Two particular streets in Merthyr Vale were once filled with the sounds of children playing. Everyone knew everyone else and you could knock on anyone's door if you needed to borrow something, and they'd let you. When there was a special occasion, everyone would spill out onto the street with tables, chairs, food and drink to celebrate.
Now, Taff Street and Crescent Street, once so busy and full of life and community, resemble a building site after homes lived in by families for generations were bulldozed due to concerns about flooding. In 2018, Merthyr Council proceeded with a compulsory purchase order which allowed it to demolish more than 100 Victorian terrace houses in the two streets.
The move meant families who had called the houses home for more than a century were forced to move away, leaving a trail of rubble and dust. The decision was made by the council because of the houses’ close proximity to the River Taff, which resulted in the area flooding badly during Storm Dennis in 2020. You can get more Merthyr news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
In years gone by the street was home to a close community of people, who would bring tables and chairs out onto the highway and put the world to rights on the narrow terraced road, while street parties would often spill over into the nearby park. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
Read more: Baby seal became stranded on rocks at Welsh beach
One resident who was forced to relocate in 2018 was Lisa Lloyd, who moved to Aberfan. She had lived in Taff Street for more than 20 years, and, speaking in 2019, she said: “I cried. One woman didn’t want to move, she was talking about barricading herself in. She said if she could she would go back there in a heartbeat, most of them would.
She added: “I used to go down every week when we moved but I don’t go down anymore because of the state of it. My husband lived there all his life. I met him 19 years ago and married and came here. Our kids grew up there. I’m from Merthyr and all the women made me feel so welcome. I remember there was a power cut and my husband was away and I was still quite young. My neighbours came out to give everyone torches and candles.
“I lived there 26 years, my parents lived there, my sister - all the family. Even though we have new houses it doesn’t even account for the heartbreak, everything we left behind. I think a lot of us felt like it was a holiday camp, we were all ready to go home when we first came up here. We’ve got used to it now but it doesn’t even compare to leaving Taff Street. You could knock each others doors for everything from a bag of sugar to a wheelbarrow and that’s the way it was."
You can see more pictures from Taff Street and Crescent Street here.
Another former resident is Sheree O’Brien, who lived in Taff Street along with her parents, grandparents, cousins and aunts. She said: “My granddad worked in the colliery and my father used to work there. Everyone knew everyone and would look out for each other. It was safe, you trusted everyone.
"It was a strange experience as we were told Crescent Street and Taff Street were going to be demolished years ago. It got to the point where we picked out the colours for our bathroom and kitchen but it was just a waiting game. We had years of waiting and waiting and the uncertainty. No-one knew.”
A few years have passed now since the families on Taff Street and Crescent Street had to pack up and move to pastures new, and while their former homes may be gone, their memories that were built over generations will continue to live on.
Read next:
- A 14-year-old girl has been missing for more than two days
- Jacob Rees-Mogg accuses Welsh Government 'of treating taxpayers contemptuously'
- Michelle Heaton shares harrowing photos taken during alcohol addiction
- All the strike dates in January in Wales including rail staff and driving tests
- Family share concern for dad-of-two missing since New Year's Eve
Find out about the latest local issues where you live
