Glanclydach cottages are situated on the western side of Aberclydach in Cwm Clydach, built into the steep south bank almost opposite the chapel. They were built as four quarryworkers’ cottages, probably in the early nineteenth century. This would correspond with the date that the main valley road and pass through the mountains to Pontsticill appears to have been developed. Most of the bridges date from this period and are probably associated with the construction of the Brecknock and Abergavenny canal which reached Talybont in around 1800.  

The cottages have an unusual plan – a version of dual row industrial housing, with two cottages entered at higher level to the front on top of two cottages entered at ground floor to the rear, which created a tall and narrow building. They were built of stone rubble and were originally limewashed. Now they have a corrugated roof with centre ridge and end stack, each presumably shared by two cottages on the vertical axis. To the rear are the two lower cottage doorways with planked doors flanked by windows; above are small windows to the ground floor, and very small windows to the first. The elevation fronting the lane is similar, with two doors flaked by windows with small first floor openings, some of them blocked.  

The cottages are unmodernised and have been uninhabited since the 1950s. They are Grade II listed for their exceptional interest as a scare surviving example of unaltered rural industrial housing of the early nineteenth century.  

Taken from the Cadw listed building database, reference no. 19235. 

RCAHMW, 1st May 2020