| |
The eventual dissolution of the borough as a corporate town centuries later brought into being the Town Trust in 1889, to manage the Common, or Cymdda and Cymdda Bach and Y Graig, Toll House and the Town Pumps, while admitting new hereditary Freemen on an annual basis.
Heol Las, c.1910
Within a century of being issued its charter, the Llantrisant of the late 14th and 15th Century would hardly have been recognised by the inhabitants of a few generations before. Shortly after the Black Death swept through the Vale came Owain Glyndwr's wars, when many of the English were dislodged and the Welsh moved to better lands. By 1514, Llantrisant declined to a village of no more than 30 whitewashed homes and few immediate improvements were made during a period of comparative calm. The parish church underwent a process of rebuilding and, by 1490, the west end was added, along with a tower. However, the castle was certainly ruined by the time Henry VIII's antiquarian, Leland, visited the town in 1536. Llantrisant also held a somewhat dubious reputation as the haven of paupers, thieves and prostitutes, and was a centre of drunkenness and rowdiness, while outbreaks of epidemics were also widespread. Llantrisant, the town 'where pigs roam streets without rings in their snouts,' was the hub of all factions of society, from the ruling gentry and corrupt vicars to quarrelsome families and prostitutes who witnessed incidents of brutality and even murder to frequent nightly brawls owing to the mass of public houses.
Elizabethan House, Yr Allt
The historic church vestry meeting on December 5, 1783, was called to, 'consult in regard of establishing a workhouse for the poor'. Until then, the aged, feeble and weak-minded were either cared for by a neighbour for a small fee or simply left unassisted in insanitary cottages. In 1784, it was unanimously resolved to open the workhouse, the first in Glamorgan, in a series of adapted cottages along Swan Street and in the Black Cock Inn on Yr Allt, with the Union Workhouse opening a century later close to the Bull Ring. Eventually, the town reoccupied the high status enjoyed during the medieval period. And, by the Victorian era, it witnessed a time of splendid refurbishment of the church and the appearance of many landmark houses, shops and inns, which still exist today.
Fairs and markets played a central role in its resurrection and the town's reputation as a centre for trade flourished. Four fairs were held annually in the open square, adjoining the Town Hall and the Market House. The old town scales and weights were kept at the Angel Inn, or the Pwysty, where tolls were collected by the Constable of the Castle and imposed on goods entering the town for sale. However, this certain degree of affluence as a hub of commercial activity was relatively short-lived and, gradually, its authority declined in favour of neighbouring Newbridge. By the late 19th Century, a flourishing market was already in place there. The town, later renamed Pontypridd, enjoyed the facilities of the Glamorganshire Canal and Taff Vale Railway, none of which benefited Llantrisant in its seemingly awkward placement on a hill. Although Llantrisant Railway Station was opened in 1861 it was, of course, in thriving Pontyclun, three miles away. Ironically, Llantrisant's positioning, once its greatest attraction, was now something of hindrance and, although Lord Bute gave freedom for the market tolls, it was not enough to save the town's commercial wealth. However, the Victorian era still testifies to something of a 'golden age' for Llantrisant when more than 30 well-established inns were open for business along, with an astonishing 40 shops, in just a handful of streets.
|
|
High Street c. 1910
Population increased with the emergence of predominantly Cornish
miners flocking to the mines at Mwyndy, along with immigrants, who
took up work on the neighbouring railway industry and tinplate works.
Non-conformism played an active role in the social development of
its people, with emphasis on sports, education, music and culture.
A succession of chapels were built with startling frequency and
thrived for generations while Welsh remained the predominant language
of the inhabitants well into the early 20th Century. The parish
church, restored in 1874, played an active role in educating the
people, with no-one more committed than the Reverend Powell Jones.
The pioneer of modern education methods saw the building of the
town's National School and showed desperate concern for the spiritual
welfare of a population who, 'played ball on Sunday' and could easily
fall victim to atheism. It was hardly an unfounded threat, either,
particularly considering the influence exerted by the local surgeon,
Dr William Price , Llantrisant's most colourful character. His
spectacular eccentricities totally outshone the town's celebrated
son, David Evans , and his ascendancy to
the post of Lord Mayor of London. Yet the town is more than just
a shrine to the many battles fought there, or a memorial to a bygone
age of chivalry, tradition and custom to be visited like a museum.
It is a living, thriving home to generations of large families,
fiercely proud of their town. Llantrisant has survived its tumultuous
history because people were filled with a strong desire to reside
amongst its many charming, unplanned cobbled streets.
The Parish Church
They repeatedly rebuilt its battle-scarred buildings, developed its trading opportunities, established law courts, religious centres and raised their families. Those people weaved the history of this beautiful little town and became synonymous with its reputation as the home to so many colourful, unique characters. The Llantrisant of today has seen many changes brought about largely with the onslaught of housing developments and industry encroaching on its outskirts, but still it is recognised as a jewel in the crown of South Wales, both for its ancient history and its sense of uniqueness as something of a secure haven in an ever-changing world. Development and industry coming to the region resulted in post-war estates built in the town, but unable to cope with such a massive influx of population, Llantrisant reached saturation point. Steadily, its stance as a trading centre diminished and further amenities moved to Talbot Green where road access was more convenient for the rapidly increasing motor
vehicles.
Similarly, Pontyclun grew with equal rapidity and new at Penygawsi, Southgate, Beddau and Yorkdale, made the landscape totally unrecognisable to any inhabitant of a generation earlier. The 20th century also witnessed the completion of the M4 motorway close by, the re-located Royal Mint and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital along with new businesses in the town itself. Today, despite the influx of new residents, large families dominate the population to a degree where it remains virtually impossible to recognise one another's distant relatives. In a town where illegitimacy was rife, where the honour of inheriting the rights of the Freeman's legacy predominates like some communal hierachy, the ability to truly identify family connections remains impossible. Yet as different as they may be, their unifying common interest is obvious, and that lies in the respect, pride, love and more importantly security of living in a beautiful little hilltop town, just as those early Celtic followers felt more than a thousand years ago. For more than a thousand years, this town has witnessed a truly fascinating history of rebellions and customs, characters and events, that has captured the imagination of every fortunate visitor. For its sons and daughters, Llantrisant's alluring charm can be understood by walking the very streets where these episodes occurred. Quite simply, we are proud to call this unique hilltop town our home.
 |
|
