Memorials to national anthem composer given stunning makeover

David Owens

Memorials to Welsh national anthem composer James James have been restored to their former glory in time for the opening of the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd this weekend.

The grave and memorial stone of the composer of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau have been restored and look unrecognisable from their previous state.

The composer’s grave is in Aberdare Cemetery, while the memorial stone stands in the town centre – both have undergone extensive restoration.

The lettering on both the grave and the stone have been restored thanks to funding from the local businesses who form part of Our Aberdare – the town’s business improvement district.

The restoration project was timed to be completed in time for the National Eisteddfod, which is held in Pontypridd from August 3-10.

Aberdare hosted the proclamation ceremony for the National Eisteddfod last year and Angharad Walters, the business improvement manager for the town, said the plan was to have the restored memorials ready for the influx of visitors to RCT during the Eisteddfod.

“The fact that we have the grave and the memorial stone of the father of the Welsh national anthem in our town is absolutely perfect for us,” she said. “Our thinking is that the majority of people that are going to be visiting RCT will go to the Maes, so how do we as a town centre entice people to come and see the rest of RCT.

“From our perspective, having the grave and memorial in Aberdare is a massive draw. I don’t even think people realise that the composer of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is buried here. So it’s important from a Welsh cultural heritage point of view, because this is a very important part of our history we are talking about.”

Stonemason

Angharad believes the gravestone was last cleaned some time ago, but a local stonemason employed for the job was very confident it could be restored.

“It was done about 20 years ago I’m told, but the stone and lettering were still in excellent condition. It just needed a really good clean and a bit of tlc.

“The businesses that are involved with Our Aberdare are the ones that have funded it and obviously the hope that the restoration will benefit them and we’ll be able to get more people into the town, will which will result in increased footfall into their shops.

“Without the businesses of Aberdare we could not do what we do but a special thank you goes to Darrell and his team from Ivor Phillips Sculptors who donated this memorial stone to the town in celebration of James James.”

In January 1856, the words of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Old Land of My Fathers) were written by Evan James (1809-1878) and his son James James (1833-1902) composed the music for the song.

In addition to the memorials, the James’ family bible is also housed in Aberdare library, while statues of Evan and James stand in Ynysangharad Park in Pontypridd.

“This man was such an important figure in the history of our country and our anthem is recognised as one of the best in the world,” said Angharad.

“Sometimes I think we are we really bad at blowing our own trumpet in Wales. So it’s up to us to make more of our history than we do. There’s so much history in our valleys.

“I just think we should be shouting from the rooftops about everything we have to offer. It’s our heritage and we need to preserve it for generations to come.”