Places around Llanhilleth

Jobby Jayne Fields  

or Jobby’s Fields was the site of great excitement back between the Wars.   Walter Poskett, the driver of the local ash cart, made twice daily collections from each household, as everyone had coal fires creating buckets of dead ashes every day.    Everyone noticed with great interest that he was depositing the ashes on muddy areas in Jobby’s Fields.  Why?

This heralded the arrival of the Royal Horse Artillery.   They camped on the field for a few days whilst recruiting around the area of Trinant, Oakdale and Llanhilleth.   Unfortunately the valleys did not get a glimpse of their grand regalia, merely their everyday khaki uniform.

Could this be Thomas Kennard standing on the Crumlin Viaduct ?

Crumlin Viaduct

This was erected in 1857 by Thomas Kennard at a cost of £62,000.   It was 200 ft high and 1800 ft across and carried trains from Pontypool across to the other side of the valley.    The iron castings were made in the Falkirk ironworks and the wrought iron by the Blaenavon Iron & Coal Co., owned by his father RW Kennard MP.   Details obtained from http://www.crumlinviaduct.co.uk/History.htm.

There was no major renovation work apart from £10,000 spent in 1920s. It was closed for use in 1964 and dismantled in 1966.

A line which took traffic from viaduct level down to the railway line at the valley bottom was called the branch line.   Houses alongside were nicknamed “Branch Houses.”

Crumlin Canal

A branch of the Monmouthshire canal was constructed to Crumlin in 1794.   The end of the canal was filled in during the construction of the viaduct.

A section of the Crumlin Arm of the canal still exists today.

The Railway

The railway line running through Llanhilleth was opened in the early 1850’s, providing new and swift transport of goods and passengers down the valley to Newport.  The facilities at Llanhilleth Station improved considerably when The Great Western Railway (GWR, which some claimed stood for God’s Wonderful Railway), took over in 1880.  The passenger services came to an end in April 1962.

Workmen’s Club new premises

The Workmen’s Social Club building near the sports pavilion, was especially built by Blaenau Gwent Council for Llanhilleth Social Club.   This enabled them to move from the Insitute for it to be refurbished.   Although the dance floor of the new building was much smaller than the Institute, dances and social were held regularly.

February 2011, the Workmen’s Social Club closed.   Several organisations within Llanhilleth were interested in its use, but it is currently occupied by the Rugby Club.

Ex-Workman's Club/ now Rugby Club from the fields.