by Richard Parfitt
It was back in 2005 when I was freelancing as a Mountain Leader, I was researching different walks for the ‘Discovering in the South Wales Countryside Course’ for the Summer School at the University of Glamorgan, is when the manager, Director, Clive Roberts of Outeractive (R), who I was working for, asked me if I wanted to borrow a book on the history of Vaynor. (One of the areas I decided to walk that year). Clive had a vast wealth of knowledge and experience of the outdoors and many contacts, after being the manager of Dolygaer (Mid Glamorgan) Outdoor Centre. When I received the book from Clive. It was falling apart. With many loose pages. However, inside there were many interesting stories about Morlais Castle and the Battle of Maesvaynor with the two disputing Marcher Lords who were at war, due to boundary disputes and where King Edward the First had to intervene.
As I pondered over this little book, ‘Vaynor, its history and guide’, written by the Reverend J.E. Jenkins, Rector 1887, I came across the story of ‘Llysiog Well’.
Llysiog Well
This is a noted well. For the healing of Scrofula wounds, sores, ulcers and all skin diseases. It is situated in the upper part of the parish, on the side of the hill above Ynys Fawr Farm. The distance by the pathway over the hill from Pontsarn station. Is about four miles, and about 5 miles along the high Road from Coed Cymmer or Cefn station. Years ago, this well was better known than it is today. For ages it was the ‘Llanwrtyd’ of South Wales and Monmouthshire and will be so again, when the light railway. From Coedcymmer, via Cwm Taf Fawr, Devynog and Llandovery, will be constructed. Many and wonderful are the narratives told of cures effected by using this water. At present, the annual average number of people visiting well is about 300 (in 1897). A large quantity of the water is carried away to people who are unable to attend. The water is free like the mountain air. There are several love stories connected with it which I hope to give in a future page. A party starting from Pontsarn on after the arrival of the morning, trains on a fine day may be back in good time for luncheon and at one of the hotels or at any of the houses where visitors are received. It is now suggested that some arrangements should be made to have this noted* water for sale. Near Pontsarn during the summer months.
This is extracted from ‘Vaynor: Its History and Guide’ by Rev J.E. Jenkins Rector 1897
Even though I did not include a walk to the famous well of 1887 that year. I had talked about visiting it many times later, with Clive, but we just never seemed do the walk. Everything is for a reason! I often wondered if the water really did have healing powers or was it just a placebo of belief by our ancestors. Nevertheless, I had this nagging feeling that something might be in the water that really did do what the Rev Jenkins said it would, cure many locals in this way; and why would this man of the cloth, have had reason to include it in his book.
When researching I first looked at the geology of the location and realised that it was in the area between the ‘Old Red Sandstone’ that is found near Pen-y-Fan and the Carboniferous Limestone running down into Merthyr Tydfil in the south. In the area of Ffynnon Llysiog is a thin band of Grey Millstone Grit, it is also near to the Neath fault. I wondered if there were any traces of sulphur? When I was growing in my early teens, I remembered my mother giving me regular spoonfuls’ of flower of sulphur and honey to prevent me getting any spots or rashes that many teenagers have at that age. I must admit I went through my teenage years without acne or even a spot.
While trawling for any information I could find on Ffynnon Llysiog or the Rev J E Jenkins. I found information that the Rector of Vaynor was also a Welsh Bard whose bardic name was ‘Ceridiol’ and he had written a Welsh poem with the word ‘Llysi’ in one of the verses. The word Llysi or Llysiog means Herb/vegetable in English.
While tracing the area I found a page on the internet relating to a naturalist Mary Gillham MBE who authored many books on the areas of South Wales. She had been a lecturer in the University of Cardiff and was famous for a research career working on the vegetation of Sea birds and Islands around the world.
Mary’s page and photograph with the heading Nant Llysiog Water and Geologies, it further stated: above Llwyn On of the two branches of Nant Wern Ddu – November 1971 – and there in Black and white – “Iron Hydroxide” deposited when stream Ffynnon Llysiog enters, healing properties. This was only the second time there seemed evidence, that Mary recognised the water had healing properties, probably, due to the Iron Hydroxide. (I shouted “Bingo”). I was relieved that this place was special and come the spring to summer of 2024 I would be visiting it.
Further research around Mary Gillham highlighted a book co-written by her – The Historic Taf Valleys, Volume Two in the Brecon Beacons National Park by John Perkins, Jack Evans and Mary Gillham. This is what Jack Evans wrote about the Ffynnon Llysiog “The mention of Nant Llysiuog (Old spelling) introduces another custom which is now succumbed to modern medical treatment. Still marked on the Ordnance Survey Maps near the source of the Llysiuog are the words ‘Ffynnon Llysiuog (Ffynnon = Well). This denotes the present of a mineral spring, where many people from afar afield collected the water in jugs and urns and any suitable containers in the firm conviction that it cured most ailments, including constipation.
Particularly was good for removing impurities from the blood and liberal doses were taken during the spring season. Anyone walking to this site in an endeavour to discover the old well will quickly realise that to even get there, people must be extraordinarily fit.”
In October 2024 I did visit Ffynnon Llysiog I was able to follow the route as described by Mary and sure enough there was the confluence between the two waterfalls, where the reddish (Iron hydroxide).
On arrival at the pools, I could smell a strong smell. I turned to my son and asked him “can you smell that?” He said “Yes,” I replied, “I think its Sulphur.” Due to there being two pools above the confluence I was not sure which one was the Well. Therefore, I took it for granted the larger of the two would be the Well!
It was shortly after my visit to the location I contacted Alison Davies and asked if she knew of the Ffynnon Llysiog or if she had ever visited it? She said she had not visited it, but knew of it, from the Reverend J E Jenkins book. She also has sent me some cuttings from the Merthyr Express Saturday 02 November 1935, where a Youth Hostel Party had visited the river Llysiog as far as the Sulphur Wells (Plural). This answered two questions one was there were two pools and secondly confirming there was Sulphur.
I have since discovered another small reference to the Ffynnon Llysiog in Elwyn Bowen’s Book ‘Vaynor – A Study of the Welsh Countryside’ He states – “The constipated sought relief in the mineral spring of Ffynnon Lysiuog in Cwm Taf. The water was carried away in jugs and urns and so efficacious was it considered by the medical profession that the possibility of commercially exploiting it was seriously contemplated a century ago.”
There is no doubt this water has healing properties, Whether it be from the bacteria forming iron hydroxide or the peat bogs producing the sulphur, both which helps the body heal. I also have some modern theories that the area is linked to Negative Ions and even ‘Grounding a.k.a. Earthing’.
Considering the Ffynnon Llysiog not being related to a Saint, like many healing springs and wells throughout the principality and further afield, could indicate that this spring/well predates the medieval period combine this with Bronze age sites in the vicinity of Cilsanws mountain and Cwm Cadlan the Ffynnon Llysiog could very well have been visited by our ancient ancestors.
If you have any information about Ffynnon Llysiog I would be grateful to hear from you.
