Upper Boat is both the name of a public house
and a locality situated three miles south of Pontypridd between
the River Taff and the path once followed by the Glamorganshire
Canal. The name Upper Boat refers to one of three boats used
to ferry people across the Taff. One was stationed at Taffs
Well ; another further up the river was at Willowford;
and the 'upper boat' was moored near the Upper Boat Inn.
Upper Boat had a small population of around 150 people according
to the 1841 census.
The canal was a source of employment providing work for
boatmen, lock keepers and carpenters. Others worked in small
local collieries such as Groeswen Colliery or Maes-Mawr Colliery
located on the other side of the River Taff. The remainder
worked in the Melin-gorwg iron foundry, the corn mill or
as agricultural workers. The majority of the villagers' houses,
known later as Williams Place, were built as terraces on
either side of the Cardiff road. Carmel Welsh Calvinistic
Methodist Chapel, built in 1839, was situated in the middle
of the eastern terrace.
Left:The Glamorgan Canal near Upper Boat
Unlike Cilfynydd or Hopkinstown, no major colliery opened
in Upper Boat's locality during the second half of the nineteenth
century. Consequently, its population increased gradually
and barely exceeded 300 by 1901. The Glamorganshire Canal
and Melin-gorrwg foundry were both in decline. Despite the
absence of a major colliery, the villagers were practically
all employed in the mining industry.
Right: The Upper Boat Inn Circa 1977
As the twentieth progressed, Upper Boat village and
its surroundings slowly began to witness changes. On April
30th 1902 the foundation stone of Upper Boat Power Station
was laid. South Wales Electrical Power Distribution Company
owned the power station, built on the western side of the
River Taff. On the eastern side the Cardiff-Rhydyfelin
line that skirted the village was built by the Cardiff
Railway Company. The intention was to run it through to
Pontypridd but due to opposition from other railway companies
the scheme was abandoned.
Left: Demolition of the old power
station at Upper Boat December 1976
However, Upper Boat's transformation was sealed in July
1936 when the site of the Treforest Industrial Estate was
chosen and within twelve months, three factories were built
employing sixty-nine people. As the estate expanded, fields
to the south of the village and on the western side of the
Taff quickly disappeared. Prefabricated houses were hastily
built at Pont Pentre to house the influx of workers. The
houses' lifetime however was relatively short.
Right: Carmel Welsh Calvinistic Methodist
Chapel which closed in 1987
The construction of the A470 trunk road in
the early 1970s resulted in their compulsory demolition.
Upper Boat Power Station having closed in 1972 suffered a
similar fate. It was demolished on December 14th 1976. Upper
Boat hasn't witnessed significant residential development
over recent years. Rather, the area is known for the large
out of town supermarkets as well as the Griffin Mill garages
that stand on the site of the old corn mill.
