A visitor from 50 years ago returning to the Allen Valleys would feel little had changed. Both the East and West Allen valleys would still appear to be communities relying mainly on agriculture.
During the peak of the lead mining industry in the late 1800’s agriculture provided many families with a ‘bread and butter’ income. Small holdings were run to supplement the meager earnings to be made in the mines as well as providing the family with food.
As mining declined many families left the valleys for jobs elsewhere and those that stayed relied more and more on the land to provide them with an income, slowly extending their small-holdings to create larger farms.
In more recent years farming seems to have gone full circle. Farm income today is having to be supplemented through other employment – tourism, haulage or work outside the farm. This trend could accelerate after the recent devastating effects on the Valleys from ‘Foot and Mouth’.
In an attempt to record these changes the Allen Valleys Archive was established If you have any material suitable for the archive please contact us.

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