Images of Old Llanelli & District - Book

  Images of Old Llanelli & District 

 

The postcard views, photographs and memorabilia contained in this book are mostly from my own private collection, a collection which had been gathered over a period of some forty years. Some of the views published were taken by myself during my schooldays, living in the village of Pwll, near Llanelli. Many of the photographs were taken at Duport Steelworks, Llanelli, formerly known as Llanelly Steel (1907) Ltd, where I worked as a foreman fitter, responsible for the maintenance and repair of all locomotives and internal transport. My fascination with transport is also reflected in this publication, with many historical transport views included.

It must be pointed out that prior to 1965, Llanelli was spelt ‘Llanelly’ and this spelling is used where appropriate. 

For the reader not familiar with the district, and for completeness, I have produced a map of the area on page 5.

This publication also contains numerous photographs which have never been published before, giving a magnificent view of the town’s historical and industrial past.

Some of these views bring back pleasant memories to me, and I sincerely hope that this publication will give you the reader as much pleasure reading it as I’ve had in compiling it.

THIS PUBLICATION IS NOW BACK IN STOCK - by public demand

Format: 
29.5cm x 21.0cm

Paperback
130 pages

             

             

Publisher/Distributor: Vernon Morgan, Llanelli +44(0)7751 260069

SAMPLE

This view of lower Stepney Street, Llanelli dates from the late 1920’s and features the York Hotel on the left, and a very unusual public telephone box on the traffic island in front of the South Wales Transport 1926 AEC bus. Beestons Bakery shop is forming part of the group of shops beneath Lucania Billiard Hall; with the Llanelly Cinema next door (nowadays a Weatherspoon’s bar), and the YMCA building. The Llanelly Electric Supply Company (LLAN-E-S-CO) tram No 7 is captured here heading for the railway station terminus, with a large motor car (BX 5263) of unknown 1925 manufacture, parked outside Beestons Bakery. Note the ‘vintage’ pram in the centre foreground, crossing a very quiet Stepney Street.

 

 

The focal point of this view is the splendid architecture of the building to the right of the picture. Built for the South Wales Union Bank in 1892, its façade was a fine example of Victorian design, and remains there today (2014), virtually unchanged and owned by the Halifax Building Society. This area of Llanelli was known as Presbyterian Square, a name derived from the church located at this junction. The hairdresser ‘Our Boys’ was a feature in this building for almost a century. The roadway off to the right is Cowell Street, and the road ahead is the much photographed Stepney Street in 1911, now pedestrianized. This postcard view was published by J. Marker, Tobacconist, 7A Stepney Street & 94 Station Road, Llanelly.                                                                                  

 

The Thomas Arms Hotel and Thomas Street, Llanelli hasn’t changed very much in the last century. This is a view of Thomas Street in 1911, when the annual horse fair was being held there. Note the absence of motor traffic – a rather different scene to that of today.

                                                                                                                                   

 

The bailey bridge, constructed by Sir John Jackson Ltd, is seen here in 1964, with a Llansaint bound Eynon’s bus crossing the steel structure. The decking of the bridge had a timber surface which was quite slippery when wet. Eynon’s were very fond of these Ex. London buses, acquiring no less than 14 between 1958 and 1970. 

There were an estimated 1,600 tons of empty bombs and shells visible in this picture, taken on the steelworks ‘tip’ in 1958. The square building, in the centre of this view, was the Sheet-works weighbridge and office. The small white building (centre background) was the ESSO petrol filling station on Sandy Road, occupied by J. E. De-Schoolmeester, and on the right hand side of this view is Denham Garage, then owned by John Evans & Son (Llanelly) Ltd. (A photograph of this garage appears on page 76 of the book.)

The ‘Burrows, Burry Port’ circa 1890, with the Copperworks in the background. This area of Burry Port later became the site of Carmarthen Bay Power Station which was demolished in 1991-2.

The sky-line of south Llanelli has certainly changed since this photograph was taken in the late 1940s. The view was taken from The Graig in Pwll, with Stepney Road in the foreground, before the boys Grammar School was built (now Coleg Sir Gar, Graig Campus). All the works visible in the background have since disappeared, the area now forming part of Llanelli’s Festival fields and Millennium Coastal Path. The works visible in this view are: Llanelly Sheetworks; Llanelly Steelworks; Llanelly Foundry & Engineering Co; Old Castle Tinplate works; Pemberton Tinplate works; Copperworks; Glanmor Foundry; Llanelly Power-station; South Wales Steelworks (Morewoods); Batchelor Robinson metals; Burry Works; Morfa Tinplate works, and Machynys Foundry.

A view of Station Road, Burry Port, taken in 1913. 

The single story building on the extreme right is the only building that has disappeared.

 

The Mansion House at Park Howard, Llanelli, was built from Bath stone in 1882-6. This 18^th century ‘Italianate’ architecture country house was originally named Bryncaerau Castle, and stood in its own 24 acres of land. Bryncaerau was the home of Sir Stafford and Lady Howard–Stepney. Sir Stafford had married Miss Stepney, daughter of the famous Stepney family in September 1911. However, after the death of Lady Howard-Stepney, Llanelli Borough Council acquired the whole estate, converting the Mansion House into a Museum and the 24 acres into a civic park.                                                                                                  

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