O'r Slâd i Bencowrw / From the Slade to Saddle Point
Bu ardal Y Slâd yn nodedig am weithgarwch adeiladu llongau yn Abergwaun, ac yr oedd yno hefyd odynnau calch.
Roedd melin lifio ar gyfer trin pren ac hefyd sawl teras o dai yn dilyn cwrs y nant a lifau i’r aber o’r Slâd. Byddai teuluoedd mawrion yn byw yn y tai ac yr oedd yn ardal ar gyfer dosbarth gweithiol y dre. Gwahanol iawn oedd y tai mawr a adeiladwyd ar Benslâd. Mae’n debygol mai capteniaid llongau oedd yn berchen rhain.
Enw’r llwybr a welir ar y dde ydy Llwybr Pencowrw. Cyn dyfodiad y ‘pwll nofio’, roedd yn arfer poblogaidd ymysg pobl ‘y dre’ i gerdded draw i Bencowrw i ‘wmolch’ (nofio). Byddai plant yr ardal i gyd yn dysgu nofio yno. Byddai nofio i’r Cei, i’r ‘Fort’, neu hyd yn oed ymhellach yn ddigon cyffredin. Weithiau byddent yn nofio i’r ‘Nedwi’ neu i Bwllgwaelod.
Byddai llawer o fynd ar wylio cystadlu o’r fan hon. Mae’n bosib mai rasys hwylio neu rhwyfo, neu rasys nofio sy’n dwyn sylw y dorf yn y llun. Mae’n ddiddorol gweld car ar y llwybr, ac efallai bod uchelseinydd ar ei ben? Mae’r ffasiynau a welir hefyd yn ddiddorol. Ceir sawl math gwahanol o hetiau ar gyfer y merched a’r dynion. Mae pawb yn ymlacio ac yn mwynhau y tywydd ffein. Mae nifer yn sefyll yn ymyl y tonnau yn Lampit Bach, lle yr adeiladwyd math o bwll nofio dŵr hallt i blant bach. Mae ei olion yno hyd y dydd heddi.
Gwelir bwthyn Carreg yr Eos ar fin y tonnau. Y mae’n ymddangos ar fapiau cynnar – yn sicr cyn 1913. Oes rhywun yn gwybod pam y cafodd y bwthyn hwn ei enw?
Roedd y Slâd, flynyddoedd lawer yn ôl, yn ganolfan brysur a phwysig. Ar wahân i’r odynau calch, dyma oedd lleoliad canolfan carthffosiaeth Abergwaun, ac hefyd iard bren a melin lifio brysur iawn. Roedd Capt Evans R.N yn cadw cwch mewn tŷ cychod ger y traeth. Hwn oedd yn gwasanaethu fel y cwch achub lleol ymhell cyn i fadau achub R.N gael eu lleoli yn Goodwick. Roedd yr iard adeiladu llongau yn adnabyddus ac adeiladwyd nifer o longau yn lleol, a’r olaf o’r rhain oedd y “Gwaun Maid”. O’r Slâd, mae’r bryn cul yn troelli i fyny i dref Abergwaun.
The Slade was an area of Fishguard known for ship building. It also had its own limekilns. There were timber sawmills and several terraces of houses.
These terraces mirrored the shape of the Slade valley, formed by the stream on it’s way to the harbour. Large families were born and raised in these houses.
This was the business end of Fishguard at a time when the port at Lower Town was a hive of activity. The working class lived here while Penslade, above, was home to the more wealthy. It is quite probable that the houses on Penslade were built for sea captains.
The path seen disappearing to the right of the postcard was always known as Llwybr Pencowrw (Saddle Point path) until the name ‘Marine Walk’ was adopted by non Welsh speakers. Many generations of children learnt to swim at Pencowrw before the undercover swimming pool was built. It was not uncommon for swimmers to swim to the end of the Quay, the ‘Fort’ or further. Sometimes to Needle Rock or Pwllgwaelod.
Watching competitions from this spot was a popular amusement. Sailing or rowing races, or swimming races may be the focus of attention for the crowd in the picture. It’s interesting to see a car on the path, and maybe a loudspeaker on top? The fashions seen are also interesting. There are many different types of hats for women and men. All are relaxed and enjoying the fine weather. Many are lining the path, close to the waters edge at Llanpit Bach, where a salt water swimming pool had been built for use by small children. The remains of this is still visible today.
The cottage at the water’s edge is Carreg yr Eos (Stone of the Nightingale) It appears on early maps, certainly before 1913, but who knows why it was given this name?
Dyma ddyfyniad o gyfrol ‘Traddodiad y Môr’ gan J Geraint Jenkins (tudalen 161) am ddiwydiant adeiladu llongau Abergwaun.
‘Llongau bychain, un mast, oedd y rhan fwyaf o longau Abergwaun – smaciau fel ‘Fidelity’ (24 tunnell) a’r ‘William a Mary’ (26 tunnell) a’r ‘Rose’ (36 tunnell). Ond fel yn Nhrefdraeth, nepell i ffwrdd, adeiladwyd nifer o sgwneri a brigiau a fwriadwyd i hwylio tipyn pellach na’r arfordir yn Abergwaun. Yma adeiladwyd sgwneri fel y ‘Maria and Martha’ (96 tunnell) a’r ‘Gwaun Maid’ (117 tunnell) a brigiau dau fast fel y ‘Gleaner’ (133 tunnell), y ‘Martha’ (156 tunnell) a’r ‘Fortitude’ (125 tunnell). Y cyfnod rhwng 1780 a 1840 oedd cyfnod euraidd Abergwaun fel canolfan adeiladu llongau ac fe adeiladwyd o leiaf 45 llong ar lannau’r Afon Gwaun. Ar ôl 1840 er hynny, dibynnai perchnogion llongau’r porthladd ar adeiladwyr ar adeiladwyd llongau o borthladdoedd eraill yn cynnwys Trefdraeth ac Aberteifi, am longau addas i’w gofynion.’
This is an excerpt from the volume ‘Traddodiad y Môr’ by J Geraint Jenkins (page 161) about the Fishguard shipbuilding industry.
‘Most Fishguard ships were small with one mast – smacks like the ‘Fidelity ‘(24 tonnes) and the ‘William and Mary ‘(26 tonnes) and the ‘Rose'(36 tonnes). But as at Newport, a short distance away, a number of schooners and brigs were built with the intention to sail much further than the coast at Fishguard. Here schooners such as the ‘Maria and Martha’ (96 tons) and the ‘Gwaun Maid’ (117 tons) and twin masters such as the ‘Gleaner’ (133 tons), the ‘Martha’ (156 tons) and the schooner ‘Fortitude’ (125 tons) were built. The period from 1780 to 1840 was the golden age of Fishguard as a shipbuilding center and at least 45 ships were built on the banks of the River Gwaun. After 1840, however, port ship owners relied on builders at other ports including Newport and Cardigan, for ships to suit their requirements.’
The Slade was, many years ago, a busy and important centre. Apart from the lime kilns, it was the site of the filtration plant for Fishguard’s sewage, and also a very busy timber yard and saw mill. Capt Evans R.N kept a boat in a boat house near the beach which served as the local lifeboat long before the R.N lifeboats were stationed in Goodwick. The shipbuilding yard was well known for its many locally built ships, the last of which was the noted “Gwaun Maid” From the Slade, the narrow hill winds it’s way up to Fishguard Town.
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