The development of Mountain Ash like so
many other villages in South Wales was directly linked
to the industrial development of the South Wales Valleys.
Which was to eventually transform the village of Mountain
Ash from a pastoral to a highly industrialised area. Mountain
Ash, however, unlike Merthyr or Aberdare was to remain
virtually untouched by the industrial revolution before
1850, having previously known nothing of the iron industry
and coal extraction on a small scale.
Prior to this the only disturbance to the rural quiet
of the area had been the construction of a canal between
Abercynon and Aberdare completed in 1812. This six and three
quarter mile long canal known as the Aberdare Canal operated
until the early part of the 20th century when it fell into
disuse due to intense competition from the railways. With
both the Taff Vale Railway and the Great Western Railway
opening lines in 1846 and 1864 respectively. The canal was
later filled in to form the road known as New Cardiff Road,
officially opened in 1933.
Left: The canal at Mountain Ash
The opening of the collieries in the mid nineteenth century
led to the population of Mountain Ash increasing from 1,614
in 1841 to 11,463 in 1871. This rapid increase in population
created a demand for both housing and public amenities. Houses
were built and commercial, educational and religious buildings
established. Some of the earliest streets were recorded on
the1851 census and include Duffryn Street and Navigation
Street. By 1859 there were 12 public houses, some of the
earliest being the Bruce Arms, the Junction Inn and the New
Inn. Many shops opened and goods and general provisions became
easily St Margaret's obtainable and by 1920 Kelly's Trade
Directory listed over 200 businesses within the village.
In the image (right) D. Coleman advertises his general
store located at 54 Commercial Street selling everything
from boots to wines which was fairly common for the period.
Other significant buildings built during this early period
of growth include the Town Hall (1904), two hospitals (1892
and 1894), a police station (1865) and Nixon's Workmen's
Institute, Library and Public Hall (1899). The Pavillion
was built in 1901 and was the venue for the Three Valleys
Festival which started in 1930. Duffryn
House was the home of Lord Aberdare.
Left: The Public Hall Mountain Ash
Once the ancestral home of Henry Austin Bruce, the first
Lord Aberdare, his ancestors having purchased the Duffryn
Estate in 1747. In 1926 the house was purchased by the Glamorgan
Education Authority and became the County Grammar School,
later part of Mountain Ash Upper Comprehensive School. The
house was used for lessons up until 1983, when it was found
to be unsafe and eventually demolished.
Many religious denominations established
buildings within Mountain Ash, among the first being the
Baptists who built Rhos Chapel in 1855 and Nazareth Chapel
in 1866. The church of St Margaret's was consecrated as
the central church for the new parish of Mountain Ash on
the 14 August 1862, and the Roman Catholic Church was built
in 1899.
Right: St Margaret's Church
Nos Galan
Nos Galan, the Welsh for New Year's Eve, gave
its name to the races, which began in 1958. The first year
consisting of a 100 yards sprint in Oxford Street and a 4-mile
race, with the competitors 'running into' the New Year. With
Peter Radford winning the 100 yards race and Stan Eldon the
4-mile race. The event caught the imagination of both runners,
drawn by the unique nature of the race and the hospitality
of the people, and the media drawn to the idea of Olympic
runners running through the streets of a mining town at midnight
on New Years Eve.
At its peak in the 1960's the event attracted over a
thousand runners and was covered by BBC Grandstand.
Each year a famous sports personality, the Mystery Runner, lays a wreath at
the grave of Guto Nyth Bran in Llanwonno Churchyard. They then run to Mountain
Ash carrying a flaming torch, lighting the Nos Galan Beacon on their arrival
at the town as a signal for the start of the senior races. Since Tom Richards,
the Olympic silver-medallist became the first mystery runner in 1958 many famous
sporting personalities have been given the honour. Including Ann Packer (the
first woman to carry the torch in 1965), David Hemery, David Bedford, Kirsty
Wade and Jamie Baulsh.
Left: Peter Gabbett winning the 100 yd.
race
Past Mystery Runners
A list of Nos Galan-Mystery
Runners from 1958 to 2002
1958
Tom Richards
1959
Ken Norris
1960
Derek Ibbotson
1961
John Merriman
1962
Martin Hyman
1963
Bruce Tulloh
1964
Stan Eldon
1965
Ann Paker (Brightwell)
1966
Mary Rand
1967
Ron Jones
1968
Lyn Davies
1969
Lillian Board
1970
John Whetton
1971
David Bedford
1972
David Hemery
1973
Berwyn Price
1984
Steve Jones, David Bedford, Lisa
Hopkins
1985
Unknown
1986
Kirsty Wade
1987
Tony Simmons
1988
Tim Hutchings
1989
Bernard Plain
1990
Phillip Snoddy
1991
Dennis Fowles
1992
Guto Eames, Tremayne Rutherford
1993
Simon Mugglestone
1994
Steve Robinson
1995
Neil Jenkins
1996
Robbie Reagen
1997
Iwan Thomas
1998
Jamie Baulch, Ron Jones
1999
Garin Jenkins, Dai Young
2000
Christian Malcolm
2001
Darren Campbell
2002
Mat Elias
Past Mystery Runners at the grave
of Guto Nyth Bran in Llanwonno Church
L to R: Berwyn Price (1973), Kirsty Wade (1986), Derek
Ibbotson (1960), Ron Jones (1967), John Merriman (1961),
Stan Eldon (1964)
Despite their popularity the races
were halted in 1973 due to concerns expressed by the police
regarding the undue delay to traffic.
They were resurrected in 1984, when a reduced field of 14 runners ran a one-mile
race. This year also saw a break with tradition when three mystery runners, representing
the present, past and future of athletics, carried the Nos Galan Torch. Over
the following years further changes to the format have been made, with different
distances being run. However the sense of community spirit and hospitality, which
has been in evidence throughout its history, continues to this day.
The programme (left) is from the Third
Nos Galan Race in 1960 when the event was at its height
and the streets of Mountain Ash were packed with people
until the early hours of New Years Day
Guto Nyth Bran
Griffith Morgan, or Guto Nyth Bran as he was better known
took his name from Nyth Bran Farm where he lived, near Porth
in the Rhondda Valley. He was an exceptional runner and many
stories are told of his ability. How he could run to Pontypridd
and back, some seven miles, before the kettle boiled and
how he could chase down hares. Guto was famous for winning
many races and it was said that his best friend Sian the
Shop had become a 'wealthy women' by 'betting on his legs'.
His final race at the age of 37 was against an Englishman
named Prince over a 12-mile course from Newport to Bedwas
Church. Guto won easily and crossed the line so full of running,
that Sian the Shop rushed forward to congratulate him, slapping
him heavily on the back as she did. The slaps proved to much
for Guto after running such a hard race and his heart jumped
out of place,and he fell to the ground dead. His body was
carried amongst scenes of great grief to St Gwynno's Church,
were his grave lies today.
The statue of Griffith Morgan - Better known as "Guto
Nyth Bran" located in Oxford Street, Mountain Ash
Mountain Ash Coal Industry
Mountain Ash unlike other districts further
to the north did not produce coal in significant quantities
until 1850. For although a number of small mines had opened
in the district prior to this date, these had failed and
therefore had no great influence upon the surrounding area.
It was the collieries with deep shafts, mining the 4ft seam
that were to become the nuclei around which the village grew.
DEEP DUFFRYN COLLIERY:
Sunk by David Williams in 1850,
this was the first colliery of any significance to be established
in the lower end of the Cynon Valley. The sinking proved
to be a hazardous and costly operation due to the soft
sandy nature of the soil, with it taking five years to
reach the four foot seam at a depth of 849 ft. The colliery
was sold in 1856 to John Nixon who installed a new ventilator
and winding engines, improving the working conditions at
the colliery and raising the level of coal production.
The colliery was owned and worked by Nixons Navigation
Company until 1930 when it was merged with the Welsh Associated
Collieries Limited. In 1935 the colliery was purchased
by Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries, who retained ownership
of the colliery until the nationalisation of the coal industry
in 1947. Deep Duffryn Colliery eventually became uneconomical
and was closed by the National Coal Board in 1979.
LOWER DUFFRYN COLLIERY:
Also known as Cwmpennar Pit. Sinking
of this colliery commenced in 1850 by Thomas Powell and
Sons, with coal being first raised in 1854. The colliery
was sold in 1864 to the Powell
Duffryn Steam Coal Company who owned the colliery
until its closure in 1927.
Right: Lower Duffryn Colliery
NIXON'S NAVIGATION COLLIERY:
Sunk by John Nixon, work
began on the colliery in 1855. Coal production did not
however commence until 1960 and the venture almost brought
ruin upon him. When sunk it was said to be the deepest
colliery in Wales, reaching a depth of 1350 feet. By 1930
the colliery had been acquired by the Welsh Associated
Collieries, who retained ownership until 1935. At the time
of its closure, in 1940, the colliery was owned by Powell
Duffryn Associated Collieries.
Left: Nixon's Navigation Colliery
CWMCYNON COLLIERY:
Following his successful venture with
the Navigation Colliery, John Nixon continued to sink collieries
in the Mountain Ash area. One of which was the Cwmcynon
Colliery sunk in 1889 by the Nixon Navigation Co. Ltd.
This colliery, situated to the south of the town, employed
more than a 1,000 men in 1911 and was eventually linked
up from below ground with both the Navigation and Deep
Duffryn Collieries. The colliery changed hands a number
of times prior to the nationalisation of the coal industry
in 1947, being owned by the Llewellyn-Nixon Collieries
Co. Ltd (1929), the Welsh Associated Collieries Ltd. (1930)
and the Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries (1935). Cwmcynon
Colliery was closed by the National Coal Board in 1949.
Above: Cwmcynon Colliery
The Three Valleys Festival
Dr Malcolm Sargent at the Three Valleys Festival, 1932
It was Sir Walford Davies who had the idea of bringing
together the choirs of the Merthyr, Cynon and Rhondda Valleys
to create a festival of choral and orchestral music. He wanted
to do something for the unemployed of the valleys and hoped
to create a people's festival. As reflected by the low admission
prices, the big capacity of the venue, and the provision
of late trains and cheap fares.
The first festival, a weeklong event, was held at the Mountain Ash Pavilion during
May of 1930. It was to retain its association with the Mountain Ash Pavilion
throughout its life although the format was changed when it became a three-day
festival in 1932. The festival was a tremendous success, attracting
some of the most famous singers and conductors known to the
music world. The original festival featured three guest conductors,
these being Sir Henry J. Wood, Dr. Malcolm Sargent and Dr.
W. Gillies Whittaker. In the following years the festival
was to become associated with the conductor Dr. Malcolm Sargent
who was guest conductor on no less than seven times, only
missing the remaining years due to illness.
The Festival was successfully held at the Mountain Ash
Pavilion until 1939 when it was disrupted by the war. During
the war years Regional Festivals were held at various centres
in South Wales, helping to keep the flag flying and taking
the festival spirit to other centres. The festival did return
to the Mountain Ash Pavilion in 1947 following a seven-year
absence but this was to be the last year that the festival
was held at Mountain Ash.
Officials and Executive Committee
of the Three Valleys Festival, 1932
