Pendyris, Conway Road

According to an inscription on the stonework at the front of the house, it was built or altered in 1872. It was originally known as Tydfil House as shown on an entrance gate pillar. In 1884, it was occupied by Mr Lewis Tylor who was the coal owner of a colliery at Pendyrus in Rhondda Fach in a locality now known as Tylorstown. In 1887 it was extended by Mrs Blosse and again 1893 by H.J. Lynch Blosse. On the 11th May 1895 the property was conveyed to Dr James Mullin for £1,900. In 2010 there was a descendant of Lynch Blosse living at 67 Conway Road.

It is not known who was the architect for 56 Conway Road but a very similar house, no. 36 Park Place may have been built by William Burgess. It was described as a marvellous Victorian House and was once the home of the BBC in Cardiff. It is now owned by the University of Cardiff.

During Dr Mullin’s time at Pendyris, there was a Miss Banting, an artist who coloured photographs who occupied the dining room and pantry as a kitchen. Following the death of Dr Mullin on 19th December 1919 and his wife Mrs Annie Mullin on 27th January 1921, the house was refurbished and occupied by their daughter Mrs Iorwerth Clark and her family, previously living at Bargoed, Glamorgan.

The house then became the home of the Clark family. House keepers during this period were Miss Morfydd Lewis, Mr & Mrs Groves, a German Jewish refugee couple, Miss Rebecca Bradley, later Mrs Stone, Winnie and Walter Cridland. After the family had grown up the top and first floor were converted into flats and occupied by various tenants. The first floor was occupied by Mrs Orsini, and later by James Henry (Jim) and his family and later by Arthur and his family. Jim’s wife was the former Margaret Hailey and Arthur’s wife the former Margaret Seccombe.

As members of the family left, part of the downstairs was converted into a flat. Among the occupants of the downstairs flat were Sir Emrys Evans while he served on the Boundary Commission for Wales, Mr Franklyn Williams, the Senior Officer for Wales of the Ministry of Fuel and Power. Following the death of Mrs Clark in 1962, the lettings continued until the 1980’s when the property was sold for redevelopment into a number of apartments by the Corlan, later Wales & West Housing Association.

David Clark, July 2010.