Something I didn't know about........

............... Tredegar, my home town!

I read tonight in the local paper that the largest of the two cemeteries in Tredegar, the Cefn Golau cemetery, was originally the Cholera Cemetery for the county. It was in a small section of the paper called 'Past Times'. I simply chanced upon it.

Tredegar is 24 miles away from this City where I live now and I thought I knew most of what there is to know about my home town. Yet it seems that this isolated site, set on the bleak mountainside in Tredegar is one of the most evocative sites in the South Wales Valleys.

Mortal remains of at least 200 people who were cholera victims are buried there. The article says...

There were two major cholera epidemics in Tredegar, the first in 1832 and another one in 1840. There was a smaller outbreak in 1866. There are still 26 gravestones standing, surrounded by broken fragments of many others. Cefn Golau Cemetery is a scheduled ancient monument and is protected by law.

Well, I never knew that! I wonder if my Aunt, who died aged 96 years earlier this year, new about this. She, like me, was a valley girl in her youth. I feel another photo opportunity coming on! I simply must do that.