Tag: Old Tanyard Inn

Beer, Brewing and Public Houses in the Merthyr Tydfil Locality – part 2

by Brian Jones

Prior to the early 19th century public houses, coaching inns, hotels and hostelries sold beer of variable quality in vessels of various sizes and without restrictions on opening times. Governments did not interfere in the trade however the “Gin Riots”  in England, particularly in London, of the early 18th century prompted legislation spread over many decades in order to standardise units of measures, pub opening times and the legal definition of beers, wines and spirits. Premises had to be licenced, pub landlords needed to apply for licences and it was necessary for them to keep their pubs in good order for fear of losing their licence. Licensed Victuallers, or pub landlords, became more professional and local licensed victualler Associations were formed. Some important Acts of Parliament were:-

  • 1824 British Weights and Measures Act which defined the imperial measurements for (amongst others) the pint and half pint.
  • 1830 Beerhouse Act which sought to encourage the establishment of pubs with more supervision plus the promotion of beer sales as a more wholesome beverage than gin and other spirits. This Act resulted in a significant increase in the number of public houses.
  • 1921 The Licensing Act made permanent the World War I restriction on alcohol sales, establishing standard opening hours for licensed premises.
  • 2003 Licensing Act aimed to pull a host of previous legislation together and covers the production, advertising, sale and taxation of products based on their alcohol by volume (ABV) Alcohol is now defined if it exceeds 1.2% ABV.

In 1835 ironworks were the major employer in the locality whilst the coal industry still remained relatively small scale. The population was less than 14,000 and “Pigot’s Directory” described Merthyr as a market town. His listing of the local businesses has the characteristics of a growing urban population with bakers, blacksmiths, booksellers, boot makers, hardware dealers, hairdressers, tanners etc. The directory also lists over 50 pubs and retailers of beer. Nearly all of the pubs no longer exist with a few exceptions such as The Crown and The Vulcan, both in the High Street, the Wyndham in Glebeland Street and the Glove and Shears (now a fast food outlet)  adjacent to the Labour Club. It is remarkable that these premises still exist after nearly 200 years!

Courtesy of the Alan George Archive

The local pubs in the era of the iron aside from selling beer, also served as centres of trade and mischief. Most of the ironworkers were not employed by the Ironmasters but by contractors, and their gangmasters would pay workers in the pubs, initially in tokens, and after the Truck Act of 1819 in coin of the realm. These men were captive customers and in the decades that followed drunkenness became a significant social problem. Local press was littered with stories of assaults, thefts and public indecency whilst under the influence of alcohol, and such was public concern that alcohol became political in nature. It transpired that the Beerhouse Act of 1830 had been too lax and a rift emerged between the political parties; the Conservative Party represented Brewers and Licensees and the Liberal Party represented those groups seeking to reduce the effects of “demon drink”. In Wales this came to a head in 1881 when pressure from Non-Conformists forced the prohibition of the sale of alcohol on Sundays. In time the national Liberal Party supported a 3 year Royal Commission into Liquor Licensing because of concerns about alcohol consumption, public order and social progress. In 1908 a Licensing Act sought to reduce pub licenses and opening hours and a later Act in 1921 reinforced changes in the laws.

Deep Coal mines were sunk in the 1880s and a surge in the transport of coal by the improved rail transport, coincided with immigration into the coalfield and a second rapid increase in population. Tom Hier produced a significant piece of work set out in the Alan George archives, He listed in alphabetical order more than 500 pubs in the Merthyr locality and these establishments became important economic and social centres The list starts with Aberfan Hotel and finishes with the Zebro in Mary Street, Dowlais and spans the economic history of the locality from farming to the Iron works era, through the railway age and then coal mining. Here are a few examples of the number of pubs with similar names:-

  • 12 Plough /Farmers Arms
  • 7 Rolling Mill/Puddlers Arms/Blast Furnace
  • 12 Railway/ Locomotive /Station
  • 12 Miners/Colliers Arms

There were also a small number of pubs with curious names which mirrored the makeup of the population. Greyhound racing had been a popular pastime and there were at least 10 pubs named the Greyhound. The Irish communities of both Merthyr and Dowlais had their own Shamrock pubs at Bethesda Street and Cross Street respectively whilst the leather tanners at “The Skinyard” near Jackson Bridge had the Tanyard pub in Bethesda Street.

The Tanyard Inn. Courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Throughout  the 19th and into the 20th century the beer trade expanded however most breweries confined their sales to premises within a relatively short distance because the mode of transport was a limiting factor. Beer wagons were drawn by sturdy horses who could manage heavy loads on the flat or slightly sloping ground but not the steep climbs from one valley to the next one. That was to change at the end of World War I with the manufacture of petrol driven lorries. Prior to 1914 The Rhymney Brewery company had bought out local breweries however they were now able to expand their transport fleet and this enabled them to further economise by closing the local brewers and concentrate production at their brewery in Rhymney. In addition their sales outlets increased with the acquisition of freehold premises and now they owned more than 70 pubs in the Merthyr locality and the “Hobby Horse” reigned supreme adorning pubs such as:-

Eagle Inn (right). Courtesy of the Alan George Archive
The Aberfan Hotel. Courtesy of the Alan George Archive
The Glamorgan Arms in Abercanaid. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

To concentrate on the ownership of pubs as part of the real estate owned by the breweries can diminish their importance as part of the social fabric of 19th and 20th century communities. It was not all about beer sales and beer drinking! In the first 100 years after the opening of the four local ironworks pubs were the centres for trade, conversation, smoking and music. Welsh was the dominant language and the Welsh harp was the principal instrument played. The singing voice accompanied the 3 string harp in the men only pubs often described as “spit and sawdust” places. Clay pipes would be given to customers and sometimes these would bear the name of the pub.

In the next 100 years Government legislation and “good order” gained the upper hand. The increased efforts of local government, licensees and the police saw pubs change their character, more English was spoken, women were allowed to enter “The Snug” but not the bar! The pub no longer became the working man stronghold and respectability saw increased use by the middle and professional classes. By way of example Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar school teachers met in the Lamb Inn in Castle Street each Friday evening and the Football Referees Association held their meetings tin the Narrow Gauge, Glebeland Street. The laws of Association and Rugby football had been codified and clubs were formed in pubs especially after World War II. Some examples are a rugby team at the Lamb and a football team at the Iron Horse, Galon Uchaf. Pub darts was popular with darts leagues whilst table games included cribbage, dominoes and cards.

The Lamb Inn. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Selling alcohol, keeping good order and resolving disputes were the job of both landlords and landladies however they also raised families and a brief note is made of some of these. Thomas Stevens served in “B” Company at the battle of Rourke’s Drift (1879) and his family kept the Robin Hood pub in Dowlais. Aladdin Gibb  (1874-1939) followed his more famous father as an accomplished player of the Welsh harp and he was the landlord at the Rose and Crown in the Quar and later the Brecon House, Brecon Road. Some ex-professional footballers looked to retire to life behind the bar. Shenkin Powell (of the thunderous shot) played for Merthyr Tydfil after World War II and he was the landlord of the Brunswick in Church Street. The father of Lynn Mittell MBE kept the Royal Oak pub in old Caedraw, sited near to St. Tydfil’s Church, it was demolished in the 1960’s as part of the redevelopment of Caedraw.

Royal Oak Inn. Courtesy of the Alan George Archive

The pub trade of the 21stcentury bears no resemblance to that of the previous 200 years. Pubs are no longer the centres of public life, considerably fewer in number and now cater for the younger generation with less draught beer, more bottle and draught lager produced by a few national brewers. Supermarkets now sell a substantial volume of liquor for consumption in the home. Catering is a major part of the trade and gone are the days of pork scratchings, peanuts and pickled eggs. Those of us from the post 1945 generation remember the significant part that pubs played in the social and economic life of the youth, middle aged and older population,. All of that was played out beneath the sign of the man on a barrel sometimes identified as a jockey on a “Hobby Horse”.

The Holm Oak in Bethesda Street

by Clive Thomas

It was different when it was planted I suppose, whenever that was. Now it stands near a modern, regulated cross roads dedicated to ensuring the smooth running of traffic from one side of the town to the other. You see only a few pedestrians here and vehicle owners drive past, or sometimes frustrated, are required to halt and give their attention to the traffic lights. It does have some other green company now though from more recently Council-planted shrubs and small trees, but for many years it would have stood somewhat incongruously alone, alongside a very busy roadway. Its age is difficult to guess but it must certainly have been witness to many changes in the surrounding area. It stands sentinel with a strangely oriented boxer’s statue and the small but colourful memorial to a demolished chapel which only hint at the area’s rich heritage.

Aerial photograph of Bethesda Street. The Holm Oak can be seen prominently in the centre of the photograph, with Bethesda Chapel to the right and Abermorlais School at the bottom right. Photo courtesy of the Alan George archive.

This thoroughfare was originally called Jackson’s Street, after the contractor who was commissioned in 1793 by the Dowlais Ironworks to build the stone arched bridge which still straddles the River Taff nearby. Although giving the rapidly increasing population of Georgetown and Heolgerrig, an alternative means of crossing the river from the more famous Iron Bridge, this bridge’s main purpose was to carry the tram road from the Dowlais Works to the canal warehouse and wharf on the Glamorganshire Canal. The tramroad would remain a vital link for the Dowlais Company for many years, and thousands of tons of iron would have been carried this way by teams of horse drawn wagons. As the town developed and more cottages built, junctions were created here, with Quarry Row leading into the riverside community of Caepantywyll and the Vulcan Road climbing the slope to Brewery Street and Sunnybank. Towards Pontmorlais, Bethesda Chapel had been built in 1811 and its name would eventually replace that of Mr. Jackson. Over a period of years, the area became overlooked by the tip of furnace waste from the Penydarren Ironworks, which continued to grow towards the river for most of the first half of the nineteenth century. It was between this British Tip, Jackson’s Bridge and the Taff that the notorious area of slum dwellings called ‘China’ would grow up.

Bethesda Street in 1967. The Holm Oak is clearly visible. Photo courtesy of the Alan George archive.

In the 1970’s however, great changes were taking place hereabouts. The re-configuration of the road system and the construction of a new Taff bridge required the demolition of many adjacent houses. Lawn Terrace, Garden Street, Paynters Terrace, along with The Old Tanyard Inn and Bethesda Chapel all disappeared. The removal of a substantial portion of the British Tip meant that whole area underwent considerable change.  Surprisingly and against all odds, the tree survived and remained healthy. As a result of representations from the Merthyr and District Naturalists’ Society, whose members became concerned about its survival, it was made the subject of a Tree Preservation Order under the 1974 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Bethesda Street from the British Tip in 1989. The Holm Oak stands proud at the centre of the photograph. Courtesy of Clive Thomas

Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak belongs in Mediterranean climes and unlike our more familiar Sessile (Qercuspetraea) and Pedunculate (Quercusrobur) species, it is evergreen. Holm is the ancient English name for holly bush and it is indeed so like a holly that it is often mistaken for one. Its sombre evergreen foliage casts a very dense shade that nothing can grow beneath it and reflects the climatic conditions found in its native lands. There, the winter is rainy but fairly warm, while summers are dry and hot so thick waxy foliage is required to check undue loss of moisture. The tree is also unusual amongst the oaks in that its acorns take two years to mature. The species was first introduced into Britain in the sixteenth century at Mamhead Park, Devon and a large population is to be found on the Isle of Wight. It has naturalised in a number of areas of southern Britain.

One can only speculate at how it might have arrived in Merthyr Tydfil. The fairly close proximity of Cyfarthfa Park might offer one explanation. Several exotic species were imported by the Crawshay Family to enhance the landscaped parkland which surrounded their newly built gothic home. There are numerous Turkey Oaks (Quercuscerrris) on the banks of the Taf-Fechan near Cefn Coed which might have had their origins within the confines of the park. It is possible that this tree might have arrived as part of a consignment of saplings or perhaps even grown from a single acorn. Ironically now however, the species is thought to damage aspects of biodiversity in this country and is listed as an alien invader. Despite our own specimen’s somewhat anomalous existence, I hope it remains in situ for many more years.

The Holm Oak in February 2019