Upper Boat
Upper Boat (Welsh: Glan-bad) is a village on the southernmost outskirts of the town of Pontypridd, within the electoral ward of Hawthorn, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, and comprises part of the Treforest Industrial Estate. Historically it fell within the parish of Eglwysilan, Mid Glamorgan. From 2006 to 2012 it was known in media circles for being home to BBC Wales's Upper Boat Studios, where the hit revised version of Doctor Who, as well as spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, were produced before production moved to Roath Lock, Cardiff.
The name
The name Upper Boat comes from the canal which ran between Cardiff and Abercynon. Due to the steep valley the canal which ran from Abercynon, through Pontypridd and on to Upper Boat was very narrow. However from Upper Boat the valley widened out and a wider canal was constructed. Cargoes were swapped over at Upper Boat, hence Upper Boat got its name as the point at which the wider barges could not pass.
Alternative Derivation
The above derivation is a popular local explanation the following is considered more likely by local historians. The name pre-dates the Glamorgan Canal and actually refers to a sequence of ferry boats across the river Taff. There were four boats further down the river - one at Gabalfa one at Taffs Well and one at Willowford but the 'upper' of the ferry boats was at a location near to where the modern Upper Boat pub now stands.
External links
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