Cefn Coed Cemetery is of historic interest as a Victorian public cemetery with its original layout largely surviving in its entirety.

The cemetery is situated at the north end of the village of Cefn-coed-y-cymmer on the north-west edge of Merthyr Tydfil, on the lower, sloping sides of the Taf Fawr valley, divided into two sections by the river. It is the oldest and largest general public cemetery in Merthyr Tydfil, created in 1859 when the town was experiencing a population explosion. Apart from the loss of the chapel of rest it survives as originally laid out. Some of the graves are of great historic interest, reflecting a wide range of occupation and wealth. Historical events, such as pit disasters and cholera outbreaks, are also commemorated. A few memorials are of value for their sculptural and monumental qualities and include the work of the well- known Victorian sculptor Joseph Edwards RA.

The cemetery is about 40 acres in extent and can be divided into four main sections: the oldest, Cefn, on the east flank of the Taf Fawr valley (opened 1859); the Ffrwd section, on the west flank (1905); and the Pontycapel (1982) and Capel Fach (1994) sections above the Ffrwd. Each section represents a phase of development and expansion since the original area was laid out.
The first burial took place on the 16th April 1859.

The sections are subdivided by drives and/or narrow paths. Planting is informal, Cefn having the broadest variety including pine, Irish yew, Monkey Puzzle, cypresses, laurel and cedar. Some older deciduous trees may predate the cemetery. The Ffrwd section has two large wellingtonias. Flanking the Cefn entrance on the old A470 (now A4701) is a lodge, the carpark terrace below it the site of the former chapel.

Lying as a separate plot adjacent to the Cefn section of the cemetery, just beyond its north end, is the Jewish Burial Ground (406441).

Sources:
Cadw 2000: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Glamorgan (ref: PGW(Gm)35(GLA)).
Photographed during RCAHMW aerial reconnaissance on 13 June 2011.

RCAHMW, 6 July 2022

Site Record

Cefn-Coed-y-Cymmer Cemetery, Merthyr Tydfil