Twenty years ago Ystalyfera was a hub of activity. A thriving, bustling community, this quaint village nestled between mountains and valleys in the upper Swansea Valley in Neath Port Talbot county was home to everything locals needed – cafes, clothes shops, furniture stores, butchers, ironmongers, and even a lido so locals and visitors could go for a refreshing dip in the midday sun. Now, though, residents say it's "like a ghost town".
Walking down the village's main road, Commercial Street, it's a struggle to even tell which businesses are open and which have closed down – and with some closing for a lunch hour every day residents have to think ahead and plan when they're going to visit the ailing high street. While the village is just a seven-minute drive (or quarter of an hour bus ride) to the next town, Ystradgynlais, locals say the two communities are worlds apart. Whilst Ystradgynlais boasts banks, bargain stores, and a host of independent businesses there isn’t much to be found on the main street in Ystalyfera – though business owners and community volunteers are doing what they can to inject some life and passion into the village.
Local resident Kelvin Davies, 65, who has lived in the area all of his life aside from a few years away with the military, thinks the village has steadily got worse over time. "I get frustrated as I remember what it was like growing up here," he said. "There were local corner shops, two ironmongers, butchers', cafes – there was once 21 pubs and clubs [between Ystaylfera and the neighbouring villages] but the village just looks rundown. It used to be thriving."
