We produce and publish our journals so that knowledge of our rich local heritage is recorded and shared as widely as possible for people to read. You can buy back copies of our magazines. Just let us know which ones you would like.
Spring Journal – Issue 27
CONTENTS
Apologies
Obituaries
A Rediscovered History: The Parish of Llanhilleth – WH Bailey
An Ill Wind in Tredegar – A Report
A Glimpse of the valleys Past: – 1986 A Winter’s Walk – Howard Robinson
Disappearing Landmarks: St John’s Newchurch – A Report
A Field Survey of a Section of the Mountainside Around Pwll Ddu – Rodger Burchell
Website Annual Review – Carolyn Jones
Contributors to this Journal
EDITOR – Rodger Burchell
Brought up in Ebbw Vale Rodger spent much of his life working at Ebbw Vale steel works. Afterr this he worked as a lecturer in Archaeological fieldwork and Practice, spent 5 years as a geophysical specialist for SiteScan Archaeological, as a field archaeologist for Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust, (GGAT), Church & Site Archaeology and CADW among others.
Read more ...
He is an active member of several history and archaeology societies and is a practitioner of the ‘Chartered Institute for Archaeology’. His studies included Welsh History and its sources, manuscripts, maps, etc, Archaeology, Industrial Archaeology, Local History, Landscape History and Archaeology. His MA (Wales) focussed on the history of Milling in Gwent and he has written several ‘historic’ walks for the surrounding area.
COST – £7.50
CLICK HERE if you would like to buy a copy
Other Outlets
Bedwellty House: at our monthly talks – 2nd Thursday every month 2pm – 3pm
Llanhilleth Miners’ Institute: Heritage Centre – Tuesdays 2pm – 4pm
mailto: [email protected]
A Couple of Articles in the Journal
The History of the Parish of Llanhilleth
by W. H. (Bill) Bailey
In this Journal we have published a previously unpublished ‘History of the Parish of Llanhilleth’ by H W Bailey. ‘Bill’ Bailey wrote the history in 1947 and a very poor and dilapidated copy has sat on top of the editor’s bookcase for many years.
Read more ...
It has now been dusted off, although much is near illegible, the editor has redrawn all the drawings used in the original and through some cunning technical tricks the text was also able to be reproduced in full and retyped. Photographs have been contributed by members of the Llanhilleth History society and where possible exactly match the originals. We are indebted to Mr Lyn Maloney for the photographs he provided and to Miss Janet Karn for the retype. We have received additional information and hope to include it in a separate publication to be offered for sale in the locality shortly.
It was a pleasure for Lyn Maloney to present Christine Bailey with a copy of Blaenau Gwent Heritage Forum’s Spring Journal, on behalf of Llanhilleth Heritage Society. The journal contains a history of the parish of Llanhilleth written in 1947 by Christine’s uncle W. H. Bailey (Bill) originally of Aberbeeg. Christine received the journal on behalf of his family.
If you live in Llanhilleth and would like to buy a journal locally, they are on sale in:
Llanhilleth Miners’ Institute: Heritage Centre – Tuesdays 2pm – 4pm
mailto: [email protected]
A Field Survey of a Section of the Mountainside around Pwll Du
by Rodger Burchell
The location of Pwll Du lies just past the eastern boundary of our county borough. A survey of the area was undertaken in 2000 by the editor which has been used to help develop an understanding of an industrial landscape for students. Following several requests to publish this survey as well as to visit this ‘lost’ industrial hamlet made popular by the writings of Alexander Cordell we publish it here with a view of making it one of our field trips during 2026.
Read more ...
Additional details of the social history of Pwll Du have been inserted into the landscape survey to put ‘meat on the bare bones’ of the survey to help the reader understand where and how the people managed to live upon the top of a bleak mountainside with few modern amenities considered so essential in today’s world. The editor would like to thank Mrs Ann Jones for granting access to her land which now encompasses the now lost hamlet of Pwll Du’.
Would you like to sign-up to our Journal mailing list?
We can let you know when a new journal is published and provide a link for you to buy either a physical copy or access a downloadable version.
Contributions for our next Journal
Do you have a story to tell or interesting information you would like to share with us? We invite contributions relating to historic Blaenau Gwent for inclusion in Issue 28.
We are looking for articles from new contributors as well as from more regular ones so please contact us if you have work that you would like to submit.
We ask that all contributors refer to the guidance notes below and can offer help and support if anyone would like this.