page_title: Brynmawr Experiment
section_title: Subsistence Production Societies
hierarchical_section_title: Brynmawr Experiment / Subsistence Production Societies
caption_attribution_description: English: Cwmavon works
context_page_description: The Brynmawr Experiment was an effort led by the visionary idealist Peter Scott to address issues of poverty and unemployment in Brynmawr, South Wales between 1929 and 1939. Initially a relief project response of the Quakers in South-East England, it grew first into an effort to set up small industries and finally an ambitious utopian subsistence agriculture project for unemployed workers.
  Having received large amounts of money from government and private donations, the projects barely made a profit throughout their existence and finally closed in 1939. The official reason for their closure was that unemployment was wiped out due to the opening of local armament factories in the wake of the Second World War, but credit and government loans were also not extended which meant that the projects could not continue.
context_section_description: The final part of Peter Scott's vision for work in the Brynmawr area was what he called Subsistence Production Societies. The concept was that in return for voluntary work for the project, members would be able to buy goods and produce at a much lower price than they could buy in the local shops.
  Under an agreement made with the Government in 1936, unemployed insured workers could continue to collect "dole" payments if they volunteered for the SPS and were available for work if any came available.
  Initially, Peter Scott had been asked to set up several societies, but would only commit to two. One was near Wigan and the other near Brynmawr.
  Initially, suitable land could not be found close to Brynmawr so the SPS was set up in the "Eastern Valley", defined as the area between Cwmavon, Cwmbran, Brynmawr and Llandegvath.
  The Old Brewery at Cwmavon was bought and became the main centre of activities. This included a bakery, butchers, factory for making clothes a canteen and the stores where members could buy goods.
  Court Perrott dairy farm at Llandegveth was taken on and by 1937 had 100 Ayrshire cattle, pigs and sheep.
  Land at Pontymoile was used to build glasshouses to grow vegetables and fruit trees were planted at Llwyn-y-llan farm, Trevethin.
  At Beili Glas behind the old Brewery in Cwmavon pigs were kept and a small quarry opened for stone.
  In Griffithstown five fields were used for poultry, pigs and vegetables and in Pontnewydd there were bee-hives and a wood-working shop.
  Buildings were refurbished and new houses were built.
  At the peak in 1937 there were 400 men in the society, about 9% of the unemployed men registered at the Blaenavon and Pontpool labour exchange at the time. It was decided to expand to form a second SPS with the purchase of two farms nearer Brynmawr and the opening of a coal level.
caption: The Old Brewery, Cwmavon - site of much of the work of the Eastern Valley SPS
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