LLANPUMSAINT HERITAGE
WALKING TOUR

Thomas Lewis, realising the potential for transporting finished goods that the arrival of the railway provided, set up Glanyrynys Woollen Factory in 1886 just a quarter of a mile from the station.

The 1891 census reveals 8 staff 'living in' on the premises at Glanyrynys including carders, wool washers, warpers and weavers.

Thomas Lewis made frequent visits to the fairs of South Wales as far as Aberdare and Treorchy, canvassing orders for his woollen shirts and blankets. The First World War and the consequent demand for uniforms provided a boost for the business.

In the 1920s however, the end of the war and changing fashions meant that the demand for wool products dried up and Glanyrynys ceased production at the end of this decade.

In 1939, the Minitry of Food used the buildings to store animal feed and flour and Cow and Gate used it as a store for dried milk for seven years after the Second World War, after which the building was converted into flats.

Thomas Lewis died in 1947 at the age of 84 and is buried in Caersalem graveyard.