Brynmawr
Brynmawr maps (2 available)
Map of Gwent
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Brynmawr books (3 available)
- 6 photos on Brynmawr appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Brynmawr
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Brynmawr and Gwent
Brynmawr memories
Read and share memories of Brynmawr and Gwent inspired by Frith photos
Special times
Once the time had come for blackberry picking and whimberry picking, my lovely Uncle Fred took us down the valley roads, to get picking, ready for those lovely pies my grandmother would make. We would climb up beside these waterfalls, drink the pure water from them, lovely. Uncle Fred would walk for what seemed to me miles, me eating most of my pickings as I went. This was the early 50s, a lovely day out, lovely scenery, lovely memories. With thanks to my Uncle Fred Bedford, a lovely, loving man.
Contributed by jackie haynes
My hometown
Brynmawr is a quiet little town on the edge of the valley roads. These photos bring back memories of all the hills I climbed, picnics on the mountain, paddling in the pond across from our house in Warwick Road. Snow 6ft deep in Winter. I remember the old steam train passing our house, I would wave to the driver and he would wave back to me standing on a low wooden fence. Everything was at a slow pace in the 50's. We would go to the local cinema and see mainly westerns in those days. Then come out and get a bag of chips and wander back home, just simple easygoing things.
Contributed by jackie haynes
Gwent memories
My hometown
Brynmawr is a quiet little town on the edge of the valley roads. These photos bring back memories of all the hills I climbed, picnics on the mountain, paddling in the pond across from our house in Warwick Road. Snow 6ft deep in Winter. I remember the old steam train passing our house, I would wave to the driver and he would wave back to me standing on a low wooden fence. Everything was at a slow pace in the 50's. We would go to the local cinema and see mainly westerns in those days. Then come out and get a bag of chips and wander back home, just simple easygoing things.
A memory of Brynmawr contributed by jackie haynes
Special times
Once the time had come for blackberry picking and whimberry picking, my lovely Uncle Fred took us down the valley roads, to get picking, ready for those lovely pies my grandmother would make. We would climb up beside these waterfalls, drink the pure water from them, lovely. Uncle Fred would walk for what seemed to me miles, me eating most of my pickings as I went. This was the early 50s, a lovely day out, lovely scenery, lovely memories. With thanks to my Uncle Fred Bedford, a lovely, loving man.
A memory of Brynmawr contributed by jackie haynes
Extracts From Brynmawr & Gwent books
This is the busy main street
of the town. Lyndon Sims’
well-advertised record shop
(note the HMV banner, left)
is now a beautician’s. His
two neighbours nearer the
camera were Caleb the
greengrocer’s (with the
delivery bike outside) and
an electricity shop.
Opposite them, Briggs
Stores is now the post office,
and Cash & Co beyond is
now a kebab shop.
An extract from from"Around Alton Photographic Memories".
Hodges Garage (in the
distance, behind the bus
entering Market Square) has
since been demolished, and
the Castle Hotel (by the
street lamp on the right) has
also closed. While some bay
windows have survived, all
the balconies in the street
have gone. Eastmans the
butcher’s (right) and Weeks
the butcher’s opposite have
closed, but Davies, wallpaper
and paints (beside
Eastmans), has moved to
premises further up the street.
An extract from from"Around Alton Photographic Memories".
The war memorial (centre left)
commemorates the Royal Welsh
Fusiliers of two World Wars so that
‘their names will live for evermore’.
It is still at the heart of the town,
but now it has a black metal
surround erected by the Town
Council. The Market Hall cinema,
showing ‘Room at The Top’ at the
time of this photograph, still
operates, though the central
window below its clock has gone.
The Café Royal (to the left of the
war memorial) is now the
Homestead Café, and the large New
Griffin Hotel, behind it, is now
empty and awaiting refurbishment.
An extract from from"Around Alton Photographic Memories".
The road to Brynmawr winds around the hillside from the village of Gellifelyn, on the right.
Near some cottages below the summit of Pen Cyrn mountain, it is just possible to make out
the flat ridge on which the former Llangattock tramroad was built from the Nantyglo
Ironworks to Llangattock. It is now a cycleway.
An extract from from"Around Alton Photographic Memories".
This rubber factory was built between 1947 and 1953; it was thought to be a visionary building, not least for its roof made up
of nine rectangular domes with windows on each of their sides. It is a sad fact that the site became derelict after the factory
shut in the early 1980s. Despite a campaign to preserve it, the last phase of its demolition began in 2001.
An extract from from"Around Alton Photographic Memories".