Tracing Forgotten Streets: Who Lived in Your House, Pontrhydyfen

Pontrhydyfen and its surrounding communities—Efail Fach, Oakwood, and Tonmawr—hold a fascinating but sometimes elusive history.

Forgotten Street Names, Houses & Buildings

Many of the cottages, shops and other buildings in the area were built piecemeal, without the orderly planning we might expect today.

When we look back through census records, the challenge becomes clear: the neat, numbered streets familiar to us now often didn’t exist. In fact, some streets weren’t numbered until the 1930s.

Twyn y Pandy, for example, only adopted house numbers decades after its homes were first built. Some streets have vanished entirely—demolished and lost to time. Others were cleared and replaced with newer housing stock, erasing traces of the families and businesses that once stood there.

The Plas / Plas y Gog

Now known as Queen Street (number not known)

black and white photo of terraced houses with horses in lane

Sunny Bank

29 Twynypandy Many of the houses in Twynypandy were known by their individual names e.g. Ael-y-Bryn or Gwendraith Villa. It is thought that numbering was not adopted until the 1930s.

who lived in my house Oakwood from Penrhys – Oakwood Works in background

Old Office Row

This house was originally used as offices by the Oakwood Iron Works, it was later converted into four separate dwellings.The building later became the Oakwood Vicarage, but a second vicarage was later built as a replacement in the 1970s. Both buildings are now private homes.

Oakwood Row

Often called ‘The Row’, it was demolished by the Council and replaced by the existing houses and flats found along Oakwood Ave

The Barracks

These cottages were demolished and replaced by several detached houses in Danybont (nos.15 – 19)

who lived in my house Pontrhydyfen Station and Rhyslyn

The Rhyslyn

Found below Pontrhydyfen Station, behind the Oakwood Colliery site which is now the Rhyslyn Field. The houses were demolished in the late 1960s. Several families were rehoused in Curwen Close

View from aqueduct tce with steam train 1950s GT

Bridge Meadow / Old Bridge Meadow / Waun y Bont

Various houses in Danybont once stood along the roadside each side and between the Aquaduct and Viaduct. Many were demolished at various times and are captured in many photos.

Pontycymmer

These refer to the cottages built on each side of the railway viaduct. The row of cottages on the Cwmafan side of the viaduct can be seen in some photos of the area. Several historic newspaper reports commented upon the lack of sanitation in these houses

Ponty 3 bridges rail viaduct and aquaduct station rd GT

Station Road

A row of terraced cottages ran alongside the road from Jerusalem cemetery. The majority of which were demolished, only some remain, often combined or extended to provide larger living accommodation.

who lived in my house Heart of Oak Public House

The Heart of Oak Public House

This pub is probably one of the older pubs in the village situated at the end of Queen St below Jerusalem Chapel. The pub gave its name to the steep ‘Heart of Oak hill’ running down to Danybont. After closure, a sweet & chocolate shop opened on the premises

who lived in my house Efail Fach 1907 Ganhen Sunday School on right

The Gangen / Y Gangen (The Branch)

This was a Methodist place of worship found in Efail fach. It was demolished and replaced with a house in the late 1970’s (number 4)

The Bungalow

This may refer to the older Bungalow stock that still stand in Curwen Close today. Newspaper reports during the First World War stated that Belgian refugees were housed here

The Kings Head

Pub that once stood next to Jerusalem cemetery, this is the only remaining building at this end of Station Road, a butchers shop was found next door

The Boars Head

Pub that once stood alongside the Miners Arms at the end of Lewis Street. This site later went on to become a grocer’s shop – Gethin’s

Pandy

In an Ordinance Survey map of 1875, an ‘Old Factory’ was located downstream of the Woollen Mill in Cerrig Llwydion, where Twyn Pandy and Morgans Tce is now located. ‘Pandy’ is a Welsh word for Fulling Mill (or Tucking Mill), which is a mill used in a textile finishing process that cleans and thickens woven woollen cloth. This improves its durability and water resistance. Tithe maps of this area refer to this area as having a Tucking Mill The Pandy Stores was located in Morgans Terrace for a several decades and closed in the 1960s

Harris Street / Harris Row

Now known as 8-10 Uplands

Institute Buildings / Pontrhydyfen Conservative Club

Now known as 1-2 Wern View

Rees Terrace

Now known as 1-3 Cerrig Llwydion

Roberts Terrace / Roberts Cottages

Now known as 8 -11 Cerrig Llwydion

Mercantile Row

Originally named after the Mercantile colliery, later known as Garth Tonmawr Colliery. Now, Fforchdwm Row / Upper Tonmawr

Darren Row

14-17 Efail Fach

Lost Shops, Buildings and Traders: Many small shops could be found in and around the village. Can you remember any of these, or can you remember more?

Dewi’s

Penhydd St, Oakwood, kept by Gwyn & Eluned Llewellyn until mid-1970s

Betsan’s Hairdressers

Gethin’s The Grocers

Lewis St, sold a wide range of produce up until late 60’s / early 70s

Midland Bank

1 Morgans Terrace, occupied by Mr & Mrs Rees

Pandy Stores / Pope’s shop

7 Morgans Terrace, grocers run by the Pope family

Olive Jane the Drapers

Drapery business in Queen St

Mrs Thomas The Chip Shop

Queen St, was ‘Jenny’s’ first located here before moving to the old Co-op?

Betting Shop

At the side of the old Welfare Hall

Chip Shop / Hairdressers

In a small, detached building at the end of Morgans Terrace (now demolished)

Church Hall

Enugu Lodge. Where St Johns Church held many bazaars and concerts

The Mission / Band of Hope

A detached structure made from tin sheets located between Twyn y Pandy and Bevans Terrace. Is this one of the same building, lost in the 1970s?

Pontrhydyfen Co-operative and Industrial Society

Originally a two storied shop with bakery, grocery, haberdashery and much, much more. Now the only shop left in the village, it has been split into two with a pizza takeaway

Harry Rees the Butcher

Located in Morgans Terrace, owned and run by 3 generations of the Rees Family. Sadly closed in the last decade.

Doctors surgeries

More than one doctor held surgeries and clinics at various addresses in the village. These include Bryn Elfed, 10 Morgans Tce and The Community Centre

We would like your help with the following:

A lady’s clothes shop located in Morgans Tce (towards end of Bevans Tce.)
A shop located at the corner of Tonmawr Road Efail fach

The Project: Who Lived in Your House

For anyone trying to discover “Who Lived in Your House”, the journey can feel like detective work. Our ongoing project, Who Lived in Your House, has already uncovered fascinating details about Pontrhydyfen’s past. But we know there’s more to the story.

We’re piecing together missing or forgotten streets, rediscovering stories of houses, shops, and the people who shaped our town. Every clue adds another layer to the rich tapestry of local history.

If you have memories, photographs, or information about lost streets and buildings, we’d love to hear from you. Your contributions could help preserve the heritage of Pontrhydyfen for future generations.