Blaenllechau

Blaenllechau
Welsh: *Blaenllechau*
Blaenllechau Welsh: Blaenllechau;
	Blaenllechau post office
	Blaenllechau Location within Rhondda Cynon Taf
OS grid reference	SS995975
Principal area	Rhondda Cynon Taf;
Preserved county	Mid Glamorgan;
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	FERNDALE
Postcode district	CF43
Dialling code	01443
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Rhondda;
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Rhondda;
	List of places UK Wales Rhondda Cynon Taf 51°40′00″N 3°26′46″W / 51.666667°N 3.446111°W

Blaenllechau is a small village located in the Rhondda Fach valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Neighbouring villages are Ferndale, Maerdy and Tylorstown. The population of Blaenllechau is less than 1000. The village is defined by the river border, flowing between Blaenllechau and neighbouring Ferndale, of which the well-known Blaenllechau waterfall is a tributary.

The village is currently served by 2 shops, Brian's General Store and Pizza Point. The last remaining pub in the village, Blaenllechau Radical Club closed its doors in November 2015.

History

Originally a single farm in the Rhondda, in 1857 David Davis and his partners took a mineral rights lease in the area, and went exploring for high quality steam coal. In 1862, after many difficulties, the 4 feet seam was struck 278 yards (254 m) below the farm.

With little in the area, and the need to house workers and their families, the colliery village was developed alongside the workings of Ferndale No.1 pit.^[1] Eventually there were two shafts developed, Ferndale No. 1 and Ferndale No. 5, extracting steam coal from a depth of 400 yards (370 m) until 1959, when the entire complex was shut by the National Coal Board.^[2] The pit-head workings were still extant in the early 1960s, but have since been demolished and the shafts filled.

The village and its nearest town of Ferndale were served by passenger rail on the Maerdy Branch, which left the mainline of the Taff Vale Railway at Porth. Even under the ownership of the Great Western Railway, the line always found it hard to compete against local bus operators, although passenger services ran regularly from Pontypridd to Maerdy. Passenger services were ceased completely after the Beeching Axe decreased the size of British Railways in the 1960s, and the line operated as a mineral railway until the closure of the last of valley's collieries, Maerdy, in 1990.

The sites of both railway and colliery have been landscaped. A cricket and sports ground now stand on a slag and spoil tip called the 'Banana tip' because of its shape.

Blaenllechau was famously mentioned by Stanley Baker in the movie Hell Drivers. Baker's Character Tom Yately is asked where he is from and he replies "Blaenllechau".

References

^ Parry G, Williams M A, The Welsh Language and the 1891 Census, UoW Press, 1999, ISBN 0-7083-1536-4, p 83
^ Colliery Guardian Guide to the coalfields, 1955, p 384

External links

[1] Parry G, Williams M A, The Welsh Language and the 1891 Census, UoW Press, 1999, ISBN 0-7083-1536-4, p 83

[2] Colliery Guardian Guide to the coalfields, 1955, p 384

[1]

[2]

v t e Rhondda Cynon Taf
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Communities	Aberaman North Aberaman South Abercynon Aberdare East Aberdare West Cwm Clydach Cwmbach Cymmer Ferndale Gilfach Goch Hirwaun Llanharan Llanharry Llantrisant Llantwit Fardre Llwydcoed Llwynypïa Maerdy Mountain Ash East Mountain Ash West Penrhiwceiber Pentre Pen-y-graig Penywaun Pont-y-clun Pontypridd Porth Rhigos Taff's Well Tonypandy Tonyrefail Trealaw Trehafod Treherbert Treorchy Tylorstown Ynyshir Ynysybwl and Coed-y-Cwm Ystrad
Towns and villages	Aberaman Abercwmboi Abercynon Aberdare Abernant Beddau Blaenclydach Blaencwm Blaenllechau Blaenrhondda Britannia Bryncae Bryngolau Brynna Brynsadler Brynteg Buarth-y-Capel Bwllfa Dare Caegarw Carnetown Castell y Mwnws Castellau Cefn Rhigos Cefnpennar Church Village Cilfynydd Clydach Vale Coed-Ely Coedpenmaen Coed-y-Cwm Collena Croesbychan Cross Inn Cwm-Hwnt Cwmaman Cwmbach Cwmdare Cwmparc Cwmpennar Cymmer Dinas Rhondda Dolau Edmondstown Efail Isaf Ferndale Fernhill Foundry Town Gadlys Garden City Gelli Gilfach Goch Glan-y-ffordd Glan-y-llyn Glenboi Glyncoch Glynfach Glynhafod Glyntaff Godreaman Graig Graigwen Groes-faen Hawthorn Hendreforgan Hirwaun Hopkinstown Ilan Llanharan Llanharry Llanilid Llantrisant Llantwit Fardre Llwydcoed Llwyncelyn Llwynypia Maerdy Maesycoed Miskin, Mountain Ash Miskin, Pontyclun Mountain Ash Mwyndy Nantgarw Newtown Pantygraigwen Penderyn Penpisgah Penrhiwceiber Penrhiwfer Penrhys Pentre Pentrebach Pen-y-coedcae Penygraig Penygraigwen Penywaun Perthcelyn Pontcynon Pontsionnorton Pontyclun Pontygwaith Pontypridd Porth Pwllgwaun Rhigos Rhiw Ddar Rhiwsaeson Rhydyfelin Robertstown Roberttown Stanleytown Taff's Well Talbot Green Talygarn Thomastown Ton Pentre Tonteg Tonypandy Tonyrefail Trallwn Trealaw Trebanog Trecynon Treforest Trehafod Treherbert Trenant Treorchy Ty Fry Ty Rhiw Tyla Garw Tylcha Tylorstown Tynewydd Tynybryn Tyn-y-nant Tyntetown Upper Boat Upper Church Village Wattstown Williamstown Ynysangharad Ynysboeth Ynysddu Ynyshir Ynysmaerdy Ynyswen Ynysybwl Ystrad
Education	Aberdare Girls' School Aberdare High School Blaengwawr Comprehensive School Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School Coleg y Cymoedd Hawthorn High School Mountain Ash Comprehensive School Pontypridd High School Porth Community School St. John the Baptist School Tonyrefail School Treorchy Comprehensive School University of South Wales Y Pant School Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda Ysgol Garth Olwg Ysgol Llanhari Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun
Rivers	Afon Clun Afon Sychryd River Cynon River Ely River Rhondda River Taff
Topic lists	Parliamentary constituencies Places SSSIs Listed buildings Grade I Grade II* Scheduled Monuments Registered parks and gardens High Sheriffs Lord Lieutenants Museums Public art Schools Place names
Major infrastructure	M4 motorway
Category

v t e Villages and towns of the Rhondda Valley
Rhondda Fawr	Blaencwm Blaenrhondda Cwm Clydach Cwmparc Cymmer Dinas Rhondda Gelli Glynfach Llwyncelyn Llwynypia Pentre Penygraig Pen-yr-englyn Porth Ton Pentre Tonypandy Trealaw Trebanog Trehafod Treherbert Treorchy Tynewydd Williamstown Ynyswen Ystrad
Rhondda Fach	Blaenllechau Ferndale Maerdy Penrhys Pontygwaith Tylorstown Stanleytown Wattstown Ynyshir