Ystradgynlais & District

Cwmtwrch Primary School was constructed in 1984 to replace Tro'rgleien School, which our information implies closed in 1972.

Cwmtwrch Primary School was closed by Powys County Council in December 2012, as part of their reorganisation of local schools. It lasted slightly longer than all but Ynyscedwyn School, as both required the new Welsh-language school, Ysgol Gymraeg Dyffryn y Glowyr in Lower Cwmtwrch, to be completed first.

Cwmtwrch School is now the nursery (garden centre) for Quid's In, in Ystradgynlais. These photographs show it as it is today, and were taken in March 2016.

HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN THE TWRCH VALLEY
BY H MORGAN MA

THE VOICE
26th AUGUST 1965

Mr W J Evans who wrote to the "History of Cwmtwrch" at an Eisteddfod in 1899 said that a sort of school existed in Lower Cwmtwrch in the 1840s. This was situated on the site of the old Phoenix Tinplate Works. It would seem that the most important subject taught there was fighting and though the author gives neither facts nor figures to prove his contention he tells us that "poor pay killed the headmaster".

According to Dewi Glantwrch, one of the foremost literary figures of the Cwmtwrch area in the latter decades of the last Century there existed in Cwmtwrch, in addition to the one on the Phoenix Site two "British Schools".

One was in Upper Cwmtwrch and was an offshoot of the one at Cwmllynfell. It was held in the loft of the "store room" of the old tramway on the site later occupied by the Established Church, Yr Eglwys Fach. The other was located in Lower Cwmtwrch, near Beulah in 2 small houses, later known as "Tai John Harries". When the "store room" was demolished for the building of the Eglwys Fach, both secular and religious education was carried on there.

From the Labour Voice Saturday 19th June 1926:-

CWMTWRCH SCHOOL CHILDREN
FEEDING ACT IN FORCE

The Feeding of Necessitous School Children Act is in force at Cwmtwrch Council School and the number of children being fed is increasing daily. They are well looked after by Mr David Williams, schoolmaster, and staff; Alderman Tom Rees and Councillor James Powell JP are also in attendance.
The children of Ystradowen School are fed daily at the Scout Hall, a willing body of volunteers taking a keen interest in the proceedings.

The reference to the 1926 Feeding Act is due to the General Strike of that year, which especially affected mining communities. It can be seen that this is similarly reflected in the history of Gurnos Infants School where on the retirement of the Headmistress in 1953 it is stated that "Miss King thanked the staff and pupils and recalled many incidents in her long teaching career,in particular the 1921 and 1926 strikes when the local teaching staff did such excellent work in feeding the children."