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Llanwonno - Gazetteers

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Llanwonno- Extract from A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis 1833

"LLANWONNO (LLAN-WYNNO), a parish in the hundred of MISKIN, county of GLAMORGAN, SOUTH WALES, 12 miles (N.W. by N.) from Cardiff to Newbridge (the principal village within its limits), containing 1094 inhabitants.

This parish, which is bounded on the east by the river Taf, is nearly equally divided between mountain and valley ; Cwm Clydach, Cwm Rhondda, and Cwm Cynon, watered by their respective streams, are partly within it. The Aberdare canal passes down the last, and forms a junction with the Glamorganshire canal at Navigation House, in the parish of Llanvabon ; and up Cwm Rhondda is a tram-road, communicating with the collieries worked there. The Rhondda falls into the river Taf at the populous village of Newbridge, of which the part situated in this parish is the largest: here a weekly market for provisions is held, and a considerable quantity of corn is conveyed hence for the supply of Merthyr-Tydvil.

The celebrated bridge called Pont y Prydd crosses the Taf at Newbridge, and is described in the account of that place.

This parish is within the jurisdiction of the court of requests held at Merthyr Tydvil, on the second Thursday in every month, for the recovery of debts not exceeding £5.

The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Llandaf, endowed with £ 1000 royal bounty, and  £ 1600 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Vicar of Llantrissent. The church, dedicated to St. Wonno, and distant three miles from Newbridge, is romantically situated on the rocky side of Cevngwingil mountain, at a considerable distance from any habitation. There are places of worship for Baptists and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists.

The average annual expenditure for the support of the poor is £393. 11."

"GLYNCYNNON (GLYN-CYNON), a hamlet, in the parish of LLANWONNO, hundred of MISKIN, county of GLAMORGAN, SOUTH WALES, 71 miles (S.) from Merthyr -Tydvil, containing 415 inhabitants. The Pont Cynon aqueduct, which conveys the Cardiff canal over the river Tif, is situated at the eastern extremity of this hamlet, near where the Aberdare canal joins the former at Navigation House; and here also both the canal and the Tif are crossed by the road from Cardiff to Aberdare, which proceeds through the vale of the Cynon, overhung in many places with majestic oaks, and other lofty trees, and which, after crossing the river by an alpine bridge, enters the parish of Aberdare. There are numerous pleasing and ornamental residences in different places, especially in that portion of the hamlet which overlooks the valleys of the Tif and the Cynon, the former bounding it on the east, and the latter on the north-east." [A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis 1833  © Mel Lockie 2016]

"HAVODDRYINOG (HAVOD-DREINIOG), a hamlet, in the parish of LLANWONNO, hundred of MISKIN, county of GLAMORGAN, SOUTH WALES, 11 miles (S.) from Merthyr-Tydvil, containing 679 inhabitants. Near the junction of the Taf and the Rhondda, at the southeastern extremity of the hamlet, stands the modern and thriving village of Newbridge, where a weekly market for provisions is held, and whence a considerable quantity of corn is conveyed by the canal, for the supply of Merthyr-Tydvil. Within a quarter of a mile of the village is the celebrated bridge of Pont y Prydd, thrown from the bold and wooded banks of the DI across that river, consisting of one arch of one hundred and forty feet in the span and thirty-five in height, with three cylindrical and graduated holes in each spandril, to lighten the weight of the haunches, and a low para. pet on the top, so as to give the whole the extremely light appearance of an elevated bow projecting from bank to bank. This extraordinary effort of art was projected by, and executed under the superintendence of, William Edwards, son of a farmer in the neighbouring parish of Eglwysilan, who, after two unsuccessful attempts, accomplished his arduous undertaking in 1755. The view of the scenery up the vale of the Rhondda from the top of this bridge, and from another crossing that river at right angles with the former, is highly interesting and beautiful. There is a succession of three waterfalls within a short distance of each other, rivalling in grandeur and picturesque beauty: the first is called the "Salmon Leap," and the others follow between this and the junction of the Rhondda Vechan, where there is another bridge, called Pont y Cymmer, which, with the high, precipitous, and well-wooded rocks bounding these rivers, adds to the extreme beauty of the scene. A rail-road passes from the Cardiff canal up the right bank of the Rhondda Vawr to some coal-pits in the upper part of the vale."  [A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis 1833  © Mel Lockie 2016]