenau Gwent. The featured image, dated November 1908, shows Gaen Street from the brow of the hill looking east. This area, comprising Gaen Street, Norman Street, Walter Street, George Street and Lewis Street were constructed in the early 1890’s by the Gaen Brothers who were contracted by the Barry Dock Company for the Abertillery Land Investment Company. Cardiff …

Mr A. L. Powell – Milk Bottle. A glass pint milk bottle from the company of Mr A. L. Powell, 111 Alma Street, Abertillery. Made from glass. Dated 1950’s. Size – 8 1/2″ x 3″ inches. Acid etched into the bottle in capital letters are the words – A. L. Powell, Dairyman, 111 Alma Street, Abertillery (as seen in the …

The Foundry Bridge Construction 1951. This was the second bridge to be constructed across the valley at Abertillery, connecting the western and eastern sides of the town. Tenders for the Construction of the New Bridge. On Wednesday 22nd of February 1950, the Western Mail newspaper issued notices that tenders were invited by the Abertillery District Council for contractors with experience …

The New Road to Blaina – Rose Heyworth Road. Originally the main road to Blaina from Abertillery was the Old Blaina Road, the road began at Bridge Street, Abertillery, it went northwards along the base of the Arael Mountain on the western side of the river to the Tilers Arms, Blaina. On this route was a right-of-way at Glo-Byllau Farm …