Dr Elwyn Bowen – The Melting Pot – Merthyr Tydfil's History and Culture

Ffynnon Llysiog

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.

Dewi Bowen – A Tribute

by Mansell Richards

Earlier this year, on 16 June, Merthyr lost one of its great characters, and a huge champion of the town’s heritage, when Dewi Bowen passed away at the age of 93. Here his friend and former colleague, Mansell Richards pays tribute to the great man.

Dewi Bowen was a legend in his home village of Cefn-Coed, a legend at Cyfarthfa Castle School and a legend across the town of Merthyr Tydfil.

A naturally amusing man, he enjoyed making people laugh, whether passers-by in the street, his school pupils and their teachers – not forgetting headmasters – canteen ladies and caretakers, councillors and mayors. But he will be remembered mainly as a gifted artist and teacher. His imaginative artistic output was prodigious: his illustrations of scenes redolent of Merthyr and district’s rich and colourful history can be counted in their hundreds. It is no exaggeration to say that no individual over the decades contributed more to the heritage of this famous Welsh town.

Dewi was born on 7 August 1927 at number 87, High Street, Cefn-Coed-y-Cymmer (he loved to give his village its full title). From an early age he showed artistic talent which was nurtured at his beloved Vaynor and Penderyn Grammar School. In 1944 on leaving school at seventeen, he was directed to work as a coal miner for 2 years as part of the national war effort against Hitler’s Germany. This meant he had to postpone entry to art college. Dewi took pride in his years as a ‘Bevin boy’ at Elliot Colliery, New Tredegar and the Rock Colliery, Glynneath.

Indeed his memories of being a young miner never left him. Many of his detailed illustrations were based on his observations of those hard- working men who risked their lives daily in often dangerous conditions.

Similarly, he identified strongly with the soldier in both World Wars, but especially during the First World War. He never tired of telling of his father’s experience at Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, while his mother served as a nurse in both those wars. This strong affinity with the soldier never left him. Thus in later years, he joined a British Legion excursion to Flanders in order to be present at the unveiling of a sculptured red dragon monument at the site of the Battle of Mametz Wood, where thousands of Welshmen had been killed in 1916.

Dewi never refused work for charities. His cleverly designed, eye-catching posters, advertising fund-raising events appeared at local shops, pubs and libraries. Indeed, he and his scholarly brother Dr Elwyn Bowen MBE, to whom he was devoted, made a massive contribution toward necessary funding, estimated at tens of thousands of pounds, when the Urdd National Eisteddfod visited Merthyr in 1987.

The programme from Cyfarthfa High School’s 1982 production of Christmas Carol designed by Dewi Bowen

Dewi rejoiced also in designing the scenery for the Cefn-Coed Operatic Society which flourished during the 1950s and, contributed greatly in this respect to the annual stage musicals and concerts performed by pupils and staff of Cyfarthfa High School, a school he served loyally for 30 years.

Continuing along the cultural path, his work was regularly exhibited at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, while he contributed to many heritage projects across Merthyr and other districts of South Wales.

He took a particular interest in the preservation of the Joseph Parry Birthplace Project which won the Prince of Wales award. He played a pivotal role in this success for his school. The visitor to 4, Chapel Row, Georgetown will see a beautifully inscribed stone plaque alongside its front door. Not only did Dewi purchase the block of dressed-stone out of his own pocket, but he lovingly carved the inscription, including the evocative words, ‘Joseph Parry, y bachgen bach o Ferthyr, erioed, erioed- Joseph Parry, a little boy from Merthyr , forever, forever’. This carved tablet will remain a monument to the creative talent of Dewi Bowen.

His final contribution to the Merthyr cultural scene was to provide the superb illustrations for a book on Merthyr place-names, compiled by Malcolm Llewelyn. Dewi was delighted to be invited as a guest to the book’s launch last year.

But let us return to his never-to-be-forgotten humour, which appealed to people of all ages. At Cyfarthfa School, some pupils with only limited talent were known to have opted for art, mostly for the pleasure of being taught by him. Several brought him regular small gifts of sweets, while one girl, aware of his liking for wimberry tart, presented him with one every autumn. He was, undoubtedly, one of Cyfarthfa School’s most popular teachers.

One story he liked to tell concerned a friendship he had at Cardiff College of Art with the beautiful future actress Anna Kashfi, who was later to marry the Hollywood star, Marlon Brando. When teased about this, Dewi replied ‘I never understood how she preferred Brando to Bowen!’

Dewi never owned a car, preferring to walk almost everywhere. He particularly loved walking holidays during his earlier years. He visited the Holy Land and parts of Russia. When asked why he loved walking so much, he replied. ‘If you’ve spent 3 days in an ancient bus crossing the Negev Desert in the company of 2 Arabs and 50 sheep, you too, would enjoy walking’.

On another occasion he accompanied a friend to see a Wales/England rugby match at Twickenham. With Wales snatching victory towards the end, Dewi insisted on joining the triumphant Welsh supporters on the famous pitch. He astonished his friend by asking for help in order to ascend one of the very high rugby posts. After climbing unsteadily onto his friend’s shoulders, they were both confronted by a London policeman, who turned to the friend with the instruction ‘put the gentleman down please sir’. Some yards away a group of Cyfarthfa sixth-formers were holding their sides with laughter.

Dewi loved music, especially light opera. He was a regular visitor to Cardiff theatres to enjoy Gilbert and Sullivan productions. He loved singing some of the songs in his distinctive sweet tenor voice, often when talking to friends on the telephone. Dewi would entertain at the drop of a hat.

But his greatest love was his family. He nursed his mother who lived to be a hundred during her final years, while his admiration for his brother Elwyn was profound. He received considerable love and support from his exceptionally loyal nieces, Ann and Elizabeth and sister-in-law Gwynfa, while he gained much joy from his young great nephews, Ewan and Llyr.

There can be no better epitaph to Dewi than in Shakespeare’s words:-

‘We shall not live to see his like again’.