Ystradgynlais & District

From the Winter 1948 edition of 'Y Gurnosydd' came a selection of local history articles. One was on Y Pandy, a cottage on the canal near to The Aubrey public house (now The All Blacks).

On the left, the drawing of Y Pandy was sketched from a drawing by Donald White in 1948. The photograph on the right is by Val Trevallion and was taken in 2005 when Y Pandy was being modernised.

As we walk back along the avenue we can see on our right the old wharf and straight in front of us are the Aubrey Arms and the Pandy. Both these houses have a history and we shall leave the historians to deal with that but to us now the Pandy looks rather picturesque. It is situated in a depression and the old house stands out in contrast to the new steel houses which are being built near the school. The Aubrey Arms is, of course, a landmark and like Ynyscedwyn House it hides behind its thick walls many stories of adventures and shall I say bravado. The wharf is not used now but at one time people must have been very busy at this place. The canal bringing down in huge flat bottomed boats the commodities which were produced in the upper reaches of the valley must have presented a picturesque sight. It is very quiet here now. The canal no longer carries barges and its waters are, at present, very muddy but placid but its banks are the favourite walks of the villagers. The walk from the Aubrey Arms to Ynyscedwyn House is in our opinion the most beautiful walk in Swansea Valley and one of our wits has suggested that we organise a boat race to be run every June on this lovely part of the canal. (To be continued).
John Craven
Form 3B