SCHOOLS

TALYBONT

In 1841 the Reports of the Commission of Inquiry into the state of education in Wales, known as the Blue Books, gave a very biased and controversial account of how children were being taught in the country partly because no consideration was made for Welsh being the first language for a very high proportion of the population. The report for Talybont was dated 1841 but there is no record where the actual premises was sited. Probably Mount Pleasant although the first recorded date for that school is 1857.

A better report was given in 1870 by a Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools called Mr Binns who wrote “The portion of Breconshire which I still retain includes within 15 schools with 19 departments and having 271 scholars present for examination. Of these the mixed school at Talybont under Mr D R Davies takes the lead for attainments and efficiency”.

The first recorded school was started in the premises now known as Mount Pleasant with no record prior to 1857. The building was owned by the rector of Llandetty Rev John Jones and was known as the New John Jones Trust. He let the premises rent free and bequeathed the property to the new school. On January 31st 1931 the Mount Pleasant was sold for £325.

Demand for better premises grew and in 1861 a new school room and master’s house was built at a cost of £480 through donations of local land owners, farmers and individuals. However by the criteria laid down by the Education Act of 1870 the premises were deemed to be too small to accommodate the rising pupil demand resulting in an extra classroom being added between 1873/4 again by public subscriptions. As numbers fell the school was closed in 1991 with children now being transported primarily to Llangynidr.

Talybont School Blue Books report

Talybont School Blue Books report

 

Talybont School 1891

Talybont School 1891

Mount Plesant 1900's

Mount Plesant 1900’s

Talybont School 1932

Talybont School 1932

Talybont School Gardening 1932

Talybont School Gardening 1932

Talybont School gardening 1937

Talybont School gardening 1937

Talybont School Hockey Team 1937

Talybont School Hockey Team 1937

Talybont School Hockey Team 1937

Talybont School Hockey Team 1937

Talybont School Northcote Cup Winners 1938

Talybont School Northcote Cup Winners 1938

Talybont School infants 1939

Talybont School infants 1939

Talybont School 1939

Talybont School 1939

Talybont School 1940

Talybont School 1940

Talybont School 1941

Talybont School 1941

Talybont School 1950

Talybont School 1950

Talybont School 1952

Talybont School 1952

Talybont School Cricket team 1954

Talybont School Cricket team 1954

Talybont School Alan Jones' school certificate 1957

Talybont School Alan Jones’ school certificate 1957

Talybont School 1971

Talybont School 1971

Talybont School1982

Talybont School1982

Talybont School 1983

Talybont School 1983