Farm boundaries

[ctdavies]

I have two legal documents from the period 1896 plus minus a couple of years. They relate to numbers 7-14 inc. Treharne Row Pontyrhyl which states they are on land of a certain farm named Gwerllwyn in the parish of Bettws. Being of simple educational standard I would have expected either Cefn Gelli or even Braichycymmet to have been named. Does anyone know please if Gwerllwyn in Bettws extended its holdings as far as Pontyrhyl, or was there another farm by that name in the Garw? Thanks

[mizzensail]

The reference to GWERLLYN Farm may well be Gwernllwyn Fawr Farm - between Bettws and Moel Gilau. This property used to belong to the Davies family who were tenants of one of the estates - thought to be the TREHARNES - which littered this area. There is a document in the West Glamorgan archives which lists various correspondence relating to this farm - including letters written in Latin. One of the letters, dated 1495, purports to record the fact that the writer admitted to leaving the property as it was then to a creditor in repayment of a £20 debt. He wrote from a ship in Portsmouth, so may well have been doing a runner ! We researched the history of the place and concluded that the farm may have extended to Moel Gilau to the north, to the Garw River to the east, and possibly to the Llynfi river in the west. It is likely, but yet to be proven , that they may have rented land over the mountain in to the Garw valley. Records show that the farm ceased to be a farm in the early 1970s when the Davies couple passed away. Records are held showing every owner since 1841 (Census details). Structurally, the farm was a typical hill farm of the times, and the current house is believed to have been built around the mid-1700s as a single storey, 2 roomed, residence with a feed room on one side (now a dining room) plus a lean-to animal shed on the east side.  The stone to build it came from the quarry above Cefn Gelli farm across the valley, and the structure was the usual sandwich walls infilled with rubble, and beamed downstairs rooms. 
The outhouses are mainly original - stone and lime mortar, a barn and cattle stalls - with brick additions added (we believe) in the early 1900s.
A second storey was added around 1900 and was single skinned brick. Originally thatched, the upstairs rooms have a thick step in the outer walls where the original thatched roof supports were laid. The current roof has elm purlins some of which are pegged. Unfortunately, a precious owner had re-rendered the lime coated walls with conventional cement. This was removed in 2012 and proper lime render applied again. 

There is a story of the gentleman from a family living on a farm in Shwt, who fell off the barn roof when rethatching. He was taken on a horse stretcher (two poles with leather cross pieces) back home to Shwt where he sadly died of pneumonia 3 weeks later. His (a lovely elderly lady) daughter told us that when she was five, she used to walk up to school in Bettws, then to Gwernllwyn for a lunch, then walk home to Shwt after school. 
The approach lane had a milk churn stall for two churns on the road, and brass labels were found in the garden stating 'Property of GWR - Return to Pencoed'. There is also a churn cooling pond in the garden.


The last farm tenant was Emrys Davies - who lived in Gwernllwyn with his sister, Gertrude.  Emrys is shown on the Electoral Roll as being here in 1976. But documents held show a planning application by Soley for an extension to the farm dated 1975 - following  sale by Catherine Thomas (an apparent connection to the Treharne estate who actually owned the farm) to John Tudor. Tudor sold the farmhouse and immediate land to Edward Lindsey Soley  (who still resides in Porthcawl). Can't find out when Emrys actually passed away and whether Gertrude went in to sheltered accommodation.

[ctdavies]

The cottages 7-14 Treharne Row, Pontyrhyl, were built by my maternal great grandfather Jenkin Thomas who lived in No. 11. His daughter Mrs Mordecai was the last member of the family to live there when she died in 1960. I too have legal documents from the same period which mention Gwernllyn Farm and I am too confused over the property boundaries. I would be pleased to correspond with you over the subject. I will give the Garw Valley Heritage Society permission to release my e-mail address to you so that we may chat direct. Colin.

[ctdavies]

My apologies I misread the information and didn’t realise my latest message was just a repeat of my original. I am grateful for your information and apologies for wasting time! Colin

[ctdavies]

Thanks again for the interesting information you sent about Gwernllwyn etc. I am wondering now if my great grandfather intended to build in Gwtter Moelgilau near to the Port Talbot Railway and some of the smaller coal workings in the locality. He was at the time living in one of the two Moelgilau Fach Cottages which backed into the mountain side. There seems to have been little in the way of accommodation for colliers between Efail Moelgilau towards Brithdir and the Llynfi Valley. Maybe he changed his mind, or had it changed for him by .the expansion of Pontyrhyl with two railways serving the Garw. Regards Colin