History of the Schools of Ystradgynlais & District

DATA

DATA

DATA

Ystradgynlais

DATA

DATA

DATA

DATA

Upper and Lower Cwmtwrch, Ystradgynlais

DATA

DATA

DATA

DATA

Church and Chapel Schools, Ystradgynlais

DATA

DATA

DATA

DATA

Heol Giedd, Ystradgynlais

Cynlais Primary School was extensively remodelled in the 1980s when some of the stonework from the old Penrhos School, then being demolished, was used to build several extensions onto the original Cynlais School. Cynlais was closed in July 2012 as part of the reorganisation of local primary schools.

Brecon Road, Ystradgynlais

The original Penrhos School was built right alongside the road in the style similar to that of Coelbren School.

In the 1970s, the original Penrhos School was demolished and a new building built upon the site, set much further back from the road, with a playground and carpark now fronting it. Stone from the old building was used to provide building material to extend Cynlais School.

The 2010s review of schools in the Ystradgynlais area decided that Penrhos School was no longer fit for purpose, and it was closed in 2012. A new school was built in Penrhos, upon a different site, and named Ysgol Golwg Y Cwm.

The closed Penrhos School was demolished when nobody wanted to rent or purchase the decayed 1970s buildings. The site has been sold to develop as housing.

Ystradgynlais

Ynyscedwyn Primary School opened in 1906. As Ystradgynlais' Welsh language school it was still going strong in the early twenty-first century. However, with the reorganisation where all the smaller local schools were closed, Ynyscedwyn was cited for closure. Delays in the construction of the new Welsh school gave it a brief stay of execution, but it closed its doors for the final time in December 2012.

Ystradgynlais

Gurnos Primary School had also contained Gurnos Secondary Modern Boys School until the local schools were organised on a comprehensive basis in 1954 with Maesydderwen (formerly the grammar school) taking over the role for all secondary education. After that date, and until its closure in 2012, Gurnos was a school for 4 to 11 year-olds.

Ystradgynlais

DATA

DATA

DATA

DATA

Abercrave

DATA

DATA

DATA

DATA

Schools in Cae Hopkin, Ynyswen, Penycae, & Glyntawe

DATA

DATA

DATA

DATA

Coelbren

DATA

DATA

DATA

DATA

Maesydderwen, Ynyscedwyn, Gurnos, & College Row

DATA

Maesydderwen School began life as Ystradgynlais County School and moved into the old Maesydderwen Manor in 1911. The manor house burnt down in 1932, and a new school was built on the site, opening in 1934. From September 1954 all children who had attained the age of 11 within the Ystradgynlais district would now be admitted to Maesydderwen, which was organised as a Comprehensive School.

Education in Ystradgynlais

There were three major reorganisations of education in the Ystradgynlais district - first in the early twentieth century when the council took over provision and built new schools; second after the Second World War when secondary education was reorganised; and third in 2012 when the council closed the smaller schools, and rebuilt fewer but larger schools to serve the modern educational needs of the population.

The 2012/2013 reorganisation of primary schools in the district had an earlier parallel in the 1954 reorganisation of secondary education in Ystradgynlais. You can read more about this in:-
  History of Maesydderwen School
and
  Secondary Schools in Ystradgynlais

DATA

DATA

Online Resources for Historians & Genealogists

Ynyscedwyn Estate Papers (held at West Glamorgan Archive Service)
https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/95dd982a-7943-30b7-83bc-e615e82f6ba5

Clergy of the Church of England Database (Up to 1835)
https://theclergydatabase.org.uk/

Dictionary of Welsh Biography
https://biography.wales/