Where was Scrap Row

By the 1840’s, the Melingriffith Tin Works was booming. The British Empire was expanding around the globe and there seemed to be an insatiable demand for tin, iron and coal, and south Wales had this in abundance

Here in Whitchurch, communications were vastly improved with the turnpike road, the new canal and the start of the railway age. Melingriffith was growing fast with new mills being provided to meet the great demand for tinplate

By 1842, Melingriffith was employing over 140 men, women and children and there was hardly anywhere to house them. And the demand for more workers was growing. Terraces of mean cottages had been built by the 1780’s when the Quaker families were running the works, and the cottages were filled to capacity, with 2 or even 3 families in each house

In the census of 1841, mill families were listed as living in Sunnybanks, New Houses, Penylan and Scrap Row. In addition, others were living just further away in Tongwynlais, Llandaff Yard and also in Whitchurch

The old OS maps show where many of these houses and cottages were, although almost all have now been demolished

Sunnybanks was probably built first by the Quakers in 1780’s with New Houses shortly thereafter. Some of the cottages around Velindre House might have been even earlier and been associated with the estate

However, where was Scrap Row? (and what a terrible name). The 1841 census lists over 20 families living there. Assuming that multiple families were living in each house, Scrap Row must have been at least 6-8 houses long. But where?

The first OS map of 1880 shows Sunnybanks and New Houses north of the works, with Penylan just to the east

The only candidate for Scrap Row lies to the south, lying between Oak Cottage and Ty Mawr (both still extant). The map shows what might be a terrace of houses tight against the batter at the rear, and the road in front These houses seem to have rear gardens at the top of the batter (presumably accessed via lots of steps), and there appears to be front gardens too, across the road adjacent to the canal

There’s nothing there now, not even a hint that nearly 90 men, women and children once lived there

Strangely, the Tithe Map of 1841 shows nothing of this terrace

The OS map of 1880 is hard to read. The area is printed on 2 sheets and the tinplate works was hugely different. After the world-wide financial collapse of the 1870’s, the Booker family had pretty much disappeared

However, by piecing together the various early OS maps and the Tithe Map, it is possible to get an idea of the various building around and to the south of the Melingriffith works in an earlier time. The sketch below shows how Melingriffith might have been in 1841

Hemmed in between the River Taff and the Glamorganshire Canal, the tinplate works occupies most of the level ground, with the works feeder running literally through the works

To the south, the canal takes a sweep to the southeast towards Ty Mawr, and this is where the possible Scrap Row might have been

It’s only when you look very carefully at the ariel photograph below of Melingriffith, taken about 1910 that you can get a possible clue. One’s eye is naturally drawn to the extensive Melingriffith works, Velindre House has been demolished and replaced by a smaller house and one can see the outline of the new mental hospital at the top edge

However, in the bottom righthand corner of the photograph, there seems to be a terrace of houses (perhaps 6 if you count the chimney stacks) with a lean-to outbuilding to the southern end. In the large field behind, there might be the remains of the gardens

What do you think? Could this be Scrap Row, and if not where? And what became of all of the mill workers and their families who used to live there?

Does anyone know?

  Back