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Gelligaer
Gelligaer maps
Historic maps of Gelligaer and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Gelligaer maps
Gelligaer photos
We have no photos of Gelligaer, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Hengoed| Gilfach| Bargoed| Ystrad Mynach| Maesycwmmer| Maes-Y-Cwmmer| Llanfabon| Blackwood| Aberbargoed| Treharris| Pontllanfraith| Penmaen| Oakdale| Markham| Abercynon| Merthyr Vale| Llanbradach| Aberfan| Newbridge| Penrhiwceiber| Abertridwr| Crumlin| Mountain Ash| Aberbeeg| Bedwas| Pontypridd| Cwmcarn| Llanhilleth| Pontywaun| Caerphilly
Gelligaer area books
Displaying 1 of 2 books about Gelligaer and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Gelligaer
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Mid Glamorgan memories
Evacuee in Cefn Hengoed
During the Second World War my family were evacuated to Cefn Hengoed. Two of my brothers were with the Hughes family, two with the Palmers and two of my sisters with the Jones Famly. We arrived in 1941. Being one of the youngest, I was with my youngest sister, my mother and my father and we stayed on Haywards Farm. Dad was working in an ammunition factory at Glasscoed. When I was old enough I started school at the Derwendaeg Primary school. Before the end of the war the whole family was living at number 5 Chaple Terrace. After the war we stayed until 1947 returning to London on the 31 August. It is now almost 60 years since we left. I passed through the village in 1984, the farm had gone and houses had been built on the site. I hope to return again this year, I have many happy memories of those days.
My Past Memories Are of Gilfach Visits to my Gran And Grancha
i was 5 years old at that time , my mum would take myself and my sisters on the bus from hengoed . every week to visit gran and granch. my grandparents lived in gilfach street oposite the old fire station where we would sit in the window waiting for the engine to appear. good times.
i later in 1969 married a boy from gilfach and then went to live in the very same house my grandparents lived in. i now have left gilfach and living in hengoed.
my husband still as family there and we visit regular.
Living in Cefn Hengoed
The Kemp family lived in Cefn Hengoed from about 1920 to 1938, I was born there in my grand parents James and Rose Kemp’s house, No.64 Gelligaer Road in 1934.
My memories of the village start from about 1937
I remember seeing a bus go flashing by down Gelligaer Road with its interior lights on, when I questioned my Dad, Thomas John Kemp (also known as Jack) he said it was the St John’s Ambulance Brigade’s bus going to a disaster, some workmen had been erecting an Electricity Pylon nearby which had collapsed and they were going to help. He and my Uncle Jim were very involved with St John’s Ambulance Brigade in the village and I suppose he was on the bus.
Another memory of life in the village was playing in the field at the top of the village near the Cross-Keys Pub, whilst waiting for Dad to come out of the pub, my elder brother Harry and I were playing on the wall and Harry fell... Read more
Family
My nana Winnie Williams has lived in Cefn Hengoed for a very long time and is now nearly 103 years old. Her late husband was Cled Williams who was a councillor in the surrounding area who died before I was born. They had 5 children: Cled, Gwyneth, Howell (known as Robin - my dad), Sheila and Gwyneth. As I am from Scotland I don't know a lot of my family history and would like to know more, especially about my Nana. I visit her as often as I can and have many happy childhood memories of Nana and extended family and she still live in Hengoed Avenue. I am hoping to take my children there in October although the place has changed with less farming area and more new houses and I hope to give them happy memories too!
Terry Carney
Look up the Hengoed pages of this website, I left a memory there you may be interested in.
The Berth
Hi, I was born in 10 Horner Street, in 1941, parents were Idris and Olive, one sister Pat, lived in England for a while. Came back to Wales in 1953, worked in Hestons rubber factory for about a year then the nylon spinners at Pontypool till 1970, then went off to Canada. My mate Brian Plummer, from Cefn Fforest, lives just up the road. Last year we had the pleasure of meeting Tyrone Cushing, who we knew from Cefn Hengoed, in Toronto. My memories of the berth are all sunshine n fun, guys like Len Swift, Harry Hardin, all my uncles Sam, George, Trevor, Cyril, Beano n my aunt Sylvia. Spent a lot of time getting educated in the riverside.
Living Hell
I was born in 20 Williams Street, there were 7 of us, a whole tribe. I must say I have no fond memories of living there, as one of the only black families around, my God, you lot made our lives hell, but we kept on going, tryin to fit in with you all. My memories are of being taunted, spat at and bullied by certain people, although not all of you were the same, thank God. Just to let you know I never let any of you affect my life, I have made a good life for myself and am doing very well, married, wtih 3 grown up children who have never heard the nasty words used to describe myself and my siblings, they too are doing very well. No doubt if I had stayed in the Berth it would not be so, so to all of you, thanks to you all, because of your very bad treatment of us I strived to make a very good life, 22... Read more
