Swansea Valley
This paragraph will introduce the topic of Godre'rgraig, mention its being often spelt as Godrergraig, and how it was once a thriving community but is now mainly houses and dwelling places, with its commercial buildings gone, and those few remaining having been put to a different use. Talk about the landslides, the closure of the school, etc.
A retrospective looking back at the landslip in Godre'rgraig can be found on the Wales Online website.
Godre'rgraig School
Godre'rgraig's first school was built in 1863, by the sturdy inhabitants in their spare time. In those days, a great deal of voluntary labour was done. The formal opening, by the Glamorgan Education Committee, of the new Godre'rgraig School took place on Monday 16th November 1908. It had a long life, eventually closing in 2019 due to drainage issues and concerns about large amounts of water running under the building. Although this closure was supposed to be temporary, there is no sign of it being reversed.
Churches & Chapels in Godre'rgraig
Godre'rgraig Chapel began as a schoolroom of Pantteg Chapel, and was incroporared into a cause of its own in 1905. It closed towards the end of the 20th century and was sold to private owners. Saint James Church, within the Parish of Ystalyfera, was completed in 1914 as a combined mission hall and chapel. It has since been demolished. Peniel was a small pentecostal chapel situated on the mountainside above Godre'rgraig. It was constructed of wood and was taken down in the 1980s.
Pubs & Inns of Godre'rgraig
Information will go here. It should then be followed by a link to the specific page for the relevant pub.
Shops and Trades
Information will go here, probably leading to a new page when we have enough.
Godre'rgraig Park and Cemetery
Information about Godre'rgraig Cemetery will go here. Godrergraig Park was begun as a communal effort by local men, labouring in their own time, and then took on funding from dedicated sources as it became available. Colonel Gough then donated additional land and funds to make it the park that was described in the Llais newspaper as having "one full-sized bowling green, two lawn tennis courts, a children's playground, and a pavilion to seat about 300 people." It was formally opened in 1924.
Godre'rgraig People in the World Wars
During the wars, the Llais newspaper often did small "back home" sections on servicemen on leave, at Godre'rgraig. In addition, Godre'rgraig had its own war dead, commemorated now on the Ystalyfera war memorial.
Upper Swansea Valley
This section down here can be used to have Businesses and Trades information in it, rather than creating new pages. The sections below maybe can be duplicated as necessary.
Introduction
Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information
Information
Information
Information
Information
The Llais newspaper usually included a section on Godre'rgraig. Other regional and national newspapers sometimes carried articles on Godre'rgraig as well.
From the Labour Voice newspaper, DATE:-
TITLE
Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article
From the Voice DATE comes news of INFORMATION
TITLE
Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article
Upper Swansea Valley
Although Godre'rgraig's fallen are not separated by geographical location upon the Ystalyfera War Memorial, a list for the First World War does exist courtesy of the Llais newspaper, as locals were gathering information to submit to the Ystalyfera War Memorial. After the Second World War, Godre'rgraig Chapel created a memorial for all of the fallen of the community in that conflict, which was unveiled in 1948. After the closure of the chapel, it was transferred to Godre'rgraig School, where presumably it still remains as of 2020.
Gogre'rgraig Memorial Tablet for the Fallen of World War Two - view it on the Godre'rgraig WW2 memorial webpage
Introduction
Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information Information
Information
Information
Information
The Llais newspaper usually included a section on Godre'rgraig. Other regional and national newspapers sometimes carried articles on Godre'rgraig as well.
From the South Wales Weekly Post newspaper, 23rd February 1918:-
VALLEY CHAPLAIN FOR FRANCE
The Rev. Ellis Parry, pastor of Godre'regraig and Brynawel, Ystradgynlais, Congregational Churches, preached at both places on Sunday morning and evening repsectively. Mr Parry has been selected by the War Office as a Welsh chaplain, and expects to proceed to France on the 26th inst. He has already served some months in home camps as a chaplain.
From the Voice DATE comes news of INFORMATION
TITLE
Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article Article
Elizabeth Myra Kjeldsen
'For My Grandchildren' is in part exactly that - a book written by Elizabeth Myra Kjeldsen for her grandchildren, about how life was when she was young, and what her family history was. She explains that she would have loved her own parents and grandparents to have written things down, but instead was, as most of us are, left with vaguely remembered memories of their verbal retellings of the past.
At another level, of course, 'For My Grandchildren' is a fascinating look at Godre'rgraig in the early part of the twentieth century.
