Cutlock & Co is extremely grateful to a new contact who has forwarded some photos of Bush Houses. One view was familiar, from the painting which appears at the bottom of Feeling Bushed and also a poor quality version received via another source, but the older black and white image was certainly from a fresh perspective.
Looking down the valley towards Tonypandy, with the main part of Clydach Vale /Blaen Clydach to the left (north), St Albans church can be seen on the bottom left. But what is the building pretty much in the centre of shot, a little beyond the shorter row of houses (you’ll need to click on the image for the larger version)? The railway up the valley is visible too – on two levels. Perhaps someone could tell me when this closed, which would help date the shot *. No later than the 1940s I imagine, from the lack of telegraph poles for example.
* I’ve seen a reference to track being lifted 1967.
Here’s the colour photo, the “familiar view” from the 1960s, looking from the opposite direction. I’d be happy to hear if anyone has copyright claims on this. {2}
The rusty looking building at bottom left is presumably the Methodist ‘tin chapel’, clearly marked in the map shown on Feeling Bushed. In front of that, perhaps domestic coal sheds?
A comment on Facebook says that the house numbering started from the left in that picture, next to the tin chapel.
Update
Sourced from the ‘Rhondda – Our Valley’ page on Facebook, a grainy photo which would have been taken a little further back from the colour one above. Assuming this is the correct location, Blaenclydach Colliery with Bush Houses rather obscured behind:
And a scan from an old photo of Bush Chapel, via Valerie . Thanks!
More ….
Lifted from the Bush Houses Community & Friends Facebook group I’ve just stumbled upon (Sept. 2016), this photo is worth comparing with the 1920s/30s map of the area on Feeling Bushed. (The Cutlock map edit has appeared on the Facebook page several times!)
And courtesy of Rob Osborne, July 2020, ‘miners leaving a shift passing Bush Houses’, black and white photo.
Notes
1. This is the fifth Cutlock & Co article on Bush Houses, Clydach Vale, Rhondda. The others are listed at this link. In particular, Feeling Bushed focuses on the physical place and includes an old map of the area, which clearly indicates the church and rail lines.
2. The colour photo was originally processed from slide form by John Griffiths.
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