It's often assumed that Pontypridd's town
history began with the building of William Edwards bridge
over the Taff River in 1756. Yet, although the bridge's aesthetic
and architectural excellence did attract many visitors, it
had little impact on its immediate surroundings. Indeed,
it wasn't until the opening of the Glamorganshire Canal in
1794 that the rural character of the district witnessed significant
development.
Plan of the Glamorgan Canal (highlighted
in blue)
However, it was the village of Treforest rather
than Pontypridd that experienced the preliminary phase of
industrialisation. By the end of the first decade of the
nineteenth century a tinworks and small ironworks were in
operation there . Treforest was also the terminus of a tramroad
constructed by Dr Richard Griffiths that ran from the first
coalmines being sunk in the lower Rhondda. Dr Griffiths also
built a private canal known as the Doctor's Canal that linked
the tramroad and the Glamorganshire Canal. Significantly,
both the Doctor's Canal and tramroad effectively ignored
the tiny hamlet scattered around Edwards's bridge and it
wasn't until the arrival of the Brown Lenox chainworks in
1818 that Pontypridd experienced development of real significance.
As the nineteenth century progressed, Pontypridd
gradually began to replace Treforest as the district's commercial
centre. Pigott's Directory of 1835 illustrates this change
noting that a market was held in Pontypridd but no reference
is made to one at Treforest. A significant boost to Pontypridd's
development was the opening of the Taff Vale Railway that
ran from Cardiff to Merthyr in 1841. Significantly, the railway
station, unlike the canal, was situated on the Rhondda side
of the valley.
A massive expansion of the coal industry was about to commence and Pontypridd
being at the front door to the coalfield was ideally placed to benefit. On the
other hand, Treforest began to lose its momentum as a consequence of not having
coalmines in its immediate vicinity.
Railway Timetable showing
the change of name that occured in 1866
According to the 1841 census Pontypridd's population
was around 2,500 while Treforest remained under a 1,000.
Significant development had occurred between the hamlet
surrounding Edwards's bridge and Pontypridd Railway Station
as well as alongside the railway line and tramroad that
ran parallel to each other. Taff Street had emerged as the town's main marketing
street and all other identified streets on the 1841 census
were also located on the western side of the Taff River
including High Street, Mill Street, Crossbank Street, Market
Street and Bridge Street. Development was also in evidence
in Trallwn, Ynysangharad and Coedpenmaen located on the
eastern side of the Taff River. The inhabitants of these
areas as well as slightly further afield in Gwerngerwn,
Glyntaff and Penterbach were very much dependent on the
canal, chainworks and nearby quarries for their employment.
Right: A sketch of Taff Street
Pontypridd's population continued to increase
over the next three decades and had reached around 6,000
by 1871. The census of that year and the 1875 ordnance survey
map show that the number of identified streets had increased
to include among others Morgan Street, Union Street and Rickards
Street. The town was gradually expanding outwards and now
incorporated areas such as Rhiw, later known as the Graig
, and Pontshonnorton. We also gather from the 1875 map that
the town contained five collieries, three breweries, woollen
factories, brickworks, mills and a chemical works. Two companies
that had been established and important to the town's development
were the Pontypridd Gas and Light Company and the Pontypridd
Water Works Company.
Naturally, Pontypridd was described as an “improving” or
a “rising market town”. Not until the 1875 Worrall's Trade
Directory was Pontypridd deemed to have established itself
simply as a “market town”. During the 1850s a market of
considerable proportion was being held on its present site
with the district's produce being brought to the town on
each Wednesday and Saturday. Nearly the whole of the shopping
and other business of the Rhondda Valleys was done in Pontypridd
and hundreds of people visited the town on market day when
most made their purchases for the week. The market continued
to prosper and in 1877 The Pontypridd Market and Town Hall
Company was incorporated. One of the founder members was
Charles Bassett who was a prominent figure in the commercial
and public life of mid nineteenth century Pontypridd. It
was in his role as postmaster that Bassett in 1856 became
instrumental in getting the town's name changed from Newbridge
to Pontypridd.
Right: Plans to extend the indoor market
As the town's business and population increased, Pontypridd
became the focus for the district's institutions of law and
order. As early as 1839 the town had acquired its own police
force. From 1851 a county court met at the White Hart Hotel
until a Court House was built in 1869. The formation Pontypridd
Poor Union in 1863 and the building of Pontypridd workhouse
two years later was another means of controlling the social
behaviour of the town's expanding working class.
Pontypridd, in the words of Professor Meic Stephens, “was becoming a place with
its own municipal apparatus and one of some importance”. A municipal cemetery
was opened in 1871 at Glyntaf. The town's first newspaper, The Pontypridd District
Herald, was established in 1873, followed by The Pontypridd Chronicle and, in
1897, The Pontypridd Observer, still published today. Pontypridd Rugby Club
was formed in 1875.
Left: Glyntaf
As Pontypridd entered the two decades of the
nineteenth century the pace and extent of its growth was
about to increase dramatically. According to the 1881 census
the town's population remained below 8,000. By 1891 it had
increased to 13,000 and to 20,000 by 1901. Small wonder that
the town's Member of Parliament Alfred Thomas said in a speech
when opening the municipal buildings in April 1906: “fifty
years ago Pontypridd was smaller than any of its suburbs.
When we compare or rather when we contrast the picture we
draw in our mind's eye with that which we see today we are
reminded more of the abnormal growth of some new world town
say in the United States”. The town's population continued
to increase into the twentieth century at a striking rate
and peaked at the 1921 census.
The reason for Pontypridd's phenomenal growth can be attributed
to the equally phenomenal growth of deep-seam coal mining.
Previously, coal mining was a small-scale operation with
small labour forces. Deep-seam mining allowed the development
of large-scale labour intensive enterprises. The first mines
to extract deep seam coal were located at the Great Western
Colliery, Hopkinstown and the Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd.
Although these were bordering villages demand for labour
was so great that building activity proceeded quickly in
the town itself in an attempt to keep pace with the need
to house workers. The Maritime Colliery was deepened to the
steam coal seam in 1906 and also became the first pit in
the South Wales Coalfield to have by-product coke ovens.
As a result of the aforementioned collieries' expansion,
Pwllgwaun, Maesycoed, Trallwn and the Graig were areas of
Pontypridd that developed considerably as coal owners built
row upon row of terraced housing.
As well as houses for the working classes,
impressive three storey houses were built around Graigwen
and the Common to meet the need of the town's small but
influential white collar class that included solicitors,
accountants, teachers and businessmen.
Pontypridd's industrial development went hand-in-hand
with municipal growth. An Urban District Council based
on six wards was formed in 1895 replacing a local board
that had governed the town between 1875 and 1895. The council
had a number of statutory undertakings and provided its
ratepayers with electricity, gas and transport services,
in addition to public libraries, a park and recreation
grounds and an open-air swimming bath. An electric tram
service that started at Treforest and extended through
the town to Cilfynydd and Trehafod commenced in March 1905
and ran for 25 years before being replaced by trolleybuses.
A generating station was built in Treforest to power
the service and a large gasworks had been erected nearby
in 1894. Pontypridd Library opened in 1890 included a reading
room, a lending library and a reference department.
A School Board was formed the same year as the Urban District
Council. A year later, Pontypridd County School opened
with the help of financial donations from local collieries.
At first, the school was a mixed one with accommodation
for 180 pupils. Several temporary buildings were erected
to meet the increased number of pupils and in 1913 a new
school, for girls was established at Treforest. The School
Board was replaced by the Local Education Committee that
consisted of 12 members of the PUDC and four members selected
by the council, one of which was to be a woman.
The town's industrial development not only led to municipal
growth but it also resulted in cultural changes and the decline
of the Welsh language. Before the sinking of the deep seam
collieries, a substantial proportion of those attracted to
Pontypridd to find work came from parts of rural Glamorgan
and other rural Welsh counties. This initial influx resulted
in the building of Nonconformist chapels were Welsh was the
language of worship. Howell Harris had probably first kindled
the Nonconformist flame in Pontypridd when he visited in
1739 but not until 1810 was Carmel Baptist Chapel built,
the first place of worship erected in the town. The first
Calvinistic Methodist Chapel was Penuel in Taff Street built
in 1833. Neither chapel remains standing today. Sardis Chapel,
a congregational chapel, was built in 1834 and remains the
only chapel were the Welsh language thrives today. It's significant
that there was no Anglican church with the town's boundaries
during these early years. St Mary's Church, Glyntaff was
established in 1843 but not until 1868 with the building
of St Catherine's Church did Pontypridd have a church at
the heart of the town.
At the end of the nineteenth century, the building of
several chapels around the town mirrored the town's period
of rapid expansion. Further, English was the language of
worship in many of these chapels and this reflected the
fact that the majority of the town's immigrants now came
from beyond Offal's Dyke.
The culture of Non conformist chapels centred on the male
voice choir, concerts and eisteddfodau. However by the
beginning of the twentieth century it failed to satisfy
the recreational needs of a growing number of the town's
inhabitants. Several theatres and cinemas were built in
the town. The Royal Clarence Theatre that was the first
permanent theatre built in the South Wales Coalfield and
could seat an audience of a thousand. A Town Hall situated
at Pontypridd Market was built in 1885. The New Town Hall
replaced it in importance with a seating capacity of 1,700.
A wide range of sporting activities grew in popularity
at the end of the nineteenth century.
Boxing in particular was one sport that brought glory to Pontypridd. Frederick
Hall Thomas, known as Freddie Welsh, was born in Morgan Street and became the
world lightweight title in 1914. Another boxer in Pontypridd was Frank Moody
who won the British Middleweight title in 1927. Ted E Lewis, Boxing promoter,
manager and founder member of the original British Boxing Board of Control wrote
in an article entitled ‘Pontypridd – Hub of Welsh Boxing Universe' “no town of
its size can claim to home produced a world champion and a British Champion”.
A venue for many sports was the Taff Vale Park in Treforest that included a banked
cycle track, a cinder running area, playing fields and the only substantial grandstand
to be found throughout the valleys. Among the vast array of sports activities
held there was the Welsh Powderhall sprint championship established in 1903.
Over its 26 year history it proved a substantial attraction for competitors and
spectators alike.
Since the 1921 census the population of Pontypridd has
been in continual decline. The decline was particularly marked
during the 20s and 30s. The town like many others in south
Wales between the wars suffered from its dependence on coal.
By 1929 south Wales, which had once supplied almost a third
of the world's output of coal, now produced less than 3 per
cent. The decision of British and other navies to change
from coal to oil proved disastrous for Welsh steam coal exports.
With the coalfield in crisis, the number of collieries in
south Wales steadily diminished and those that remained became
increasingly cost-conscious. In common with its neighbours,
Pontypridd saw its prosperity dwindle and its population
decline as many of its citizens were forced to seek a livelihood
elsewhere. For many of those who remained unemployment and
poverty became all too familiar. A significant development
with the aim of bringing employment to the area was the establishment
of the Treforest Trading Estate in 1936. By September 1939,
2,500 workers were employed at Treforest and between sixty
to seventy firms in production. It played a vital wartime
role, chiefly in connection with the aircraft industry, and
has since been a teeming industrial centre.
Until recent years Pontypridd had a thriving
shopping centre, attracting many people from other valleys,
small towns and villages. The town regularly witnessed an
influx of vast numbers of visitors. The exact numbers involved
have never been precisely ascertained, but have been estimated
as high as fifty thousand on a busy Saturday. Pontypridd
was a social and recreational centre of considerable importance.
One of the main problems resulting from the number of visitors
was the tremendous congestion in the centre of the town.
Despite the construction of the A470 and other road schemes,
the town continues to suffer with traffic congestion as increasing
number of people commute greater distances to work. A challenge
Pontypridd now faces at the beginning of the twenty first
century is whether to participate in wholesale redevelopment
or withstand the growth of out of town shopping centres and
opt instead for gradual refurbishment of original buildings,
thereby retaining both Indoor and Outdoor Markets in their
traditional style.
