Swimming has always been a popular pastime. Up until the late 1880s, however, the only place for anyone in Merthyr to enjoy a swim was in one of the many ponds dotted around the town. These were often dirty and un-hygienic and people would quite often find themselves swimming with goodness knows what.
In 1889, John Vaughan, a local solicitor, secured a piece of land in Gwaunfarren, and opened an open-air swimming pool there. Fed by a channel off the neighbouring weir, and with wooden decking along the pool’s edge, the new pool provided a safe venue for swimming set into the hillside amidst sheltering trees and bushes.
In February of the following year, John Vaughan set up a limited company, ‘The Merthyr and Dowlais Swimming Bath Company Ltd’, to formalise the formation of the new bathing facility. The company was registered with a capital of £800 in £1 shares, “to obtain a lease from Colonel Morgan of the swimming bath at Gwaunfarren, Merthyr Tydfil, for 60 years, at a rent of a peppercorn, when demanded, for the first 21 years, and £3 per annum for the remaining period”.
With this secured, John Vaughan embarked on developing a more permanent site with relevant facilities, and the new Swimming Baths were built by a local builder, Mr Matthew Warlow at a cost of £1,600, and were opened in 1891.
From the outset, the new baths were a success. A swimming club was started and competitions and swimming galas were held regularly at the baths.
One of the regular visitors to the baths, and one of its greatest patrons was David Alfred Thomas (Lord Rhondda), the Welsh industrialist and M.P. for Merthyr between 1888 and 1910. In 1915, Thomas was aboard the RMS Lusitania when it was sunk by German torpedoes, and a number of accounts say that he cited the years spent swimming at Gwaunfarren as a contributory factor in helping save himself from the disaster.
The impact of the First World War was catastrophic on the open-air baths and through a mixture of declining use, neglect of the fixtures and fittings, and even pilfering of parts of the wooden structure, the baths were closed.
Following the war, Henry Seymour Berry, Merthyr’s great benefactor, realising the Merthyr no longer had adequate swimming facilities, paid for a new, indoor facility to be built on the site of the old baths, and subsequently made a gift of the new baths to Merthyr County Borough Council.
The new building, which was built at a cost of over £8,000, was officially opened in a grand ceremony on 3 July 1924.
The baths were refurbished again at a cost of £67,000 in 1979-1980, and they remained open until 2007. The building was subsequently demolished.
Gwaenfarren Baths was an enormous part of my childhood. I was fortunate to live about 200 yards away in Alexandra Avenue and my sister and I were there nearly every day. My hair had a greenish tinge from the chlorine at one point.
Special memories of Merthyr Swimming Club, and in particular Orville Jones our swimming teacher and coach.
Thank you Amanda, Orville was my grandfather. Lots of memories of Gwaunfarren baths. 🙂
Generations of swimmers learned the art within those walls, and I was one of them in the 1970`s. You could wring out your costume from the top changing cubicle straight back into the water, and dive from the top board into only 6Ft of water. Many great memories of Gwaunfarren.
Orville and Glenda Jones taught hundreds of people to swim and were awarded joint MBE`s for their services to swimming. They were also coaches at Merthyr Tydfil Swimming Club.
Merthyr Tydfil Swimming Club is still running and swimmers will be back in the water when permitted.
Orville and Glenys are my grandparents, they loved swimming. They had a very memorable day when they were awarded their MBE’s. Thank you for the lovely comments. 😊
I remember learning to swim in them baths where my Dad taught me and my best friend was always cold but when we came out and dress, when for hot chocolate then to the sweet shops that were with the row of house think my favourite shop was the one on the bottom cola cubes
I did my bronze silver and gold awards at gwaunfarren baths. I remember swimming in my pyjamas, think it was 72 lengths for the gold award then making floats from the pyjama bottoms. If you couldn’t haul yourself out you failed.
My father worked there 1965 66 Michael Ryan call him Mike
Taught myself to swim there and became a qualified Swimming teacher.
Always from Galon Uchaf and later The Gurnos down Goitre Lane..
John Ahern
My sister and I went to the baths a few times a week late 50’s and through the 60’s. Everyone loved Orville and Glenda they gave up so much of their time to us youngsters and arranged competitions. We did our Bronze, Siver ,Gold life saving Fantastic memories Pauline Woodward
I can remember going up there as a young boy with my grandad glyndwr evans and I used to watch them all swim as I couldn’t walk due to disease on my hips my job with the lifeguards was to blow the whistle end of season and shout all out remember it like yesterday