, AltName= Ystradyfodwg (1877–1897) , Arms= , Motto= Hwy Clod na Golud (Fame outlasts wealth) , HQ=

Pentre Pentre is a village, community and electoral ward near Treorchy in the Rhondda valley, falling within the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The village's name is taken from the Welsh word Pentref, which translates as homestead, though ...

, subdivision_type=

Local Government District The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...

(1877-1894)

Urban District Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (his ...

(1894-1955)

Municipal Borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

(1955-1974)

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

(1974-1996) , Start= 1877 (as Ystradyfodwg) , End= 31 March 1996 , Replace=

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff (Welsh: ''Taf'') and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and vill ...

, image_map= Rhondda au pays de Galles (1974-1996).svg , image_map_caption= Rhondda district (1974-1996) shown within Wales Rhondda ( cy, Y Rhondda) was a local government district in the geographical area of the

Rhondda Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coal mining, coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fa ...

Valley, south

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, from 1877 until 1996, with various statuses through its history.

History

The district was initially created in 1877 as the Ystradyfodwg Local Government District covering most of the parish of Ystradyfodwg, but excluding the Rhigos area north of the hills. A

local board Local boards or local boards of health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate environmenta ...

was formed to govern the area. The district was enlarged in 1879 to take in parts of

Llanwonno Llanwonno ( cy, Llanwynno) is a hamlet high up in the hills between the historic mining valleys of the Rhondda and the Cynon in Rhondda Cynon Taf, deep in the heart of the South Wales Valleys. Llanwonno consists of St Gwynno's Church and an inn ...

and

Llantrisant Llantrisant (; " Parish of the Three Saints") is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the town's name are ...

parishes, bringing the

Porth Porth ( cy, Y Porth) is a town and a community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. Lying in the Rhondda Valley, it is regarded as the gateway connecting the Rhondda Fawr and ...

area into the district. The

Local Government Act 1894 The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level un ...

reconstituted the area as Ystradyfodwg Urban District, with an elected urban district council replacing the local board. At the same time the parish boundaries were adjusted so that the civil parish of Ystradyfodwg matched the urban district. It was renamed Rhondda Urban District in 1897 after the

River Rhondda The River Rhondda ( cy, Afon Rhondda) is a river in South Wales with two major tributaries, Rhondda Fawr (meaning ''big Rhondda'') and Rhondda Fach (meaning ''little Rhondda''). Description The river has two major tributaries, the ''Rhondda F ...

. In 1955 Rhondda received a charter of incorporation to become the

of Rhondda. The

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

completely reorganised local government in Wales in 1974. The Borough of Rhondda, with an identical area to the municipal borough, was one of six

local government district The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...

s of the new county of

Mid Glamorgan , Government= Mid Glamorgan County Council , Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–) , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Mid ...

from 1974 to 1996. The borough was abolished in 1996, with its area passing to the unitary

county borough.

Political control

The first election to the council following the Local Government Act 1972 was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. From 1974 until the council's abolition in 1996, the Labour Party always held a majority of the seats on the council:

Premises

The local board built itself a headquarters on Llewellyn Street in

, with the building being formally opened on 2 May 1884. The building continued to serve as the headquarters for the subsequent urban district and borough councils until the abolition of the Rhondda Borough Council in 1996. The new Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council moved its headquarters to

Clydach Vale Clydach Vale ( cy, Cwmclydach and adjoining ''Blaenclydach'') is a village in the community of Cwm Clydach, northwest of Tonypandy in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the Rhondda Valley, Wales. It is named for its situation on t ...

, using the old building at Pentre as secondary offices for some years before selling it.

Coat of arms

On incorporation in 1955, the borough was granted a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

. the

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...

was as follows: ''Vert a pall wavy argent on a chief indented sable a balance between two acorns leaved and slipped Or, and for a Crest out of a mural crown Sable a demi-dragon gules gorged with a riband pendant therefrom an escutcheon Or charged with three chevrons of the second and supporting a torch erect of the first enflamed proper. Supporters: On either side a sea-dragon sable the tail proper gorged with a collar checky argent and azure.'' In 1974 the arms were transferred to the Rhondda Borough Council. The shield was an heraldic map of the borough, with the white wavy "pall" depicting the confluence of the Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr rivers. The indented edge of the "chief" or upper third of the shield represented the mountainous nature of the valley. The chief was coloured black symbolising coal-mining. On this were placed symbols in gold: acorns for the growth of new industries and a balance for balanced development. The crest featured a mural or walled crown symbolic of local government. From this rose the red dragon of Wales. The dragon supported a flaming torch for coal and allied industries. around the dragon's neck hung a shield bearing three

chevron Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * '' Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock la ...

s, from the arms of the de Clares, Lords of Glamorgan. These formed the basis of the arms of both

Glamorgan , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Mot ...

and

Mid Glamorgan County Council Mid Glamorgan County Council () was the upper-tier authority for the Welsh county of Mid Glamorgan between its creation in 1974 and its abolition in 1996. History Local government in England and Wales was reorganised in 1974 under the Local Gover ...

s. The

supporters In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the c ...

were black sea-dragons, for Welsh sea-coal. Around their necks were silver and blue chequered collars. These were derived from the arms of the

Marquess of Bute Marquess of the County of Bute, shortened in general usage to Marquess of Bute, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1796 for John Stuart, 4th Earl of Bute. Family history John Stuart was the member of a family that ...

. The third Marquess was responsible for the initial exploitation of the coal reserves of the valley.

References

{{coord, 51, 38, N, 3, 28, W, display=title 1877 establishments in Wales

Mid Glamorgan Local Government Districts created by the Local Government Act 1858 Rhondda Valley de:Rhondda