Visit Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil historical overview

Merthyr Tydfil historical overview

Merthyr Tydfil is easily accessible, at the cross-roads of the A465 (Heads of the Valleys road) and A470 (from Cardiff to Brecon), it is only 20 minutes off the M4 and is just 22miles from Cardiff, Wales' capital city. Merthyr Tydfil is the ideal base for exploring Swansea, the Mumbles, Mid Wales and the Black Mountains, all of which are comfortably within an hour's driving time.

Due to its strategic location and excellent rail and bus links, the town is a hive of activity, with quality retail outlets, top class accommodation and leisure facilities and friendly people.

The Industrial Revolution

Merthyr Tydfil remained a small rural village until the second half of the eighteenth century when the Town started to rapidly develop into Wales' most important industrial town. Merthyr Tydfil was recognised as an ideal centre for iron production because there was plenty of iron ore, limestone, trees and water. Later the area's rich coal reserves attracted industry to the Town. In less than half a century, the Town established itself as the iron capital of the world. Workers came to live in the town from all over Britain and beyond. Ironworks, like Cyfarthfa, Plymouth and Penydarren grew and prospered, Dowlais Ironworks grew to be the largest iron producer in the world.

As production grew, the Town needed better transportation links to carry the iron out of the valley to the four corners of the world. At the end of the eighteenth century the Crawshays opened the Glamorganshire Canal, which linked the Cyfarthfa Ironworks to the docks at Cardiff. The Homfrays constructed a tramroad from Penydarren Ironworks to the canal quay at Navigation (Abercynon). It was along this tramroad that Trevithick's steam locomotive traveled in 1804 marking the first tentative steps towards the Steam Age.

Merthyr Tydfil's Political History

Conditions within nineteenth century Merthyr Tydfil were hard, as a result, social discontent and political radicalism were strong in the Town. In 1831, local workers angered by the confiscation of goods by the Debtors Court led a rebellion in the town. The Merthyr Uprising, as it became known, led to the trial and execution of Richard Lewis, better known locally as Dic Penderyn. The radical political tradition continued into the twentieth century when Keir Hardie was elected as the first independent Labour MP by the Town. (for further details on Merthyr Tydfil's fascinating history, please contact Merthyr Tydfil Central Library)