In the early to mid 1800’s there were few shops in Merthyr, and with the enormous influx of people coming to the town to work at the ironworks, the rapidly expanding population needed to be fed. Some local farmers tried to supply the people but they couldn’t meet the demands made by the ever growing population.
To this end a number of ‘Courts’ began to be set up – small cul-de-sacs and enclosures, usually behind the street where animals could be kept to supply the local area with fresh food and milk. As well as keeping animals, a number of local traders carried out their business in in these ‘Courts’.
The trade in the ‘Courts’ continued until more shops were opened and the arrival of the railway meant that food and livestock could be delivered to urban areas.
Local historian Terry Jones has painstakingly researched these lost enclaves of Merthyr, and has provided a list of all of the ‘Courts’ he has been able to identify in Dowlais and Merthyr:
