Rhandirmwyn - Past And Present

The first school schools was set up at Capel Peulin, Ystradffin in the mid 1700’s. This chapel had once been owned by the Cistercian monks of Strata Florida who also owned the Grange and chapel at Nant-y-bai also called Capel Peulin. It would seem that sometime later the school in fact moved to Nantybai.

In 1833, Samuel Lewis made the following report,

‘Rhandir Abbot - The chapel of Nant y Bai is in this hamlet, having been re-erected here instead of Ystrad Ffin, where the original building stood. The living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with £200 private benefaction, and £1,000 royal bounty, and in the patronage of Earl Cawdor. Here is a day school, containing 25 children, which is supported partly by Earl Cawdor, who allows the teacher £5 p.a. and partly by the parents; also 3 Sunday Schools in which about 120 males and females are gratuitously taught.’

National school education came to Rhandirmwyn in 1859 when a purpose made school was built. It would seem however that its doors first opened to pupils in 1860 and in fact the first entry in the school records was not made until 1863. It commenced with the following statement,

‘Rhandirmwyn National School'

The above School was established in the year 1859 by the influence and efforts of the Revd. Joshua Hughes, Llandovery.

It was first opened on the 7^th day of February 1860 under the care of James Thomas as its Principal Teacher and Thomas Evans, Pupil Teacher, who entered on his apprenticeship 1^st April 1860.’

The school finally closed its doors in November 1969 which was a very sad day for our community.

At this stage we have included some old photographs of Rhandirmwyn school throughout the years. We are in the process of compiling the history of the old school which will include first hand accounts of school life during the 1920’s as told by Olwen Jones, Llethrgwyn and Tommy Williams, Troedrhiwhir. Do you have memories of life in Rhandirmwyn school.

I recollect the long walk to school, usually in the rain and sitting down in class with our coats draped over the guard around the large stove with clouds of steam rising into the air. We would walk home and stand on the wall of the mine shaft at Erw’r hwch and drop stones and count until we could hear that faint splash as it eventually hit the water at the bottom. Then someone put a large fence over it and ended our fun. (Thank goodness they did as one of us would have probably ended up a statistic).

Rhandirmwyn school was not just a school it was also an integral part of community life. It was often transformed into a concert hall with a stage including curtains. During the war, ‘welcome home’, concerts would be arranged for the local soldiers who came home on leave. The compare was the very able Mr David Thomas, Nantgwyn who kept the audience enthralled with his humour and wonderful tales. An array of local talent would get up onto the stage and sing, read poetry and pay tribute to the young man or men who soon after would have to return to war.

The school was also a centre where the community would meet when there was a crisis, such as the proposed Llyn Brianne scheme or anything else which involved a gathering of the local people.

I recollect as a child many wonderful concerts and occasional dramas held on the improvised stage.

Then there was the whist drives. Play at your peril. Some of the older ladies were good card players and of course sometimes us youngsters would be roped in to make up the numbers. Then there were the travelling card players from Cilycwm and Cynghordy who were also good card players and were out to win. I was on the receiving end of the wrath of some of those ladies on many occasions. One wrong card and that was it. You suddenly became the centre of attention. You would be described as ‘llo’, ‘penbwl twp’ or ‘mae e fel bat’. All these words in Welsh are demeaning but when translated do not have the same effect. Needless to say, over the years I was called all of these names. However at the next whist drive all was forgotten as once more I joined in to make up the numbers. The words, ’good boy’, would be heard around the room until once more I played the wrong card, then they reverted to the titles I was given at the end of the previous whist drive. I don’t play cards any more. (Alun Jones)

Needless to say we intend to add to these pages about life in and around Rhandirmwyn school. If you have a story or old photographs then please contact us.

1900 - 1930 - 1934 - 1934.1 - 1950 - 1953 - 1958 - Lessons - Last Children- School Museum [1] [2]

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