Industrial Workers Housing in Wales

Transcription

1 Industrial Workers Housing in Wales Judith Alfrey, Cadw Alfred Terrace, Taffs Well, R.C.T.

2 Cwmparc, Rhondda

3 Windmill Court, Aberystwyth

4 William Street, Aberystwyth

5 Alfred Terrace, Taffs Well, Rhondda Cynon Taff

6 Payton Place, Holywell, Flintshire

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8 Welcome to the My Valleys House website. The website aims to provide you with information about how to care for and improve your south Wales valleys house. It will also help you find out more about the history and architecture of your valleys house, street or town. Even if you do not live in the valleys, much of this information will still be useful to you. Your valleys house might not be listed or in conservation area, but it still has an important place in your community and contributes towards the unique identity of the Welsh valleys. Unfortunately, many traditional valleys buildings have suffered from years of low quality or inappropriate repairs and alterations using modern materials. These works have weakened the unique character distinctiveness of our valleys towns and will very often create long term structural and maintenance problems. This website was created by the Valleys Built Heritage Project which aims to celebrate and assist in the preservation of the heritage of our valleys. Our Partners say Led by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the partnership has members representing Bridgend County Borough Council, Cadw, Cardiff City Council, CITB Construction Skills, Civic Trust for Wales, Design Commission for Wales, Federation of Master Builders and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Wales). "Helping communities to learn about and get involved with their local heritage is very close to HLF s heart, as a major funder of heritage in Wales. People are passionate about heritage, just as they are passionate about their homes: so providing information on how to sympathetically restore houses through this seminar and the associated website, will help drive these twin passions forward. And in this way, the defining image of terrace houses in the Valleys will, we hope, be preserved for many generations to come." Jennifer Stewart, Manager Heritage Lottery fund, Wales "The conservation approach doesn't just belong to Castles, fine churches and grand houses, it can just as easily be applied to all old buildings. The Victorian additions to Cardiff Castle are built in the same way as many terraced houses, so it makes sense to use the same materials and techniques. To me the conservation approach is not elitist, it is a well informed approach to the care of old buildings." John Edwards, Project Co-ordinator Cardiff Castle, Cardiff City Council "As an organisation that is dedicated to promoting excellence in all property related matters, we are delighted to be part of the Valleys Built Heritage Partnership as it promotes the economic and financial benefits of a conservation approach to traditional building restoration If this initiative is successful, not only will it accomplish these things, but it will also help to promote local distinctiveness, engender a sense of community ownership, and help to regenerate the essential fabric of our valleys communities thus making a real difference." Cathy McLean, Director, RICS Wales "As an organisation that is dedicated to promoting excellence in all property related matters, we are delighted to be part of the Valleys Built Heritage Partnership as it promotes the economic and financial benefits of a conservation approach to traditional building restoration If this initiative is successful, not only will it accomplish these things, but it will also help to promote local distinctiveness, engender a sense of community ownership, and help to regenerate the essential fabric of our valleys communities thus making a real difference." Cathy McLean, Director, RICS Wales

9 My Valleys House How to look after your terraced valleys house Sash Windows 'Late' type sash windows in a Valleys house. Windows are the eyes of your house. In the same way as a person s eyes can tell you a lot about their personality, windows are the central focus of a house s character. The sliding sash window as we know it, complete with weights and pulleys, first came into popular use during the late 1700s and were used almost exclusively until the turn of the twentieth century. Whether your terraced Valleys house is early or late, the likelihood therefore is that the original windows would have been sliding sash. Advantages 'Late' type sash windows in a Valleys house. Close-up of replacement early type window. The sash offered many advantages of course, including being well suited to our wet climate, as it can be closed down to a narrow gap, allowing for good ventilation whilst reducing the chance of rain entering. Also, when fitted in terraced housing, an open window did not protrude into the street as a casement window does. It also allows easy escape from the first floor in case of fire, a problem that sometimes arises with casement windows where only the narrow top section can be opened. There are a number of local companies that specialise in repairing original windows and making new sliding sash windows, taking advantage of today's advances in window technology to improve energy efficiency, security and comfort. Did you know? The term sash window is likely to have been derived from the French word chassis which means frame. Enhancing value and saleability Interestingly, a recent study into the effects of a conservation based approach to maintaining our houses shows that the retention or reintroduction of original features such as the correct type of windows can enhance the value and saleability of a property. If you are lucky enough therefore to live in a Valleys house with the original timber sash type windows, then consider carefully before replacing them. Likewise, if you are thinking of replacing your existing modern style windows, why not invest in traditional timber sash windows, giving you all the benefits of modern windows with the advantage of adding character and value to your property.

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12 Butetown, Rhymmny, Cardiff

13 Lower Dock Street area, Newport

14 Hafod, Swansea

15 Forge Row, Cwmavon, Pontypool

16 Tai Tywyn, Prestatyn, Denbighshire

17 Cae r Berllan, Bethesda, Gwynedd

18 Bethesda, Gwynedd

19 Gellideg, Merthyr Tydfil

20 HLCA 004 Williamstown Minor first phase colliery settlement, later 2nd and 3rd phase expansion; ribbon development settlement and late 19th century imposed grid-layout; retains typical terraced housing, commercial properties and chapels; residential colliery village with low urban morphological and functional development.

21 HLCA 034 Thomas Town (West) Urban industrial development: linear tramside settlement with later regular linear grid additions of predominantly middle-class housing; 19th century public and religious buildings

22 HLCA 38 Mountain Hare Small industrial settlement of isolated terraced rows and ribbon development associated with nearby coal and ironstone workings; close proximity to tramroad/railway corridor.