Castellau

Castellau ("fortifications"; alternate: Castella)[1] is a hamlet,[2] with a country house of the same name in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. Historically, it lies within the parish of Llantrisant, just north-west of Beddau.[2] It is connected with the history of the Trahernes. In 1988, Ysgol Castellau became the first Welsh medium education school to open in the southeast within new buildings.[3]

Castellau
Castellau Location within Rhondda Cynon Taf
Principal area	Rhondda Cynon Taf
Ceremonial county	Mid Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LLANTRISANT
Postcode district	CF72
Dialling code	01443
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Pontypridd
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Pontypridd, South Wales Central Electoral Region

Geography

After crossing the Rhondda, the road rises out of the valley in a southerly direction nearly due south to Castellau. Castellau is located less than a mile north-west of Beddau.[4] A forge was situated in a small valley, Darren Ddeusant,[5] extending upwards by the mansion, Castellau House, into the hills to the north of Llantrisant.[6] This hamlet contains some coal works, part of the produce of which is shipped for Ireland.[2]

History

Scenery

While the name imports a fortified place, nothing is known of its history. It might have formed an outpost to the castle of Llantrisant.[1] The Traherne family lived for several centuries at Castellau. They are descended through Sir George Herbert of Swansea, son of Sir Richard Herbert.[7] It was later owned by a Mrs. Smith.[8]

Castellau House

Built in the late Classical Regency style, Castellau House probably predates 1807. The large two-storeyed house[9] is a remodel from a 17th-century three-unit house. The interior has a semicircular staircase, square hall, bow-ended dining room, Ionic columns, marble chimneypiece, cast iron balustrade. The white house's exterior features bowed ends, a six-bay facade, central doorway, slate roof, cantilevered eaves, and a cast iron veranda.[10]

Chapel

Chapel Castellau Independent was built in 1842 or 1843 and a renovation occurred in 1877. It was not used only as a place of worship. In 1851, Joshua Evans of Cymmar was its minister while in 1865, Henry Oliver served as minister.[11] The chapel is located 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the house; featuring angled pinnacles and transomed lancets, the interior has galleries on three sides and a polygonal pulpit.[10]

References

1. Brayley, Edward Wedlake; Britton, John (1815). The Beauties of England and Wales, Or, Delineations, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive, of Each County: South Wales (Now in the public domain. ed.). Printed by T. Maiden, for Vernor and Hood. pp. 651–52.
2. Lewis, Samuel (1833). A topographical dictionary of Wales: comprising the several counties, cities, boroughs, corporate and market towns, parishes, chapelaries, and townships, with historical and statistical descriptions: embellished with engravings of the arms of the cities, bishoprics, corporate towns, and boroughs; and of the seals of the various municipal corporations. With an appendix describing the electoral boundaries of the several boroughs, as defined by the late act: also illustrated by maps of the different counties, and a map of north and south Wales (Now in the public domain. ed.). S. Lewis. p. 218.
3. Williams, Iolo Wyn (2003). Our Children's Language: The Welsh-Medium Schools of Wales, 1939-2000. Y Lolfa. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-86243-704-6.
4. Lewis, Dillwyn (1966). The history of Llantrisant. Beddau Centenary Committee. p. 105.
5. Williams, Stewart; Denning, R. T. W. (1967). Stewart Williams' Glamorgan historian. Cowbridge: D. Brown. p. 48.
6. Cambrian Archaeological Association (1863). Archaeologia cambrensis (Now in the public domain. ed.). W. Pickering. pp. 92–. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
7. Joseph Jackson Howard, ed. (1884). Miscellanea genealogica et beraldica. IV (Now in the public domain. ed.). London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. p. 102.
8. A handbook for travellers in South Wales (Now in the public domain. ed.). John Murray. 1860. pp. 14–. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
9. Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales (September 1981). An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan: Domestic architecture from the Reformation to the Industrial Revolution. pt. 1. The greater houses. H.M.S.O. ISBN 978-0-11-700754-3. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
10. Newman, John (1995). Glamorgan: (Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and West Glamorgan). Yale University Press. pp. 64, 402, 403–. ISBN 978-0-14-071056-4.
11. Hicks, Gareth (2 March 2011). "Castellau Welsh Independent Chapel, Llantrisant". genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2011.