Tylorstown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tylorstown | |
| Welsh: Pendyrus | |
  Tylorstown shown within the United Kingdom |
|
| Population | 4715 (2001))[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Principal area | Rhondda Cynon Taff |
| Ceremonial county | Mid Glamorgan |
| Constituent country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TREORCHY |
| Postcode district | CF43 |
| Dialling code | 01443 77 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| European Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Rhondda |
| Welsh Assembly | Rhondda |
| List of places: UK • Wales • Rhondda Cynon Taff | |
Tylorstown (Welsh: Pendyrus) is a village located in the Rhondda Fach, Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales. It was founded by Alfred Tylor who set up an early coal mining operation in the location in the mid 1800s.
The last working mine in the village closed in the 1960's setting off a long period of economic decline which worsened following the 1984-1985 national miner's strike which resulted in pits in nearby locations such as Maerdy closing. The local passenger train line closed in the 1960's following the Beeching review which also limited the prospects of easy commuting to Cardiff.
It is neighboured by the villages of Blaenllechau, Ferndale and Stanleytown.
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[edit] Social and economic standing
The Tylorstown electoral ward is classed as one of the most deprived areas in Western Europe based on various indices such as public health, local income etc. There are also numerous social problems caused by drug use, the village recently featured in the national news when in April 2007 a cannabis plant factory was found based at the "Jubilee" a closed local hotel;[2] the value of plants destroyed being estimated at £2,400,000.
Currently much hope of economic regeneration is based upon a new road (December 2007) to "open up" the valley for outward transport and inward investment the road terminating at the entrance to Tylorstown. Due to the topography of the Rhondda Fach which is a narrow valley with steep sides and limited flat land on the valley floor the construction of the road has been a major civil-engineering project many years in the planning and two and a half years in the execution.
Despite the above and significant house price rises in recent years the village has a large stock of readily affordable improved housing, this combined with a surrounding area of mountains, forestry, riverside walks and general scenic beauty means that those inhabitants who are in full time employment experience a high quality of life. For a majority of the inhabitants the old miners social values still hold true, people know their neighbours and look out for one another. There are signs that due to the affordable nature of the housing that some inward migration is taking place to the village.
[edit] Scenery
Whilst one will not find within this small town scenery comparable with the likes of the Cairngorms, what can be found as one travels further up the hills of the valley are quiet isolated hills. During the initial boom of coal mining in the area, quarrying of the Western mountainside (the Eastern side of this V-shaped valley being the small town of Stanleytown) was done hastily and vigorously. As such, many houses can be seen to suffer from subsidance in the area. But also what can be seen is the incomplete quarrying of mountainside that was surplus to requirement. Over the years this has grown into a beauty spot rarely visited by most inhabitants, making for a great get-away for any locals wishing to endulge in a leisurely stroll or, of an evening, a camp fire.
A forestry will also be noted that leads towards the neighbouring town of Ferndale to the north and to Penrhys to the west. Numerous small foot-trodden paths have become overgrown within the forest as a result of underuse. This can also be said of the mountainside, which has been seen to give way to a variety of weeds, scrubland and thorn bushes. Having said this, quite often horseback riders can be observed in the area along the roads and mountains.
[edit] Sport
Tylorstown has a rugby union team called Tylorstown Tigers. The club has supplied a British and Irish Lions rugby union player John Bevan who toured New Zealand in 1971 with the only Lions side to win a series in that country. The club also has a very successful women's side the Tigresses who won the Welsh national women's cup in season 2005 to 2006 and were runners up in the national league. The women's side has provided many internationals to the Wales women's team. The club has also supplied an international and first class rugby coach in Lyn Howells.
The village has also supplied a world boxing champion Jimmy Wilde the "ghost with a hammer in his hand".
[edit] People from Tylorstown
- Mansel Thomas - Composer
- Jimmy Wilde - World boxing champion[3] Grew up in Tylorstown.
