Ynysforgan facts for kids
Ynysforgan is a small village located in Swansea, Wales. It sits between two other places, Morriston and Ynystawe. You can find it right near junction 45 of the M4 motorway, which is a major road.
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What Does Ynysforgan Mean?
The exact meaning of the name Ynysforgan isn't fully known, but we can guess! The Welsh word ynys means a river-meadow. This is like an "island" of dry land in a marshy area next to a river. The word Forgan is thought to be a changed version of the name Morgan. So, a good guess for the name's meaning would be "Morgan's Meadow."
The River Tawe flows right past Ynysforgan. This makes it very likely that the name refers to this river. You'll also find other nearby places with "Ynys" in their names, like Ynystawe (the village next door) and Ynysmeudwy (near Pontardawe).
A Hidden Historical Secret
Even though Ynysforgan might seem like a small, quiet place, it holds a special secret from a long time ago! In the late Middle Ages (around 1330 to 1403), a very important person named Hopcyn ap Tomas ab Einion lived there. This shows that the name Ynysforgan is very old, going back further than the 15th century.
Historians believe that Hopcyn ap Tomas ab Einion was involved with creating a famous book called the Red Book of Hergest. This book is one of the most important old Welsh language manuscripts we have today.
Even more exciting, in 1403, Hopcyn ap Tomas ab Einion was called to Carmarthen by Owain Glyndŵr. Owain Glyndŵr was the last true Prince of Wales. He wanted Hopcyn to use his knowledge to explain old prophecies from bards (Welsh poets and storytellers).
How Ynysforgan Grew
Before 1963, Ynysforgan was mainly just one road, the main Swansea to Brecon road (now called Clydach Road). Houses lined both sides of this road. Old records from 1911 show addresses simply as 'Clydack Road'.
Newer houses were built behind Clydach Road starting in the late 1960s. The first new area was Garth View, followed by Elizabeth Close, Ian's Walk, and Orpheus Road. A builder named Emrys Davies from Neath built these homes. It's thought that some of the road names, like Elizabeth Close, Ian's Walk, and Andrews Crescent, were named after Mr. Davies' family members.
Garth View got its name because it faces a nearby hill, which people call 'The Garth'. Orpheus Road was likely named to honor the famous Morriston Orpheus Choir.
Changes Over Time
The old Swansea Tram system used to go up the Swansea valley as far as Llanllienwen Road, where there was a stop.
A big change happened in 1973 when the M4 motorway was built. This motorway actually cut the village in half! Because of this, an old Sunday School building had to be taken down. It was roughly where the M4 exit ramp is now. A new Sunday school was then built at the top of Garth View and Christopher Road.
The Story of Glyncollen House
Until the mid-1970s, there was a large house called Glyncollen at the top of Garth View. It had its own big grounds. Originally, you could reach Glyncollen by a long driveway from Llanllienwen Road. However, this path was blocked when the motorway was built.
In the 1930s, Captain Sidney Davies lived in Glyncollen House. He was in charge of the Forest and Worcester Tinplate Works in Morriston. Later, in the 1940s, Doctor and Mrs. N. E. Edwards-Jones owned the house.
The house was left empty in the early 1970s and started to fall apart. It was eventually torn down later that decade. The land where the house stood was then taken over by the local council and became a public area for everyone to enjoy.
Old Transport Routes
Ynysforgan used to be on two important transport routes. One was the main Brecon to Swansea Canal, which boats could use until the late 1950s. The other was a railway line that ran through the Swansea Valley.
The canal was filled in and covered over in the 1960s. The path of the old railway line is now used as the Swansea valley by-pass road. There were even some old structures from World War II, like pillboxes (small concrete forts) and manholes, along the canal. These were removed when the canal was filled in.
