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Notable Houses in and around Llanelli

Coalbrook House (Nant-y-glo), Pontyberem

Nant = brook (or stream); y glo = of coal = Coalbrook

The new Coalbrook House, Pontyberem, in 2002

Coalbrook, situated half a mile east of Pontyberem village in the Parish of Llanelli, was one of the best examples of a traditional Carmarthenshire gentry residence.

Described as a 17th century house, with later additions, it was a rectangular, two-storeyed building, with a range of five windows. On the east side of the building was a projecting roof, high entrance porch, a square headed door under a shallow fanlight, a moulded wood doorcase, flat point head with carved spandrels and small rosettes above a plain ledge hood.

The house had two large square chimney blocks each of four square stacks, with overall moulded cap. A moulded eaves cornice continued around the porch and across the base of the brick faced gable. The interior had a good well staircase arranged in straight flights with heavy moulded strings and handrails, carved square-section balusters with downward taper, and square newels with finials. The ceiling of one of the ground floor rooms was divided by a beam, with moulded plaster ornamentation, one compartment had a moulded plaster ceiling, plaster cornice and frieze with egg and dart and guiloche ornamentation. The date 1670 embossed in a plaster panel on the parlour ceiling is believed to be the year the house was built. On each side of the Victorian fire grate was a full-height engaged column with plaster capital.

Griffiths Jones was the first member of the family known to have lived at Coalbrook, followed by his son William Jones who was alive around 1665. William married Mary Middleton of Middleton Hall, Llanarthne and their son and heir John Jones, who died in 1717, married Mary Lewes of Llysnewydd, Llangeler.

John and Mary Jones had two children: William and Jane. William (junior) died without issue in 1737 and Coalbrook passed to his sister and heiress Jane.

Jane married John Lewes and they had a son Thomas Lewes of Llysnewydd who died in 1769. Coalbrook continued to be part of the large Llysnewydd estate for many years.

During the 18th century some additions were made.

In the 19th century, like many of the other gentry mansions, Coalbrook passed into the ownership or occupancy of industrialists, speculators and entrepreneurs.

In 1851, Coalbrook House, described as being in Llanelly Parish, was the home of Helena Eliza Watney (nee Raby) wife of Alfred Watney, an Iron & Coal Master from Wandsworth, London, who employed 200 men.

In 1881 Coalbrook was the home of Thomas Seymour, a Mining Engineer and Colliery Manager.

Before the Second World War of 1939-1945, an application was made by the Llanelly Rural District Council to the Ministry of Works to have Coalbrook House scheduled as a building of special architectural and historical interest, which was prompted by Sir Grismond Philipps, Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire. Among his many public service roles, Sir Grismond was Chairman of the Historic Buildings Council for Wales, an organisation that achieved much in preserving ancient buildings.

For many years Coalbrook House was owned by the Amalgamated Anthracite Company and was tenanted by Colonel W T Woods during the period he was manager of the Pentremawr Colliery and when he was the company’s Agent in the Gwendraeth Valley. Sir Alfred Cope, managing director of the company, tried to preserve the former glories of the grand house and when the thatched roof needed renovating he called in an expert from Norfolk to undertake the task. The original thatched roof was eventually replaced with tiles.

A modern writer noted: "Tua’r flwyddyn 1670 adeiladwyd Palas Presennol Coalbrook canfyddir yno weithiau celfyddydwyr tra chywrain."

[About the year 1670 the present palace of Coalbrook was built and the fine detail was considered to be the work of a skilful artist]

Sir Grismond and Colonel Woods recalled seeing the magnificent oak staircase and the ornate plasterwork on the ceilings of the grand mansion house. However renovation work ceased when the Second World War began and years of neglect followed when refugee families from war-torn Eastern Europe lived in the old gentry mansion.

After the war ended in 1945 various attempts were made to rescue Coalbrook from the ravages of time. David John Jones, checkweighter at Glynhebog Colliery, a member of Llanelly Rural District Council who became Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council, tried to launch an appeal to raise funds to convert Coalbrook into a Welsh Folk Museum (Coleg Gwerin Y Gymru). £2,000, which was a substantial sum, in the 1940s, was raised by sponsorship but was insufficient to cover the costs and the money had to be returned to the many donors.

In the 1950s Coalbrook, having been empty, started to deteriorate badly and Walford Jones, a son of David John Jones, hit upon the idea of converting Coalbrook into a youth centre and headquarters for the local Aelwyd. Unfortunately, like other similar ventures, this project failed to attract sufficient financial backing.

The original Coalbrook house with thatched roof before demolition

Coalbrook was later purchased by Robert Muir, a colliery official, who applied for a grant towards its restoration. The local authority rejected the application and the old manor was consigned to the history books.

During the 1960s it was efficiently destroyed and the house, that at one time could boast one and a half acres, enclosed tennis courts and an orchard, was replaced by a modern Nordic design, split level house.

Fortunately, remnants of the old building were preserved and a section of the staircase, said to be an opulent example of 17th century Italian skills went to Carmarthen’s County Museum.

Part of the plasterwork bearing the figures 1670 was carefully removed from the ceiling and kept for a while in the museum at Gwendraeth County High School where Walford Jones was deputy head teacher. When the school closed, the plasterwork was given to Gareth Seymour, a teacher at Gwendraeth Comprehensive School, and the great grandson of Thomas Seymour. Thomas Seymour was a mining engineer and colliery manager from Llanelli, who was considered to be a pioneer of coal mining in the Gwendraeth Valley, and who had lived with his family at Coalbrook House in 1881.