# Ystrad

Ystrad (also known as Ystrad Rhondda or Ystrad-Rhondda) is a village and community (and electoral ward) in the Rhondda Fawr valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.

## Description

As a community and ward Ystrad contains the neighbouring district of Gelli. Ystrad is a former coal mining village which was once housed the most profitable collieries belonging to the Cory brothers.
Ystrad is long and narrow, a main road where most amenities can be found, and a series of smaller residential streets lined with the terraces associated with the area. The majority of housing stock is the classic South Wales valleys terrace with infills of new build.
The Rhondda Fawr River runs through the village, separating it from Gelli on the southern bank.
Like most former coal mining communities in the South Wales Coalfield, Ystrad is remarkably self-contained. There is a very strong community in Ystrad Rhondda - a common feature of these mining towns. The Ystrad Rhondda railway station is on the Rhondda Line opened by British Rail.

## Religion

The oldest Baptist chapel in the Rhondda, and originally known as Ynysfach Chapel, Nebo was located at Ystrad. It was demolished in the early 1980s.
The Church of St Stephen is part of the Church in Wales Parish of Trealaw with Ystrad Rhondda with Ynyscynon in the Diocese of Llandaff. The church was built in 1895–1896.

## Governance

The Ystrad electoral ward is coterminous with the borders of the Ystrad community and elects two county councillors to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. From 1995 to 2004 it was represented by Plaid Cymru. Between 2004 and 2017 it was represented by the Labour Party though at the May 2017 election Plaid Cymru re-took the ward.

## Sport and leisure

Ystrad is home to rugby union team Ystrad Rhondda RFC, a Welsh Rugby Union affiliated team who play in the 2nd tier of the Welsh rugby leagues. It is also the location of the Rhondda Sports Centre.

## Name

Ystrad is Welsh for "vale". "Ystrad" is in Welsh "Yr Ystrad", with the definite article. It is a short form of the village name Ystradyfodwg or Ystrad-dyfodwg ("vale of Tyfodwg", the name of a saint) which gave its name to an extensive parish, and from 1887 the name of a local government district, renamed as "Rhondda" in 1897.
The Taff Vale railway station at Ystradyfodwg, opened in 1861, was given the short name "Ystrad". In 1930 it was renamed Ystrad Rhondda, possibly to avoid confusion with other stations with “ystrad” (Ystradmynach and Ystradgynlais).
Ystrad Rhondda is "the Ystrad which is the Rhondda district". Sometimes Ystrad Rhondda is said to mean "Vale of the Rhondda" but this is not the correct explanation.
See also other townships in Wales containing "Ystrad" as part of their name:All pages with titles containing Ystrad

## Notable people

    See Category:People from Ystrad
* Ben Bowen Thomas, civil servant and educationalist
* Jill Evans, Plaid Cymru MEP
* Mike Griffiths, Wales rugby union and British Lion
* Mel Hopkins, Wales international football player
* Nathan Jones, Welsh footballer and manager
* Maurice Richards, dual code rugby international and British Lion
* Rex Willis, Wales rugby union captain and British Lion
* Ernest Zobole, artist