Useful Information & Web Links
It’s human nature to be intrigued by our past and ancestry and, with a bit of help, it’s never been easier to trace your roots in The Valleys. There is a wealth of information that can be found in the many libraries in the area and the links provided here will help get your quest off to a flying start.
Abersychan and Garndiffaith Local History Group
This web site is aimed at members, local communities, and the descendants of the many people from this area who live all over the world. Examples of want you can find on this website are:
- Description and location of our area
- Agricultural History
- Industrial History
- Publications
- Help on Family History
- Membership details and our programme for the year.
Abersychan & Garndiffaith District Local History Group Meetings are held on Monday evenings at Garndiffaith Senior Citizens Hall, commencing at 7 pm. Newcomers are very welcome to attend.
The Abertillery Online website has specific sections on local and family history with search information, people's interests and offers of look-ups using census records, burial records, monumental inscriptions, etc. for the local area as well as historical sections on Old Abertillery of use to genealogists interested in the area. The associated message board has a specific section for Family History queries.
Abertillery and District Museum Society
Provides information on the museum and its history, the collections, news, events and membership.
Village located north of Abertillery. Site includes history, genealogy information, churches, news, and walks. Also has message board where queries on local genealogy and history are welcome.
Llanhilleth (Valleys Girl) website
Llanhilleth lies just to the south of Abertillery. “For Llanhilleth exiles, wherever you are!” – local legends and photos of old Llanhilleth.
Cybertyleri also run the South Wales Gazette website. The group has digitised the archived editions of the South Wales Gazette (1888 to 1938) to tell the fascinating history of the town and the western valley of Monmouthshire through the pages of its local newspaper and make them available for research by local and family historians. The group meets every Tuesday morning in St. Michael’s on the Streets in Church Street for genealogy research and searching the South Wales Gazette archives – all welcome.
Old Blaenafon in photos, family and local history
Brynmawr Wales History - Genealogy Project
Jeff Thomas's Brynmawr website concentrates on the history and genealogy of the area, and provides about 50 high-quality digital photos of the town and surrounding area. It also offers:+ Early history of Rehoboth Church, Brynmawr+ The Nantyglo Round Towers complex (industrial history)+ Pigot's 1844 directory of Brynmawr and Llanelly Parish+ History & description of Llanelly Parish Church, Breconshire+ Monumental Inscriptions, Llanelly church cemetery
Brynmawrscene is the community site for the residents, ex patriots and descendents of the people of Brynmawr, Gwent - the highest town in Britain. Has a message board where queries on history and genealogy are welcome.
Find out more about Cwmbran and its inhabitants. It has everything from a background history of Cwmbran - which looks back to the days of the Cwmbran Development Corportation and the Lucas Girling factory - to old school photographs. It also has a message board where users can leave messages for long lost chums and old school friends, to comment on Cwmbran (both past and present) or give feedback on what you think of the site.
The aim of the website is to evolve into a detailed history and promotional tool for past, present and future residents of Cwmbran and with the redevelopment of the Cwmbran Town Centre, it's also a great place for ex-pats to keep up-to-date on what is happening to their home town.
Other web sites with useful information are:
