Vaynor and Boy's Feb 2012

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tank2020

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Vaynor Church

The trouble with Wales is the mountains. They look very nice and all, but to get anyplace you have to navigate them. This generally means going round them. The second problem with Wales is the water, once you have navigated a mountain, there is normally a great big lake to get round. These obstacles play havoc with a merticulously set schedule.

Anyway; we payed this site a visit during our doomed journey to Talgarth Asylum. The church is still in use, but as you head deeper into the graveyard it becomes less cared for. A nice touch to the Graveyard was the waterfall and stream running adjacent to it. Straight out of a Hammer Horror.

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Boy's Village

Got up early to start day 2 of our tour, didn't account for the light conditions when we got here, the early, cloudy light made it hard to get some decent pics of the place. Speaking of conditions this site is truly wrecked, most of the smaller buildings have lost there roofs, and the yobs have started on the walls. the chapel however is standing up pretty well compared to the rest of the place.

I was not expecting the place to situated were it was, in the shadow of the massive power stations, but it sort of added to the atmosphere of the place.

A bit of history from Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Village


Philanthropist David Davies, 1st Baron Davies of Llandinam and president of the Ocean Coal Company was first inspired to build a holiday camp for the sons of miners from the South Wales Coalfield in the early 1920s. Opened on August 8th 1925, the camp offered them an escape from the polluted and unhealthy atmosphere of Valleys industrial towns and a place to play and be free, as well as being close to the nearby beach. Over the years its usage developed to include the teaching of apprenticeships and new skills and a youth hostel was opened on site.

The buildings included a dining hall, dormitories, a gym, swimming pool, workshops, a church and even a war memorial. There was also a full-sized cricket pitch, putting green, tennis courts, football and rugby grounds and a pavilion.

The camp was requisitioned in 1940 for military use but returned to civilian use in 1945. With the nationalisation of the coal industry ownership passed to the National Association of Boys’ Clubs, an organisation that supported working boys from the ages of 14 to 18.

The site declined with the growth of cheap holidays abroad and the decline in coal mining in the Welsh valleys and subsequently closed in 1991.

After closure, the site was used for residential Bible courses by various church groups. Sold in 2000 to a new owner, it was stripped of its equipment and rented to a family. When they moved out in 2008 it was taken over by airsoft enthusiasts, graffiti artists and vandals. Various buildings were demolished from 2008 due to extensive fire damage, including the Sir Maynard Jenour building, which was built in the 1980s, the recreation building and a few residential and administrative buildings. The swimming pool roof which collapsed some years after the site's closure was also removed. Much of the debris that littered the remaining buildings was cleared.

In 2010, the owner placed the site on the market. Unprotected by any form of conservation order, the site could be cleared for redevelopment

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Cheers for peeking.

t2020
 

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Thanks for sharing these :)

Just to add a bit of modern day info:

A few weeks ago, the site was sold to a new developer who has permission to build 5 houses. He will be renovating the church and selling that also. The monument will remain at the village and will be used at a centre icon for the area.

This came after a local officer met with the owner and relayed this information back to me.

Finally, the site is due to be fully secured and the owner has now requested for all trespassers to be arrested on site to prevent further damage to the monument and church.
 
Nice work tank.. loving the shot just before the St Athans Village report that is just amazing!!!!! :)
 
I advise going early...local officers are around there quite a bit this past week and the new owner has been there 4 out of 7 days also.

Decided to try my luck over Easter and a success all round :) got a bit lost trying to find it though lol. Shame to see all the damage that's been caused by vandals :( Can fully understand why the owner wants to preserve what's left.
 
Arrested for what? Possession of an offensive DSLR?

:lol: I did ask that to the PCSO who advised me not to enter... I didn't get a reply though. I have been there still a few times, so much changing on a daily basis.

kellisurbex, How did you get lost?? lol :)
 

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