Tal-y-bont Hanes/History

A Brief history of the village

The meaning of Tal-y-bont is 'the brow of the bridge' and in a hilly region the natural location for a settlement was the area where the river Ceulan joins the river Leri. Although the remains of the Celts and the Romans are to be found in the area, only at the beginning of the 19th century did Tal-y-bont develop into one of the more substantial villages in north Ceredigion (formerly Cardiganshire). By now Tal-y-bont is the largest village in the the community of Ceulan-a-maesmawr which was itself, at one time, a part of the larger parish of Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn.

The Black Lion, one of the two inns which stand next to each other facing the village green, was a convenient stop for travellers on the road between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth (the A487 by now), and it was in this area the village first developed.

In the 18th century houses were also built about a quarter of a mile north of the village green at Pen-lÙn and by 1835 there were about 35 houses in Tal-y-bont, most of them being thatch roofed cottages.

Over the centuries, the community was sustained by agriculture but during the 19th century two industries developed which led to an increase in the village's population and in the building of a number of new houses alongside the main road.

Although lead and silver had been mined since Roman times, it was in the 19th century that the industry developed in north Ceredigion and the remains of mining activity are still to be seen here and there in the neighbourhood. At the same time, by taking advantage of water from the rivers Ceulan and Leri to turn water wheels, a number of woollen mills were developed. This economic boom brought work to the area and solidly built terrace houses were erected on both sides of the main road and several shops established. At one time there were 15 shops, a garage, two banks, together with three chapels, a church and a school in the village. In 1923 the Neuadd Goffa (memorial hall) was built to commemorate those who fell in the Great War (1914-1918).

Some of the lead miners stayed in barracks by the mines during the week and walked to Tal-y-bont on Saturday to spend their wages in the shops and in particular the inns. Some of the mine managers ('captains') lived in the village, like Captain Tyrrell who gave his name to Tyrrell Place, a row of houses by the main road.

In the wool manufacturing industry, some weavers worked from their homes while others worked in factories. By 1835 the Leri Mills had carding engines, fulling stocks and hand mules, as well as a number of hand-looms. The flannel would be sold locally, in the main, to farmers and the lead miners, or in fairs in Aberystwyth, Machynlleth and Tal-y-bont. But Thomas Morgan, the owner of the Leri Mills, would also often visit the Newtown Flannel Exchange where produce was sold to clothiers from London, Shrewsbury and other towns and cities in England.

The two industries were at their peak during the period 1830 to 1890 but by the 1920s the lead mines had closed and the Depression hit the woollen industry as well. Ceulan mill closed in the 1950s and, at the beginning of the 1980s, the last mill, Leri Mills, also closed. By the 1990s the only active mills in the community were the wind mills to be seen on the top of the hills between Tal-y-bont and the village of Bont-goch.

By the last decades of the 20th century, many of the village's inhabitants earned their bread and butter in Aberystwyth and, once again, agriculture was the backbone of the local economy. Nevertheless, from the 1960s on, a printing and publishing company was developed, and by the end of the century Y Lolfa was the village's largest employer.

Our Century

'Our Century' was published to celebrate the Millenium - a book full of memories of Tal-y-bont during the twentieth century. The complete book is now available on the website.

Tal-y-bont, c.1900

Y Patsyn Glas, Tal-y-bont, c.1912-15

David Thomas Morgan wrth un o beiriannau Ffatri'r Bont, c. 1900

Melin Cwm wedi iddi gau

Gweithdy'r gof, c. 1900