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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Breconshire => Topic started by: bellababy on Tuesday 15 June 10 10:01 BST (UK)
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Hi wondered if any one knows any info on the Gas Works house in Brecon i think it must be near somewhere called Watton according to the census
The manager on the 1891 census was Richard Wiles
Any info would be great
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bellababy,
Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire & S. Wales (Pt 2) - Gas Companies & Works
Brecon Gas Co, Limited (Wm. Alfred Wright, sec); works, Canal Bank, Watton; office, Lion St, Brecon
regards
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Thanks very much for your help
Do you know when the gas works closed down and was the theatre put up in its place?
Richard Wiles was manager there but died in Brecon 1897 age 60
Cheers bellababy
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bellababy,
can't help you with the history of the gas works.
I have checked an on line ordnance survey map of Brecon 1891 and the gas works is still shown.
It's on the Canal Bank, top left hand corner of the racecourse near the Slaughterhouses.
regards
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HI,
Gasworks House still exists on the edge of the canal. It is the house which is to the right of the Theatre (with your back to the theatre and facing the canal. Just by it is Gas works lane which runs form the Watton past the side of the Rugby Club, over the bridge and onto the Canal Towpath. The new row of houses which have been built just to the left of the bridge, are on the site of the gasometers.
Google Map shows it well on the Street map. Go to Brecon. Zoom in until you can see the street names. Find the Watton and then Look for Gas works LAne. Look up past the car park behind the rugby club and the large looking house of mixed building styles is GAs works house. Go up Gas works lane for a better look. Then jump the yellow man over the canal bridge and the houses there on the left with the allotments behind is the site of the gasometers.
Hope this helps
Cochiaid
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thanks cochiaid,
on google earth you can see the submarine shaped canal basin between the 2 bridges and this same basin can be seen on the 1891 ordinance survey map.
The gas works appear immediately below the right hand side of the basin up to the bridge and what looks like 2 gasometers to the right of the bridge.
Reminded me of a trip on a longboat along that stretch of the canal just a few years ago.
regards
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Remember that the canal basin as it now stands is new (10-15 years old) and not in the same place and position as the original terminus for the canal. The cottages which you can see opposite the theatr look old but are new build OAP flats and give the false impression that they were always on the canal basin. Not so. They were built as part of the re construction of this part of the Canal with the building of the Theatr Brycheiniog. again in the last 10-15 years. Also note that when you look at the Street view of the new houses on the gasometer site, that these houses are missing from the aerial map below it. this is because the Street view was carried out Autumn 2009 where as the aerial view is a few years older.
I haven't seen the 1891 map, but the Brecon 1903 map gives a very good view of all the relevant places as well as the shape of the canal in the late 19th century. It also shows the gasometers very clearly and Gas works house land. It is published by Alan Godfrey Maps.
All the best,
Cochiaid
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The Gas works on the canal bank closed in the early '60s with the intro of Natural gas, the manager of many years , Mr Ernie Probert continued to live in the old manager's house until he died about 8-10 years ago. In honour of his long service the new canal terminus is named "Probert's basin" and is located opposite Theatr Brycheiniog. The original canal went a further 100 yards further along to the west but was filled in to accomodate the road linking Rich Way, the theatre and Dan-y Gaer road. I have lived in the Watton since 1956 and remember the gas works well, many couring couples used to do their courting along what they called the "hot walls" - I leave it to your imagination what went on!!! I have many pics of the construction of the canal terminus taken by my wife's late uncle who had a car repair business in what was knowns as "Tommy's Yard" just opposite the gas works, and my grandmother kept the pub, the garden of which went down to the canal right opposite the works, now its the Rugby Club and petanque court. Over the last decade the area has been developed into a mix of housing, a supermarket, the theatre, a garage, the job centre and car park. Thankfully the King George V playing field still exists behind the canal terminus( I was the chair of the residents group that saved it from a major developer). I have some old maps of the area that show the canal and the various warves that branched off. The canal was instrumental in Brecon becomming one of the 11 most important towns in the Uk, hauling coal(hence gas works) and lime (yes even above Cardiff, Swansea and Newport) during the 18th c until its decline due to the coming of the railway. There is much more to tell so I will leave it there for the time being.
BTW one of Mr Probert's daughters still lives close to the canal treminus so there is still a link in the area.
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Hi Mike thanks for all that information very interesting and its nice to hear people are so dedicated to save our 'green areas' they are fast dwindling ! The gas manager (Richard Wiles) i was trying to find info on was on the census 1891at the gas works house but he died 1897 a few years before all the changes ! but the photos would be interesting to see and what the gasworks house looked like ? I saw the pub when i went on google street view (and the other places you mentioned) what year did you grandmother become landlady ??
Anyway must go as i am going to be late for an appointment if im not careful!
Regards
Bellababy
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My friend lives in the house with her partner and has extensively renovated over the last few years, when they first moved in it was virtually derelict. The house is the first property leaving the canal basis on the river side of the canal and is before the first footbridge over the canal (this marks the end of the property). I believe my friends uncle was one of the last gasworks managers and lived in the property.
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[Hi Ashtead
Does your friend by any chance have any photos of the house in its original state when they bought it ?? Would love to see any photos of it .
Thanks for replying to the message .
Bellababy
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Hi Mike4369.
Picked up your reference to the King George V Playing Ground still existing. Thank you so much. I have been trying to find that out. I am writing a book about Cecil Griffiths. He is one of only 4 Welsh track and field athletes to win an Olympic gold medal. He won his in the 4 x 400 metres at Antwerp in 1920. He was subsequently banned from international competition as an amateur because he had won five shillings at a race on the Pontardawe King George Playing field in 1916 (when he was just 16). I am coming to Pontardawe in the next few days to soak up the ground's atmosphere. Well done for saving it. I assume it is easy to recognise behind the canal terminus? Can you tell me anything about the athletics races held there during WW1? Presumably some kind of charity event, possibly for the Volunteer Training Corps who were tasked to defend the town if Germany invaded. Hope this link finds you. Thanks again for that elusive bit of information.
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hi redrees and welcome to rootschat :) :) :)
Mike4369 has not ben back to us since 2010, when he kindly supplied this information about K G playing fields in Brecon, which is a long way from Pontardawe
there is some info on Wikipedia about Pontardawe which suggests that the King George playing ground there has been moved to a new site away from its original position.
mazi
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Hi Mazi.
Thank you very much for responding. You have saved me going off on the wrong path. I initially did the search for Pontardawe K G playing field and stupidly didn't pick up that the posting was about Brecon. I got confused as the map I was looking at of the possible site of the old Pontardawe ground has a Brecon Road running alongside it.
I have found many references to the title of K G site being transferred in 2003 to land adjoining the leisure centre in Pontardawe but no references to where it was before. It could have been developed but the recreation ground shown on a 1920 map is still there(between canal and river) and I wonder if that is it.
Your reply was much appreciated.
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Hi again Mazi.
You are obviously interested in your Welsh history. I forgot to mention that the athlete C R Griffiths is my wife's grandfather. He tragically died in 1945 of a heart attack aged only 45.
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Thanks for that info., have you traced his ancestors, if not you will get lots of help on this site