The Farms of Whitchurch - 3

This is the third part of the farm story. The first two seemed very popular with lots of comments and feedback, so this time we’ll look at the farms on the west side of the old Merthyr Road. You might like to contemplate the old farms whilst you enjoy your New-Year celebratory cornflakes

WEST OF THE TURNPIKE (starting from the north):

Llwyn Mallt (Maud’s Bush Farm)
This was the most northerly of the farms, sadly now long gone and swallowed up within the roundabout and intersection of the M4/A470. However, there are a few old photographs showing the farm and yard. Back in 1841, the farmer was William Williams, and John Harbottle as farmer in 1897

Ty Clyd (Sheltered House)
This is another ancient farm, and was located alongside the old tithe barn. In 1841, the tenant was Thomas David, and was owned by TWB Booker. The fields abutted the old Merthyr Road and northwards towards Llwyn Mallt. A newspaper article from 1855 describes how the farm ducks were stolen one night; simply walked off by the burglars!

Ty Clyd was purchased for the Cardiff Asylum development, and the farmhouse and yard were demolished and rebuilt for modern farm use by the patients. The remains of this rebuilt farm still exist just north of the City Hospice

Forest Farm
Denise tells us of her family (the Browns) who farmed Forest Farm from 1829. John Brown, was born in Scotland in 1779 and moved to south Wales as a young man and worked for Benjamin Hall MP. He moved with his wife to Forest Farm on Benjamin Hall’s death. Successive generations of Browns farmed the 200 acres, until 1878. The last will and testament of Mary Brown, John’s wife, is fantastic (made just the day before she died) and lists not just her chattels, but the farm items too, including cart horses, fillies, lambs, pigs, cows, hay, wheat, barley, turnip slicer, potatoes, carts, rollers and much more

Later, the Jones’ sisters lived on the farm and opened a shop in the village selling all sorts of dairy products from the farm. It’s not long ago that the shop closed and became a trendy wine bar (currently closed, perhaps a victim of Covid or austerity)

Forest Farm is now the centre for the country park, and whilst the farmhouse has been renovated, many of the outbuildings are in a poor state of repair

Ernie Broad tells scurrilous tales of raiding bird’s nests on the farm when he was a boy, and also helping with building works when he was older. He also remembers Forest Hall, the house adjacent to the farm, which was tenanted by Spence Thomas who was Manager of the Melingriffith Tinplate works long after the Bookers. Forest Hall was always flooding and things became so bad that it was demolished. It is now a public car park

Ty Mawr (Great House) Farm
The old farmhouse, whilst much altered, still remains. It is recognised as the oldest surviving house in Glamorganshire. It had a carved date over the fireplace mantle of 1583 and is listed Grade 2 by CADW. The photograph below shows the house

The farm fields ran down to the River Taff, but were separated from the farmhouse when the Glamorganshire Canal was constructed. The remaining fields were again separated when the railway line was built a little later

Ernie Broad knew the family who lived there in the early part of the 20th century and tells a wonderful story of a ghost in the old house with a lion’s roar!

Cornel y Waun
Ernie Broad refers to this as the Waun Farm and describes its location adjacent to the stream. Ernie notes that the farmyard had three large barns and fields which ran down as far as the railway on College Road. The Phillips family ran the farm for many years and subsequently by William Davies. Ernie recounts the disaster of foot-and-mouth disease on the farm

The old farmyard is long gone and is now occupied by Whitchurch Builders Merchants

The current Cornel-y-Waun (no longer a farm) is a very smart house on the east bank of the stream. There is some controversy, but it is possible that an earlier farmhouse existed on the west bank which would have been of much earlier age. There are photographs dated 1892, which show thatched roofed cottages on the west bank; perhaps they were part of the original farm buildings. The Tithe Map gives tantalising clues too. Does anyone know?

Waun Treoda/Flays Farm
Sometimes referred to as Gwauntreoda Isaf or Court Farm. In the 1840s William Vachell tenanted all of this farm with fields on both sides of the turnpike road. He built a grand house for himself opposite, called Bryn Gas, now long gone and replaced with a block of flats. In 1841, the farm tenant was Evan Griffiths, but there’s also a reference to a Frederick Blurs. Does anyone have any information?

In latter times, the farm was tenanted by the Flay family. Their fields ran down to the parish boundary near to Manor Way. As well as farmers, the Flays were given the contract to collect the rubbish from local houses (using a cart pulled by shire horses), with the rubbish dumped in the quarry which is now Maindy Stadium. The Flays also ran their removals business from the farm

All trace of the farm is now gone, apart from a sole survivor on the common, near the bus stop. Would this have been a store or workshop of some kind?

Gelli Farm
This is a bit of a black hole. Was this farm, in Llandaff North, located where the Royal Exchange pub is now? Does anyone know of the history and extent of Gelli farm? We’d love to know

College Road/Lock Farm
This too is a bit of an enigma. Ernie Broad tells us that it was located at the end of College Road near the canal lock. There was a barn at the beginning of the farm road, and the fields reached as far as Gabalfa Lock on the canal. Ernie notes that a field nearby was used by Llandaff North Rugby Club some time in the past. Can anyone help with any more information?

Other Farms
There is reference made to an even more ancient farm on this west side of the turnpike, Rowldon. On a map of 1760 a farm by this name is noted. Is this a candidate for yet more exploration? Does anyone have any clues?

A piece of trivia for you. Big Ben (in Westminster) was apparently named after Benjamin Hall MP (see Forest Farm above)

And; have a Happy New Year!

 

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