I am showing some very old pictures of Ystradgynlais accompanied by pictures taken from as near as possible to the original spot so that we can see how much the village has changed, the originals were taken in the early 1900's and have been retouched a little here and there in an effort to make them more presentable.
The first picture was taken from near the Yniscedwyn Arms looking South East. The road on the immediate left from where the picture was taken is now known as "Rhester Fawr" but was called Gough Buildings when these pictures were taken. In the early 1800's it was called Canal street.
The first bldg on the left was known as C D Lake's shop
later known as Siop Jim Bach. C D Lake was the publisher of these old pictures,
on the lower right is the Yniscedwyn Arms and the bldg next to the public house
was a grocery store,but as long since been demolished.
The Picture below is what we see today, the newsagents shop is still there
but the grocery store is long gone, note the car standing where the horse
and cart once had pride of place.Beyond the shop flows the river Tawe,
between Rhester fawr and the shop runs "Heol Giedd"or what was once known as
Pen y Bont Row and Prior to that it was called "Water Street"
My next picture is taken about 100yards from the one above, just across the river Tawe and still looking east towards the Ystradgynlais cross
Bottom left the chicken wire was "Gwilym Cwm's" ironmongers shop and opposite was and still is the Tabernacle Chapel and Manse(not shown), the manse is now the citizens advice bureau,where you see the white window is the road known as Smithfield, now Heol Maes y Dre,the white window belonged to "Jim Barbwr" Jim the Barber's shop, and where the monkey puzzle tree stands was near where the post office once stood.
In the above picture I have shown a little of Tabernacle chapel but you can see that the monkey puzzle tree has gone and the Post office has moved about 200 yerds nearer to Ystradgynlais Cross,it is also sad that the form of transport has changed so much.If we move on a few hundred yards we come to the bakers shop on the left where used to stand the Royal stores and that's where our next two pictures are taken from.
Although The Royal Stores does not appear here I am certain that we are within a few feet of it until it became the Bakers shop,it would have been bottom left of picture. The newsagents shop belonged to Mr Jack Jeffries when I was a very small boy, but I would say that now it is shared by a jewellers shop and a ladies clothes shop near to where the Post Office now stands. The furthest shop on the right was Cynlais stores but is now a men,s shop.Then we had the Cross along with the midland bank or what is now known as the HSBC.
You will notice that I have given Commercial street two names, commercial street,as well as the name shown in the picture left, and this name can be seen on the wall above the Ty Croeso shop, This seems strange to me because translated it means, Commercial Road, why has the authority concerned changed some road names from English to Welsh but this one seems to have been changed from Welsh to English.
Here we have the new Lloyds Bank on the left, that is the highest of the Bldgs. The newsagents in the photo above was where you see the red car on the right, and the HSBC is center,beyond we go into Station Rd.
