St Athans Boys Village, January 2012

Information from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Village

Philanthropist David Davies, 1st Baron Davies of Llandinam and president of the Ocean Coal Company was first inspired to build a holiday camp for the sons of miners from the South Wales Coalfield in the early 1920s. Opened on August 8th 1925, the camp offered them an escape from the polluted and unhealthy atmosphere of Valleys industrial towns and a place to play and be free, as well as being close to the nearby beach. Over the years its usage developed to include the teaching of apprenticeships and new skills and a youth hostel was opened on site.

The buildings included a dining hall, dormitories, a gym, swimming pool, workshops, a church and even a war memorial. There was also a full-sized cricket pitch, putting green, tennis courts, football and rugby grounds and a pavilion.

The camp was requisitioned in 1940 for military use but returned to civilian use in 1945. With the nationalisation of the coal industry ownership passed to the National Association of Boys’ Clubs, an organisation that supported working boys from the ages of 14 to 18.

The site declined with the growth of cheap holidays abroad and the decline in coal mining in the Welsh valleys and subsequently closed in 1991.

After closure, the site was used for residential Bible courses by various church groups. Sold in 2000 to a new owner, it was stripped of its equipment and rented to a family. When they moved out in 2008 it was taken over by airsoft enthusiasts, graffiti artists and vandals. Various buildings were demolished from 2008 due to extensive fire damage, including the Sir Maynard Jenour building, which was built in the 1980s, the recreation building and a few residential and administrative buildings. The swimming pool roof which collapsed some years after the site's closure was also removed. Much of the debris that littered the remaining buildings was cleared.[citation needed]

In 2010, the owner placed the site on the market. Unprotected by any form of conservation order, the site could be cleared for redevelopment.

In June 2011 the area was secured with gates and fences, as well as large boulders and rubble to deter vehicles from parking near the site


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:I really like this looks like a good wander

A VAST difference of graffitti.........the 'Elvis' Banksy and the picture 12 are fantastic, as is the chimp in picture 10.
Some other 'works of art' are shabby in comparrison

Always good to see how bad this place gets..I enjoyed my visit here.

Great photographs

I have spent many hours walking around this place, photographing things in different lights - it never gets boring!

We are going to have to manacle you to slow you down! Another good report. I've been meaning to do this place for a while now but not been near Cardiff. What was your thinking behind the B&W pix? They are very striking.

Ace5150 said:

A VAST difference of graffitti.........the 'Elvis' Banksy and the picture 12 are fantastic, as is the chimp in picture 10.
Some other 'works of art' are shabby in comparrison

Click to expand...

Do you reckon? I personally don't think there's much talent in "stencil" graf like Banksy does at all. The real talent for me is in the freehand acrylic graf you occasionally see, such as at the Yorkshire Waterworks (below). The cross over stuff which begins with a stencil but is then elaborated by hand is often very good. What method do you think was used for the chimp? My best gues swould be part stencil, part freehand. He is pretty striking isn't he!

Looks like cool place to wander, shame it's so run down.

Oh, and I agree with TeeJF about the graffiti, freehand is far more impressive.

Still, nice pictures.

Here is some of the cool new art work at the village:

Oooo... thanks for putting those up. I love the second one but the first? Oh my Lord! What on earth was the artist on???

TeeJF said:

Oooo... thanks for putting those up. I love the second one but the first? Oh my Lord! What on earth was the artist on???

Click to expand...

LOL I thought that when I first saw the first one. I remember walking in through the door in the photograph and for the first time ever I jumped out of my skin! Was very funny

The place has a really desolate feel to it. Its a fair way outside of Cardiff and the only thing nearby is a farm and a powerstation. Lots of opportunities for framing photos because of the layout and the light was in our favour so the black and white shots worked to convey the feeling the place gave as you walked through it.

TeeJF said:

We are going to have to manacle you to slow you down! Another good report. I've been meaning to do this place for a while now but not been near Cardiff. What was your thinking behind the B&W pix? They are very striking.



Do you reckon? I personally don't think there's much talent in "stencil" graf like Banksy does at all. The real talent for me is in the freehand acrylic graf you occasionally see, such as at the Yorkshire Waterworks (below). The cross over stuff which begins with a stencil but is then elaborated by hand is often very good. What method do you think was used for the chimp? My best gues swould be part stencil, part freehand. He is pretty striking isn't he!

Click to expand...