Ystrad (), also known as Ystrad Rhondda or Ystrad-Rhondda, is a village, community and electoral ward situated in the Rhondda Fawr valley, within the Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough of Wales. As of the 2021 census, the population stood at 5,075. The village lies in the historic county of Glamorgan and forms part of the South Wales Valleys, a region shaped by intensive industrial development during the 19th and 20th centuries. It is served by Ystrad Rhondda railway station on the Rhondda Line and is connected by road and bus services to nearby towns and Cardiff.
Historically part of the extensive parish of Ystradyfodwg, Ystrad remained a rural and agricultural area until the mid-19th century, when the discovery and exploitation of coal brought rapid industrial growth. The sinking of Bodringallt Colliery in 1864 brought rapid industrial growth to the village, and the associated brickworks became one of the largest in the region. Although the colliery closed in 1959, Ystrad retains many features of its industrial past, including characteristic South Wales Valleys terraced housing and post-industrial landscapes that have since been regenerated.
The village is home to Ystrad Rhondda RFC, which plays in the Welsh Rugby Union WRU Admiral Premiership, and to the Rhondda Sports Centre. Ystrad is the location of Nebo Chapel, the first Baptist chapel in the Rhondda Valley, established in 1786.
Toponymy
Ystrad is Welsh for "vale". "Ystrad" is in Welsh "Yr Ystrad", with the definite article. It is a short form of the village name Ystradyfodwg or Ystrad-dyfodwg ("vale of Tyfodwg", the name of a saint) which gave its name to an extensive parish, and from 1887 the name of a local government district, renamed as "Rhondda" in 1897.
The Taff Vale railway station at Ystradyfodwg, opened in 1861, was given the short name "Ystrad". In 1930 it was renamed Ystrad Rhondda, possibly to avoid confusion with other stations with "ystrad" (Ystradmynach and Ystradgynlais).
Ystrad Rhondda is "the Ystrad which is the Rhondda district". Sometimes Ystrad Rhondda is said to mean "Vale of the Rhondda" but this is not the correct explanation.
Historically, the area was also known as Ynys Fach, meaning "a low-lying meadowland near a river", and early Ordnance Survey maps record the name Heol Fach for the settlement. John Speed's 1611 map of Glamorgan identifies the area as Llanwynnyo.
History
Pre-industrial period
The early history of Ystrad is closely linked to the broader story of the Ystradyfodwg parish, of which it formed part. The area was mentioned as early as 1538 by the traveller John Leland, who described "Glin Rodenay" (the Rhondda) as having but one parish, "Ystrate". Ystrad's early importance came from its position at the meeting point of ancient paths and tracks through the Rhondda, including the main cart track over Penrhys to the Rhondda Fach valley.
Prior to the industrial transformation of the 19th century, the area was characterised by scattered farming settlements and heavily wooded valleys. Through the post-medieval period, the Rhondda was described as being "heavily wooded" with the main economic activity being "the rearing of sheep, horses and cattle". The historian Rice Merrick noted there "was always great breeding of cattle, horses and sheep; but in elder time therein grew but small store of corn, for in most places there the ground was not thereunto apt".Glamorgan County History, Volume IV, Early Modern Glamorgan from the Act of Union to the Industrial Revolution, Glanmor Williams, pp. 2–3. University of Wales Press (1974)
Before urban development, the Ystrad area was held by five different estates with no single dominant interest, and settlement eventually expanded to take in the low-lying pasture of farms including Ty-isaf, Tyr Melin-yr-Om, Ty'n-tyle, Gelli Dawel and Bodringyll. An early description of pre-industrial Ystrad was provided by C.F. Cliffe, who stayed at a "primitive hostelrie" called the "Gellidawel" (quiet grove), which served as a meeting place for local farmers to conduct business.
The old mill of Melin-yr-Om was associated with the Cistercian grange of Llantarnam at Mynachdy Penrhys, indicating the area's early monastic connections.
Local legends surround Bodringallt House, the former manor house of the area, with some claiming it was the abode of "Cadwgan of the Battle Axe" and that it was connected to the monastery at Penrhys via an underground tunnel.
The first Baptist chapel in the Rhondda, Nebo (originally Ynysfach Chapel), was built in 1786 at a cost of £60, according to local records.
Industrial development
The transformation of Ystrad from a rural farming community began in the mid-19th century with the exploitation of the area's coal reserves. The historic landscape area of Ystrad and Pentre originated as a linear ribbon settlement along the main road through the Rhondda Fawr during the 1860s.
Bodringallt Colliery was sunk in 1864 by Warner Simpson and Company, producing over 34,000 tons of coal within its first year. The colliery passed through several ownerships, being purchased in 1890 by David Davies and Sons, Ferndale, who renamed it Ferndale No. 3 Colliery. Eventually, it came under the ownership of the Cory Brothers & Co. Ltd, who operated it until nationalisation in 1947, after which it was run by the National Coal Board until its closure in 1959.
Associated with the colliery was the Bodringallt brick works, which became the second largest producer of bricks in the Rhondda after Llwynypia. The brickworks were set up in 1857 and exported throughout the South Wales coalfield, providing materials for shaft lining and the construction of colliery buildings and houses. A notable feature of the brickworks was its employment of a large number of girls from the local area.
When Bodringallt Colliery school opened in 1861, only three other schools existed in the entire Rhondda valleys. The village also became home to several collieries belonging to the Cory brothers.
The Ystradyfodwg Cottage Hospital at Tyntyla, Ystrad, opened in 1887 as the Rhondda's first hospital. Its initial capacity was modest, with a four-bed ward designated solely for treating infectious diseases. By 1900, the growing village had gained a number of civic amenities: the Church of St Stephen was built in 1895–1896 at a cost of £3,600, and the Free Library was erected in 1895 for £3,000.
During the typhoid fever epidemic that affected the Rhondda Urban District in 1904, the outbreak was traced to contaminated water supplies, with the Tyntyla water source identified as the primary cause. The epidemic affected 399 people across the district, with 373 cases occurring in areas served by the contaminated Tyntyla supply.
During the Second World War, the Ystrad Free Library was completely destroyed on the night of Tuesday, 29 April 1941, during the same German air raid that devastated nearby Cwmparc. A single stray bomb struck the building, killing the librarian's wife who had returned to collect a coat while her family was on the mountainside watching the air raid. The bombing occurred during the same raid that caused the heaviest loss of life the Rhondda suffered in a single night, with 28 fatalities in Cwmparc. Many local residents had taken shelter at Nebo Chapel, which served as a temporary air raid shelter, while others watched the bombing from the mountainsides above the village.
Post-industrial period
The decline of the coal industry, which had defined Ystrad for over a century, began in the latter half of the 20th century. Bodringallt Colliery closed in 1959, and its site was subsequently cleared and landscaped.
Former colliery sites have been cleared, landscaped and repurposed. The Bodringallt Colliery site was cleared and the land has since been used for recreational purposes. The nearby Gelligaled Park, which occupies former industrial land, is the location of the Rhondda Sports Centre and provides open space for the community.
Geography and layout
As a community and ward, Ystrad contains the neighbouring district of Gelli. The village lies in the Rhondda Fawr valley, which was formed by glacial action during the last ice age when slow-moving glaciers gouged out the deep, U-shaped valley that exists today. Like other valleys in the area, the Rhondda displays the characteristic U-shaped cross-section typical of glaciated valleys, with steep sides and a relatively flat floor.
The village is long and narrow, built along a main road where most amenities can be found, with a series of smaller residential streets branching off into the steep valley sides. This linear development pattern is characteristic of South Wales valley settlements, where the challenging topography constrains urban growth to follow the valley floor. The majority of the housing stock consists of the classic South Wales valleys terraces with infills of newer builds.
The Rhondda Fawr River runs through the village, separating it from Gelli on the southern bank. The river has its source at Ffynnon y Gwalciau at an elevation of about 544 metres above sea level and flows down through the valley, passing through Ystrad as part of its journey towards its confluence with the River Taff.
Demography YearPopulation of YstradChange 1991 6,223 — 2001 5,571 −652 (−10.5%) 2011 5,854 +283 (+5.1%) 2021 5,075 −779 (−13.3%)Population change in Ystrad from 1991 to 2021.
The 2021 census showed that Ystrad ward had a total population of 5,075, of whom 2,522 were male and 2,553 were female. The largest age group was residents aged 50–64, who accounted for 20.1% of the population.
97.7% of residents stated their ethnicity as white, with 0.8% as Asian, 1.0% as mixed or multiple ethnic groups, 0.3% as Black, and 0.2% as other ethnic groups.
72.8% of residents declared Welsh only identity and 11.6% Welsh and British identity. Religiously, 63.0% stated no religion, whilst 29.9% declared Christianity. Only small percentages identified as other faiths: 0.2% Muslim, 0.2% Hindu, 0.3% Sikh, and 0.1% Buddhist.
The population was predominantly UK-born, with 98.2% born in the United Kingdom. 99.2% of households had all adults speaking English or Welsh as their main language. Educational attainment showed 28.7% had no qualifications, whilst 21.4% held Level 4 qualifications or above (degree level).
In terms of health, 40.8% reported very good health, though 13.8% were disabled under the Equality Act with day-to-day activities limited significantly. The ward had higher levels of economic inactivity (44.7%) compared to Wales overall (43.5%), with 23.4% retired and 9.2% long-term sick or disabled.
Culture The village has several community facilities.
Sport
In 1902, Ystrad Stars won the Glamorgan Times League. The following year they won the South Wales Challenge Cup. A second football side, Ystrad United, was active during the 1906–07 season.
Ystrad Rhondda RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union WRU Admiral Premiership. The club serves as a feeder team for Cardiff Blues and runs youth and mini-rugby programmes. Its facilities include a rugby pitch, clubhouse, and the Ystrad Rhondda Bar.
The Rhondda Sports Centre, located at Gelligaled Park, features swimming pools and gymnasium facilities, and hosts events including birthday parties, weddings, and conferences.
Landmarks