20 Merthyr Road

Cadw's description

Location

Towards the N end of the village fronting the main thoroughfare.

History

Tongwynlais had an important position on the Merthyr to Cardiff highway constructed 1767 which linked the Merthyr ironworks with Cardiff, the village being sited in the narrow entrance to the Taff Vale between the mountains of Fforest Fawr and Garth Wood. It was further developed to serve the important nearby Melingriffith and Pentyrch works producing iron, tinplate, bricks and quarried stone. The grid lay-out of the central village is intact on the first edition Ordnance Survey Map surveyed 1875, with Ainon Baptist chapel nearby built 1827, enlarged 1851, the Glamorgan Canal constructed 1794, and the Taff Vale Railway in1840. Masonry of this terrace is of higher quality and probably a little earlier than that in Wyndham Street adjacent.

Interior

Originally staircases rose beside front room fireplace (except for central staircase in no.14), some retained; some stone flagged floors and slabs from former pantries; ground floor ceiling joists of thin scantling, some exposed.

Reason for designation

Listed primarily for historic interest as a mid C19 row of workers' cottages.