The growth of Broad Street

In 1840, a businessman named John Griffith Williams set up Blaenavon’s first covered market. A new road was built, linking the market to the ironworks. Within 30 years, the new road, named Broad Street, was lined with shops. People from far afield (including from overseas) came to set up businesses. Throughout Victorian times, the town centre bustled with activity and supported well over 150 businesses, which provided everything that the community required.

The new Market House at Blaenavon, was opened on Saturday last, which as a substantial and commodious building reflects great credit upon the undertakers of it… the stalls are fitted up in a tasteful manner, and there is a new line of road in progress a little below the Iron Company’s stables to the Market Place… The market was well supplied with excellent meat, vegetables, shoes and earthenware, nearly the whole of the former being cleared off at an early hour.

Hereford Times, 30 May 1840

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  • King Street was another commercial street (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • The Llanover Tithe Map of 1843-44 shows very little development in what later became Broad Street (Acknowledgement: Gwent Archives)
  • Lower Broad Street (c.1900) (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • Broad Street c.1911. In the photograph can be seen the English Baptist Chapel, the Forge Hammer Assembly Rooms and Fowlers’ Drapery shop (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • Other streets, including Albert Street, also grew up around Broad Street, selling goods and services (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • Broad Street at its junction with Market Street c.1900 (Acknowledgement: Blaenavon Community Museum)
  • Lower Broad Street (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • One of the first buildings to be built in Broad Street was Bethlehem Independent Chapel, which opened in 1840. It stood on the banks of the Nant Llechan stream, which may have been used for outdoor baptisms (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)
  • Modern Broad Street (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)
  • This Ordnance Survey (1880s) shows the growth of the town centre during Victorian times (Acknowledgement: Ordnance Survey 1st Edition (6 inch series) 1880s (Blaenavon UDC Copy))
  • John Griffith Williams (1809-1884) arrived in Blaenavon in about 1830. He traded as a draper and brewer. He established the market, a gas works, a waterworks and the Red Lion Hotel. He is buried in St. Peter’s Churchyard (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)