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Ferndale
Ferndale maps
Historic maps of Ferndale and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Ferndale maps
Ferndale area books
Displaying 1 of 2 books about Ferndale and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Ferndale
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memories of Ferndale.
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Video of Treherbert
I'm uploading my video archive of Treherbert, just search my Archive folder at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzXQHnMnhr8
Ferndale
In 2007 I visited Ferndale as part of a trip to the UK, and I took the opportunity of visiting places where my family lived. Ferndale was the place where my ancestors lived prior to emigrating to Australia in 1886. I wonder if anyone would know of the family. William Phillips (Collier, born 1852 in Neath), married Rachel Thomas (born Llaneth-Verdre 1852) in 1875/76. There was a connection with a Gellideg Isaf Farm. Also I found this on a church site:
"Tabor 'old chapel' was built in 1829 by a group of Congregationalists or Independents who had previously worshipped in a cottage near Gellideg Isaf Farm. The land was leased to them by Mr Henry Thomas, Gellideg." I wonder if this Henry Thomas was the same as in my family.
I saw Gellideg Isaf Farm on a memory posted by Roy Williams who was born at Gellideg Isaf Farm, Maes-y-cwmmer. William Phillips came to Stockton, NSW, Australia and was a founder of the Congregational Church there.
Anyway, this may... Read more
Saturdays
I went to Ferndale nearly every Saturday with my Mum and brother to visit my grandparents and my Great Aunt and Uncle. My grandparents, the Gambles, lived in Brynhyfryd and we would get off the bus at the bottom of the hill on the Strand and walk up the steep steps to the house. We would spend lunchtime and early afternoon there and then we would walk down to New Street and spend the late afternoon having tea with my Great Aunt and Uncle Pope. Then we would walk to the end of New Street and catch a bus back to Cardiff by the garage. I always enjoyed these visits because I used to get at least 2 sets of pocket money at the end of the visits! I should be a millionaire but I'd rather have my memories!
Visits to Aunty May's
I loved to visit my Aunty May’s house in Rhonnda Terrace, Ferndale. She was my grandfather’s sister, a lovely jolly person always happy, and she loved us kids coming to visit. We had to do a good bit of traveling to get there, but it was worth it. I remember Ferndale was really hilly, really steep, you would be out of breath when you reached Aunty May’s house, but what a welcome, what a terrific aunt! Then I would visit the park nearby, a lovely place with a small lake, where you could hire a small rowing boat. I had friends there that I would only see once a year. We would mainly go to the park, it was safe, surrounded by mountains and trees, and at home-time Aunty May would have made me a delicious rice pudding, nobody made it like her – great. For my beautiful Aunty May, thank you for the great times when I was a kid.
Mid Glamorgan memories
Blaen Mission.
My earliest memories of Blaenllechau are of teens dances in the Mission. A guy called Twm Twice organised them. A school friend from North Road School who lived in Blaen used to be there, Alun John or John Alun. I also had great friends at St Thomas's Church - especailly Graham Hatton. My grandmother hailed from 27 Mountain Road. Gwenllian Harries.
From Malcolm Harries - more to follow hopefully
BLAENLLECHAU
My grandparents Jim and May Condon lived at 1 Glynn View, Blaenllechau. My father was in the Air Force so I didn't spend that much time in Blaen, but when I did I loved the place. Thirty eight years ago I moved to Australia to live, and 3 years ago I went back for the first time. Things had not changed that much, only now there are a lot of trees, because then the mountains were black with coal soot. But I still had that great feeling I always got when I visited my nan and bam many years ago, in fact I loved it that much, I visited again last year, 2009. And I'm sure in the next few years I will be back for another visit.
Blaenllechau - My Childhood Home.
Brought up in Blaenllechau, immediately after the WWII, life was not as complicated as it is today. Our playground included all the mountain behind us, Llanwonno, the woods and even the park. I delivered papers around the village, and the majority of houses did not have locks on, it was open the door, drop the paper in and close it. My paternal grandfather was "Evan John Evans", fireman underground and some say, very proactive in the opening of the Radical Club, but there is no proof of that. I attended St Thomas's Church, and recall the name Graham Hatton also Tony Wills. The families in Commercial Street I recall are:- Hughes; Mason; Williams; Thomas (Chapel); Matthews; Owens; Allen; Phillips; Harris; Reynolds; White and of course we had a Councillor who became Mayor of the Rhondda. I'm very proud to have been a Blaen Boy.
