The village of Treorchy apparently takes
its name from the stream that flows from the mountainside
above the village into the River Rhondda; on the 1875 Ordnance
Survey map of this area the stream is referred to as ‘ Nant
Orky', and Treorchy itself is spelt Treorky. The word Gorchi
possibly comes from the welsh word Gorchwy, suggesting
a stream marking a boundary. Prior to industrialisation
the Tithe maps of the area show an unpopulated area of
scattered farmhouses, such as Abergorchwy, Tile-du, and
Glyn Coli. The area was predominantly meadows, pastures
and woodland and farmed by tenant farmers such as Walter
Edwards, Llewellyn Lewis and Mary Evans. Much of the land,
in common with most of the Rhondda at that time, was owned
by one of the great families of Glamorgan with much of
Treorchy coming under the domain of the Marquis of Bute
Estate.
However in the 1850's the nature of the area began to
change with the beginning of the exploitation of the Upper
Rhondda's coal seams. This process was begun in 1855 with
the opening of the Tylacoch Colliery followed in 1859 and
1860 by the Abergorchy and Glynoli Levels and the Abergorchy
Colliery in 1865. Additionally the opening of the Parc
and The Dare collieries in the nearby village of Cwmparc
led to expansion of Treorchy with thousands of immigrants
flooding into the area in search of work.
Left: A General view of Lower Treorchy
Hundreds of new houses were built to cater
for this influx, as well as chapels to cater for their religious
needs, and public houses and shops soon sprang up. By the
1900's Treorchy was a major shopping and social centre within
the Rhondda.
Treorchy from its earliest days was renowned as a cultural centre, and even today
is home to the world famous Treorchy Male Choir as well as the Parc and Dare
Theatre which hosts numerous local amateur plays, musicals, operas etc. as well
as professional ones from all over the world. In 1928 Treorchy was also the venue
chosen for the most prestigious event in the welsh cultural calendar, that of
the Welsh National Eisteddfod, the only time it has ever been held in the Rhondda.
With the decline of mining in the twentieth century Treorchy
was better placed than many of the other villages in the
Rhondda. Unlike many of the other villages Treorchy hosted
a number of other industries, most notably the factories
of companies such as Polikoff's , a clothing manufacturer,
as well as a factory of the corporate giant EMI, and T.C.Jones
part of the 600 group a steel construction factory. As such
the desolation some villages underwent with the cessation
of large scale mining operations, and the hardships and unemployment
this entailed, were in some measure avoided in Treorchy.
Upper Treorchy
Parc and the Dare Workingmen's Hall and Theatre
Built originally as a Workingmen's Library
and Institute, this imposing building was first opened in
March 1895 at a cost of £4,000. It was financed by
the worker's of the local collieries, the Parc and the Dare,
through the first Mineworkers Trade Association. Miner's
pledged a penny out of every pound they earned to finance
its building and upkeep, a great commitment when you realise
average wages were less than two pounds per week.
In 1913 the original station street site was enlarged
with the addition of the Parc and Dare Theatre to the structure,
designed by Merthyr born architect Jacob Rees The original
plan for the theatre was as a major music hall venue. However
by the time of its completion it was obvious to its management
committee that music hall had had its heyday and that the
future lay with the new ‘moving pictures'. Thus the Parc
and Dare Theatre began its life as a cinema, with the addition
of live performances from local dramatic companies As well
as hosting prestigious annual semi- national Eisteddfod.
Playing a pivotal role in the cultural life of the local
community
The 1926 general strike had a severe effect on the Parc
and Dare. Miners no longer had an income with which to support
the hall, and having enough food on the table became a much
greater priority than culture and entertainment. As such
the hall faced bankruptcy and the miners were forced to sell
99% of their shares to the Ocean Coal Company.
In 1930 the Parc and dare screened the first ‘talkie' picture, Broadway Melody,
and crowds flocked from miles around to witness this new phenomenon.
Post nationalisation the Parc and Dare Lodge of the National
Union of Mineworkers re-purchased the hall at a cost of £35,000.
With the advent of television and the decline of the local
mining industry the Parc and Dare underwent a period of decline,
making its closure almost inevitable. However the management
of the hall donated it to the local authority, the Rhondda
Borough Council, in 1975. Since that time the local authority
has spent large amounts of money making the Parc and Dare
a thriving cinema, theatre and concert hall and a valuable
part of the Valley's cultural landscape.
