Gelli, Rhondda

Early and industrial history

The village of Gelli takes its name from a farm that was once found in the area, which translates from the Welsh language roughly as 'small wood or copse'. Before the industrialisation of the area there were few settlements in the area, mainly small agricultural and farm buildings. Archeological finds in the area have provided proof of earlier populations, mainly Bronze Age, though Gelli does house one of only two definite Romano-British finds in the Rhondda Valleys. Roman finds in the uplands of Glamorgan are scarce, but the settlement at Hen Dre'r Gelli, excavated in 1903, is the only undefended settlement of its type in the Rhondda. A lengthy archaeological report was published in 1906, but little remains of the site, with much destroyed during the construction of the Nant y Gwyddon refuse tip.

Modern Gelli

Gelli (Nantgwyddon) was also home to a landfill site which has been at the centre of controversial reports connecting it with birth defects in children born in the nearby vicinity. The reports resulted in a full scale environmental report, and the decision by the local authorities to cease the dumping of domestic waste at the site.

Education

Gelli Primary School, located on Ystrad Road, is the English language primary school that serves the village. Ysgol Gyfun Gynradd Bronllwyn is a Welsh medium primary school serving Gelli and surrounding area.

References

References

1. Rev J. Griffiths. (1906). "Hen Dre'r Gelli: A buried prehistoric town in the Rhondda Valley. Glamorganshire Volume 61 (1906) pp. 281–307". Archaeologia Cambrensis.
2. Davis, Paul R. 'Historic Rhondda' Hackman (1989) pp.14 {{ISBN. 0-9508556-3-4
3. "BBC report on Mindfully.org site".
4. "NHS Wales environmental report".
5. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1707615.stm Domestic dumping stops at landfill site] BBC Web site 13 December 2001
6. [http://www.estyn.gov.uk/inspection_reports/Gelli_prim.pdf "Gelli Primary School"], [[Estyn]], 25 June 2004.