Coast & Countryside

Machynys

Machynys has a history steeped in myth and legend stretching back long before the Industrial Revolution. Legend has it that in 513 the holy man Saint Piero built and endowed a splendid monastery on an island in the Loughor Estuary, which became known as Mynach Ynys (Monk’s Island).

Although there is no real evidence of the monastery’s existence, it is well chronicled that a house of grand construction did exist on Machynys for a considerable time. Machynys house was purchased by the Vaughan family of Pembrey in 1627 and remained in their possession until 1705 when the family estate was shared out between the heiresses, one of whom married the leading local industrial figure Sir Thomas Stepney.

At some point, the Machynys house was replaced by a farm building, which remained in place until its demolition in the 1970s. All that remains of either building is a few remnants of wall and - according to legend - a secret tunnel linking Machynys with somewhere in Penclawdd on Gower.

Both the house and farm stood proudly atop Machynys Mound and, over the generations, watched the dramatic changes to the landscape.

One of the biggest changes was the land reclamation programme that saw the island turned into a peninsula during the Industrial Revolution.

Industrialisation of Machynys began in earnest around 1841 with the construction of the South Wales Iron and Tin Works. A proliferation of factories followed over the next half century including a tinplate and chemical works, an iron foundry and a brickworks. One of the most famous of the Machynys factories was R.T. Mills which was build in the same year as the Titanic and was, allegedly, exactly the same size as the doomed ship.

The peninsula even had its own community know as Bwlch y Gwynt, several rows of terraced cottages built to provide accommodation for the people who worked in the local mills and factories. The homes were demolished in the 1960s and the residents re-housed in nearby Morfa and other parts of South Llanelli.