General History

The Christian Endeavour Union of Wales – Badge. This pin-back badge was available to members and officers of the Christian Endeavour Union of Wales during April 1933 to commemorate the Welsh National Convention held at Abertillery and the Blaenau Gwent Baptist Church.  Made by the Birmingham Medal Co. Size 1″ inch in diameter.   The Christian Endeavour Society. The first Christian …

Mrs Rosina (Rose) Heyworth – The Lady Behind the Name. The Rose Heyworth Colliery was sunk in 1874 under the directorship of Mr Lawrence Heyworth managing director of the South Wales Colliery Company.  The company already owned Cwmtillery (the South Wales Colliery) and the first coal raised at Rose Heyworth was in about 1876-77, though may well have been later …

South Wales and Monmouthshire Hospital Survey Book. This book is a survey of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Hospitals during 1945. It contains 120 pages of statistics, charts and maps covering all the hospitals in the South Wales and Monmouthshire area.  Size 13″ x 8″ inches.  

Remploy. Remploy was established in 1945 under the terms of the Disabled Persons Act of 1944, it is an organisation owned by the Department of Works and Pensions in the United Kingdom and provides employment and employment placement services for disabled people. Abertillery Remploy. On Friday 21st of September 1945, the South Wales Gazette reported – The first meeting of …

Messrs Williams. Coed Iorwg is the large double fronted house in its own grounds sited on High Street where the Abertillery multi-storey car park would later be built. The house can be seen (center-right on the main featured image above). The premises was partly covered in creeping ivy and was used as the backdrop of many sports team photographs in …

The Abertillery County School Grounds – Rose Heyworth Road. The County School Grounds were initially fields (as seen left above the Abertillery Rugby Ground) purchased by the council in 1921 upon which they intended to use as part of their housing scheme. They had been dumping refuse on its northern portion close to where the Millennium School, Rose Heyworth Campus …

Abertillery Art Classes. The British Schools. In 1887 during the rebuilding of the British Schools boy’s section, Mr Thomas Bevan the headmaster along with Mr William Roberts of Nantyglo, established art lessons. These art lessons became part of the Science and Art Classes and in connection with these classes’ lectures were given by the county organiser Mr E. Small M.A. …

The Original Drill Hall – Abertillery. During the late 1890’s the Drill Hall at Abertillery was in a room on the upper floor of the Castle Inn, Castle Street, Abertillery (as seen left, center of the image). The Castle Inn and the old Drill Hall was opposite where the entrance into Tesco Supermarket is today. It was used by the 3rd …

Clyn Mawr Ganol. Clyn Mawr Ganol (middle farm) was one of three ancient farms at Clyn Mawr, with Clyn Mawr Uchaf (upper farm), the Ganol and lower down close to where the Social Security Office is today was Clyn Mawr Isaf the (lower farm). The Clyn Mawr Ganol is seen (center-left) on the 1840 map, also seen on the map …

The Old Tyleryan’s Association. The Old Tyleryan’s Association Society was formed in February 1901. It began as an association to keep a bond of union amongst the old pupils of the Intermediate School, County School, Abertillery. Mr W. D. Lewis Evans the headmaster was its (President), Miss Tongue of Blaina as (Treasurer) and Mr A. W. Box of Oak Street, …