Pengarnddu

Pengarnddu

Merthyr Tydfil

Little remains of the former Pengarnddu village, which was gradually abandoned from the 1960s onwards. The houses here were purpose built for the colliers who worked for the Dowlais Iron Company. This is reflected in the street names, the main one being ’Company Row’. Pengarnddu was the highest inhabited village in Dowlais. It had its own church, school and public houses, thus making it completely self-contained. The old Pengarnddu Hare public house was one of the last remaining buildings. There was a Pengarnddu Railway Line; the Rhymney Iron Company’s old limestone railway. Before 1900 this was a complete old line right across the quarries from Twynygwinia. The Dowlais Volunteers used this area for their target practices and in the Second World War the Army also made extensive use of this district between 1939 and 1945.

There was a significantly large enough population here to make S.O. Davies, Labour MP for Merthyr and Rhymney, recruit men here for the respectable ‘Hunger Marches’ which he organised. During the troubled times of the 1930s the larger protest marches often started from Pengarnddu before stopping off in a Dowlais and then marching down to Merthyr Tydfil with a large contingent of men and women.

Carolyn Jacob

Festival of Britain - Pengarnddu.

The Gypsy lady in the back of the cart is Mary Ann Roberts, and half hidden behind the girl is Haydn Roberts.

(Photograph Courtesy of Haydn Roberts)

Pengarnddu in the 1950's.

Looking east , to the Trecatti waste site.

Doris Driscoll who lived in Pengarnddu until she was 15, wrote in to tell us that the lady with the pram

is Lily Warner and the child in the pram is Maldwyn one of the other children's name is Raymond.

Mr. S. O. Davies - Addressing a meeting at Pengarnddu.

Company Row - 1968.

Pengarnddu Village - 1969

Pengarnddu School, and St Michaels Church.

Pengarnddu School - Std 2-3 1914.

Pengarnddu School - 1940's

(Photograph Courtesy of Phillip Owen)

Pengarnddu School - 1949.

(Photograph Courtesy of Haydn Roberts)

Pengarnddu School

(Photograph Courtesy of Ray McCarthy)

Pengarnddu School

(Photograph Courtesy of Ray McCarthy)

Doris Driscoll driscollsmb4@aol.com tells us:

"My sister married her brother George Warner they were happy for years together. Sadly he died some years back now ,Well the pic on here of Pengarnddu school don't know them all but i do know my Brother Desmond Davies is the 3 boy at the back on the left hand side 8 places down is Jean Jones she is my cousin and she lived with here parents Gwyneth and Ted Jones in the house that still stands there.It is the only house left in Pengarnddu now I think it is the only one? There were two left for a while and Ruby used to live in one she lost here hubby at a young age and never come out of wearing black clothes (bless her) when she had a tv she would let all us kids into her front room to watch kids TV , Jean 's mum and dad were spiritualists and held services in that house for years and years, Gwyneth was a medium and strange things took place in that house so we were told they also had a shop in the back of the house only small but big enough to keep people going, 10 places down in the back row is Pamela Jones she married my brother Desmond and became a Davies , my brother died 3 year ago now and Pam still misses him so much I don't know if you heard of the man who died in Asda stores Dowlais top well that was my Brother Des Bless him.right in the middle of the row on the right hand side are two little girls well these are my Sisters ,first one is our Gwyneth named after aunty Gwyneth in the only house in Pengarnddu and then next to her so close is our Betty. Betty lives on the Gurnos with her hubby colin and her boys and Gwyn lives in Stoke on Trent , with her hubby and and kids , all grown now , I'm the youngest in the family Doris Davies (Driscoll) by marriage."

Ray McCarthy sends us these family photographs:

Do you have any photographs or information for this page?

If so, please email us, by clicking the 'Contact Us' button.

To Map Page