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Ty Newydd (New House) was built in the 1930’s by

Mr. W.M. Llewellyn a prosperous mine owner.

History of Ty Newydd

It was originally a farm house called Bryn Gaer (fort on a hill), so at some time in it's history it must as it's name implies have been a defended or stockaded place. Many farms in the area have traces dating them back to very ancient times, indeed in the immediate area are a great number of Cairns, Standing stones, and Hut Circles and it would appear that the population was as large then as it is now when the climate was much warmer.

There is a Legend (and a Folk Song 'Y Ferch o Blwyf  Penderyn'), that the daughter, Ellen, of the nearby farm, Trebanog Fawr, was in love with one of the servants in Bryn Gaer (now Ty Newydd), but her father forced her to marry another man. The servant joined the Army and was sent to the Seven Years war, (1756-63), and never returned. It is said that she still waits for him and has been seen on occasion in parts of Ty Newydd, in particular she seems to favour room 6!

If you lived in South Wales in the first half of the last century, you would have surely known who the Llewellyns were. The influence of the dynasty began in 1872 when Rees Llewellyn, (1851-1919), became Surveyor and Under-manager at Bwllfa Colliery in Cwmdare. Later he became chairman of Bwllfa and Merthyr Dare Steam Collieries and entered into public and professional life in South Wales.

Rees and his wife Elizabeth, from Ystradfellte, had five boys and one girl who survived to adulthood.

William Morgan Llewellyn (1887-1943) was their third son. He attended Christ's College, Brecon and went on to become an agent at Bwllfa and later became general manager on his father's retirement. He lived initially at Nantmelin Farm, Cwmdare but later made his home at Ty Newydd. W.M. held numerous public offices and was well liked in the district. He was a benefactor to the village staging fetes and concerts, each year he gave a present to each of the village children at Christmas.

The Llewellyns of Bwllfa

William Llewellyns nephew, Henry Morton also known as Harry, secured a gold medal in show jumping, at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games for the British equestrian team, riding the legendary "Foxhunter". Foxhunter died in 1959. After Sir Harry's death, his own ashes were scattered near Foxhunter's grave on the Blorenge mountain above Abergavenny.

The Llewellyn family has remained in the public eye: Sir Harry’s sons,  Dai and Roddy, became well-known media personalities from the 1960's onwards, the former because of highly publicised relationships with Tessa Dahl and Orson Welles's daughter Beatrice, and the latter because of an eight-year affair with Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.

Mr. W.M. Llewellyn, J.P.

Rees Llewellyn