Abertillery History

The Central Hotel – Llanhilleth. The building and licensing of the Central Hotel, Llanhilleth was one of the most confusing, complicated and protracted applications in the district. Planning began with a 99 year lease starting from 25th of March in 1903, was constructed in 1905, finally given a full licence and opened in 1909. In a newspaper report from February 1905, …

Llanhilleth Top Hotel. I am not sure of the exact construction date of the Llanhilleth Hotel, though the records of Messrs Partridge, Jones & Co shows deeds were issued on the 7th of August 1891. The construction of the Llanhilleth Hotel began shortly after. The Contractor and Architect. Mr David Lewis was the contractor. There is more information on Mr …

Oak Street Cafés and Refreshment Rooms. In the latter part of the 19th century quite a few coffee houses and refreshment rooms were being established in Abertillery. The area of Oak Street (as seen to the left on the featured image above) close to the railway station was ideal for these establishments. Mr Jordan’s Coffee Tavern. In the 1880s Mr William …

The Limes House, Abertillery House – Abertillery. The Limes House (as seen middle left on the featured images above surrounded by trees and just behind the railway lines) was originally called Abertillery House. It was one of the oldest premises in the area. Abertillery House. In Mr Edmund Jones first book written in 1779 called “The History of Aberystruth” he …

Messrs Briggs & Co Boot and Shoe Manufacturers. Messrs Briggs & Co were Mr William Edwin Briggs and his son Mr Arthur Edwin Briggs, a family of boot and shoe manufacturers from Leicestershire. Messrs Briggs had stores in all major towns with many in South Wales, including, Brynmawr, Risca, Blackwood, Abercarn, Ebbw Vale and Newbridge. In the early 1900’s the …

The Ebenezer Baptist Church – Abertillery. The organisation originated in a split at the King Street Baptist Church when on Sunday 3rd December 1876 the Rev Llewellyn Jones left his ministerial post at King Street and took eighty-two members with him, with the intention of founding a new cause. The Ebenezer Church Site. Their new church was to be situated …

The Gaen Brothers, Building Contractors. The Gaen Brothers comprised Mr Thomas Gaen, born 1862, Mr Charles Gaen, born 1864 and Mr Frederick Gaen, born 1869. The family were from Langton Matravers, Dorset, the sons of Mr John Thomas Gaen and Ellen Jane Gaen nee Brown. Their father was a stone mason and all three sons entered the trade at an early age …

The Foundry Bridge Abertillery. In the 1830’s Abertillery was divided by the River Tyleri, to the east was Cwmtillery and to the west Abertillery. In the 1850’s the lane leading up past the British School to where Alma Street would later be, was called the Parish Road, this was the official dividing line. In the mid to late 19th century …