The origins of its name are not known but ynys is Welsh for a river-meadow (i.e., an "island" – the main meaning of ynys – in otherwise marshier ground beside a river) and Forgan is a mutation of the name Morgan; a reasonable translation of the name would therefore be Morgan's Meadow. The River Tawe flows past Ynysforgan so it is not unreasonable to speculate that it is the river in question. Several other nearby locations also use the term Ynys in their names including Ynystawe (the neighbouring village to Ynysforgan), Ynystanglws Farm (near Ynystawe), and Ynysmeudwy (near Pontardawe).
However, as historically insignificant as Ynysforgan may seem it holds a hidden gem unknown to most locals and has its name embedded in the annals of Welsh time. In the latter part of the Middle Ages (circa 1330 - 1403) Ynysforgan was the home of Hopcyn ap Tomas ab Einion. This clearly indicates the name Ynysforgan extends back further than the 15th century and given the 'modernisation' of language it's conceivable its name is derived from old Welsh. Historians have speculated that ab Einion was responsible for a manuscript titled the Red Book of Hergest which is one of the most important medieval Welsh language manuscripts. Furthermore, in 1403 ab Einion was summoned to Carmarthen by none other than Owain Glyndŵr, the last true Prince of Wales to shed light on his fate by bringing his knowledge and expertise to bare by interpreting old bardic prophecies.
Before 1963 Ynysforgan essentially comprised the main Swansea to Brecon road (now Clydach Road) with houses on either side. The 1911 census shows the address as 'Clydack Road'. The 'newer' houses behind Clydach Road were built in late 1960 starting with Garth View, followed by Elizabeth Close, Ian's Walk and Orpheus Road. The builders name was Emrys Davies of Neath who was a sole trader employing skilled tradesmen. It is believed that the road names Elizabeth Close, Ian's Walk and Andrews Crescent are attributable to Mr Davies' relatives. Garth View takes its name from its aspect facing the hill opposite, known colloquially as 'The Garth'. Orpheus Road is probably in recognition of the famous Morriston Orpheus Choir.
The old Swansea Tram system extended up the Swansea valley as far as Llanllienwen Road where there was a halt. With the building of the M4 motorway in 1973 the geography of Ynysforgan changed dramatically. The motorway essentially cut the village in two resulting in the demolition of the old Sunday School which stood (roughly) in the vicinity of the M4 exit slip road straight on from Clydach Road and a new Sunday school was built at the top of Garth View and Christopher Road.
Up until the mid-1970s there stood a grand house - Glyncollen - in its own grounds at the top of Garth View. Glyncollen was originally accessed by a long drive that joined the lower end of Llanllienwen Road, but this access was blocked when the motorway divided the village. In the 1930s Glyncollen House was the residence of the late Captain Sidney Davies, Managing Director of the Forest and Worcester Tinplate Works at Morriston - a brother of the late Alderman D. J. Davies of "Firgrove", Llanllienwen Road, a former Mayor of Swansea. He was followed as owner-occupier by the late Doctor and Mrs. N. E. Edwards-Jones, in the 1940s. The house was abandoned in the early 1970s and fell into ruin, only to be demolished later that decade. The grounds were taken over by the council and became a local amenity.
Ynysforgan used to lie on both the main Brecon to Swansea Canal which was navigable until the late 1950s and a Swansea Valley railway line. The canal was filled in and covered over in the 1960s and the route of the railway line has now been used as the Swansea valley by-pass road. There were several relics of World War II such as pillboxes and manholes along the canal: these were demolished when the canal was filled in.
Swansea is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea.
Glamorgan, or sometimes Glamorganshire, is one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales. Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying boundaries known in Welsh as the Kingdom of Morgannwg, which was then invaded and taken over by the Normans as the Lordship of Glamorgan. The area that became known as Glamorgan was both a rural, pastoral area, and a conflict point between the Norman lords and the Welsh princes. It was defined by a large concentration of castles.
Pontardawe is a town and a community in the Swansea Valley in Wales. With a population of 6,832 in 2011, it comprises the electoral wards of Pontardawe and Trebanos. A town council is elected. Pontardawe forms part of the county borough of Neath Port Talbot. On the opposite bank of the River Tawe, the village of Alltwen, part of the community of Cilybebyll, is administered separately from Pontardawe. Pontardawe is at the crossroads of the A474 road and the A4067 road. Pontardawe came into existence as a small settlement on the northwestern bank of the Tawe where the drovers' road from Neath and Llandeilo crossed the river to go up the valley to Brecon.
Rhys ap Tewdwr was a king of Deheubarth in Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great. He was born in the area which is now Carmarthenshire and died at the battle of Brecon in April 1093.
River Neath is a river in south Wales running south west from the point at which its headwaters arising in the Brecon Beacons National Park converge to its mouth at Baglan Bay below Briton Ferry on the east side of Swansea Bay.
The River Tawe is a 30 miles (48 km) long river in South Wales. Its headwaters flow initially east from its source below Llyn y Fan Fawr south of Moel Feity in the Black Mountains, the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park, before the river turns south and then southwest to its estuary at Swansea. Its main tributaries are the right bank Upper and Lower Clydach Rivers and the Afon Twrch. The total area of the catchment is some 246 km2 (95 sq mi). The Tawe passes through a number of towns and villages including Ystradgynlais, Ystalyfera, Pontardawe, and Clydach and meets the sea at Swansea Bay below Swansea. The Tawe Valley is more commonly known as the Swansea Valley.
The Swansea Vale Railway (SVR) was a railway line connecting the port of Swansea in South Wales to industries and coalfields along the River Tawe on the northern margin of Swansea, by taking over a tramroad in 1846. It was extended to Brynamman in 1868. Passengers were carried from 1860, and a loop line through Morriston was built.
Morriston is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. It is the largest community in Swansea county.
Clydach is both a village and a community in Swansea, Wales, within the Clydach ward and the Llangyfelach parish. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Swansea city centre. In 2011, the population was 7,503. Welsh is the first language of 24 per cent of the population and both Welsh and English language schools are available. The village lies close to the M4 motorway which can be accessed via the bypass or old road via Ynystawe. The community includes part of the village of Glais.
The Swansea Canal was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for 16.5 miles (26.6 km) from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were needed to enable it to rise 373 feet (114 m) over its length. The main cargos were coal, iron and steel, and the enterprise was profitable.
The Morriston Orpheus Choir, based in Morriston, near Swansea, Wales, is a male voice choir, one of the best-known in the UK.
The Swansea Valley is one of the South Wales Valleys. It is the valley from the Brecon Beacons National Park to the sea at Swansea of the River Tawe in Wales. Administration of the area is divided between the City and County of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, and Powys. A distinction may be drawn between the Lower Swansea valley and the Upper Swansea valley; the former was more heavily industrialised during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Myfanwy is a popular Welsh song, composed by Joseph Parry and first published in 1875.
Morriston ( ) is an electoral ward in Swansea, Wales. It is coterminous with the Morriston community. Morriston is one of two five member wards in the City and County of Swansea local authority area. In population terms, it is the largest ward in the Welsh Assembly constituency of Swansea East and it is the largest ward the City and County of Swansea.
Gilwern is a village within the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, Wales. Historically in Brecknockshire, it extends to either side of the River Clydach on the south side of the Usk valley. Its position beside the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal led to it being an important industrial centre at one time.
Ynystawe is a village in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, and in the electoral ward of Morriston. It is 0.5 miles (1 km) north of the M4 motorway junction 45 between Ynysforgan and Clydach in the Swansea Valley. The Welsh name Ynystawe or Ynysdawe derives from ynys, meaning "island" or "river-meadow", and Tawe, the name of the river running immediately to the east and which gives the Welsh name of Swansea, Abertawe.
Swansea Bay University Health Board (SBUHB) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, in the south-west of Wales. Established as Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABMUHB) in 2009, it was renamed and had its boundaries altered on 1 April 2019. In February 2019 it was decided to rename it Swansea Bay University Health Board and to alter the boundary with the Cwm Taf University Health Board.
Glais is a semi-rural village in Swansea, South Wales. Nant-y-Pal is a stream running through the middle of Glais. It divides the village into two electoral wards: to the north of the stream, Glais is under the Clydach Electoral Ward; to the south, Glais is under the Llansamlet Electoral Ward. The village is shared between the communities of Clydach and Birchgrove. Glais is within the Swansea East UK Parliament constituency and is represented by the Labour MP, Carolyn Harris. The population is a little more than 1,000.
Coelbren is a small rural village within the community of Tawe Uchaf in southernmost Powys, Wales. It lies on the very northern edge of the South Wales Coalfield some six miles north-east of Ystradgynlais and just outside the southern boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It is known for Henrhyd Falls, a 27m high waterfall which serves as a National Trust-managed visitor attraction on the Nant Llech. To the east of the village flows the Afon Pyrddin which plunges over two more spectacular falls.
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