Côr Meibion Abercynon

Côr Meibion Abercynon was formed during 1970 at the former Junction Hotel in Abercynon. There were originally 20 members of the choir, and today four of the original members still sing with the choir.

Abercynon The Village

The origins of the village of Abercynon lay in its importance as a centre for traffic with the Glamorgan Canal, the Aberdare Canal and the Taff Vale Railway all passing through the district. The presence of these important communication networks having led to its development on a small scale. Public houses and hotels such as the Junction Hotel, The Swan, The Boatman, New Inn, Navigation Hotel and the Traveller's Rest were established to cater for the passing trade and the employees of the canals and railways.

Left: Junction Hotel Abercynon c 1900

 
A combined post office and general store was opened and houses built alongside the canal to house the workmen. Some of the names by which the village was formally known reflect the importance of these networks to the village. These include Navigation, Y Basin and Aberdare Junction. The name Abercynon was only introduced in 1893 when a public meeting was held to find a permanent name for the village.The sinking of the collieries in 1889 brought a great influx of people into the village leading to the development of the modern town of Abercynon. Streets beginning to appear along the sides of the valley in order to accommodate the ever-growing population. Some of the earliest being Martin's Terrace, Station Terrace (now Ynysmeurig Road), Catherine Street (now Herbert Street). With commercial centres being established and other buildings of significance opened including the new Navigation School (1896) and the Workmen's Hall (1905).

The increase in population brought the followers of many religious denominations into the village and chapels and churches were established to cater for their religious needs. These include Calfaria chapel opened by the baptists in 1894, Bethania Chapel opened by the Welsh Independents in 1896 and St Donat's Church by the Church of England in 1908.

Left: Glancynon Terrace and Calfaria Baptist Church

Richard Trevithick

Richard Trevithick was an engineer from Cornwall who while employed at Pen-y-Darran ironworks near Merthyr Tydfil pioneered the first steam locomotive ever tried upon a railway. It was his employer the ironmaster Samuel Homfray who laid a wager of 500 guineas that he could haul a load of ten tons of iron from Merthyr Tydfil to the Basin (Abercynon) on a train drawn by a steam locomotive. It was on the 22nd. February 1804, that Trevithick's High Pressure Steam Engine began its journey carrying ten tons of iron, seventy men and five wagons. Unfortunately the chimney of the engine struck a low bridge shortly after the start, and the bridge and chimney were both damaged. Trevithick having rebuilt the chimney carried on his way, finally arriving at the basin having travelled nine and half miles at a rate of nearly five miles an hour, thereby winning his employer the wager.

Left: A replica of Trevithick's original loco

Richard John Trevithick on the footpath of the replica of the Trevithick Engine at Camborne prior to complletion. Trevithick day 2000.

Left: Richard John Trevithick 2000.