Travel along the B road through Aberhafesp and there is turning to a housing estate called Hillcrest. The site is at the valley bottom close to the stream called Nant Aberhafesp (the summer dry stream).

Mair and myself moved from a rented house in Caersws to the third house in the then new estate in 1971. The builder was Clyne Davis with the help of his two younger brothers, Phillip and Frankie. They traded as Hillcrest Estates, hence the name of the development. I had a discussion with Clyne that the name was geographically incorrect. I also discussed why a Welsh name was not considered. The B4568 runs from Newtown to Pontdolgoch. The road enters Aberhafesp between Ysgafell Isaf and Cogan. The turning by the church leads to Tregynon. The church is dedicated to the Celtic saint of Gwynog, a site almost certainly dating back to the sixth century. Next is the recent English name of Hillcrest. The village is called Pentre, the council houses were built at Minhafren. The next turning is to Wern-ddu, then the turning to Bwlch-y-ffridd, the road crosses to Llanwnog at Pont Rhydlydan. So the name Hillcrest seems culturally incorrect.

In the early 1970s, I can recall talking to the then very elderly. They had received education entirely through English but they retained some knowledge of Welsh with their grandparents. My mother was born at Clifden, County Galway and she could recall several of her classmates with some knowledge of Irish because of a previous generation. Newtown would have a close connection with the surrounding villages and also with the Welsh language. Many place names are either Welsh or English: the historical reasons are worthy of further study. Some have both, examples are Waenybricks or Brynwoods. An example of English spelling is Vaynor, from Y Faenor, meaning Manor farm,

The hill crest above the estate is Brynypentre Wood, this may have been coppice two centuries ago. The top end of Aberhafesp is Bryn-du and Brynyfawnog, large area of peat moorland. The edges of peat cutting can still be traced. The need for fuel in 1800 was a challenge for heating and cooking so the purchase of coppice wood and peat helped. The problem was eased by the canal first from Garthmyl Port and then of completion of the canal. Coal came from Morda colliery near Oswestry by tramway to Gronwen wharf east of Llanymynech. The railway replaced this in the 1860s so coal became the main fuel for heating and cooking. This led to tradesmen of coal merchants.

The two languages interact. The post war estates in Newtown have only one in English and that is Barnfields. The others are Garthowen, Maesyrhandir, Maesydail, Vaynor, Trehafren and Treowen. The study of place names is worthy of further research. The names pass down through generations so Hillcrest with the incorrect location will be used in the future recalling the builder long in the history books.

There are many interesting places within Newtown and the surrounding villages where the two languages interrelate. An example is the post war housing estates. Barnfields is entirely in English although Rhodfa Masarn has been added to Sycamore Drive. The lanes of Treowen are all in Welsh, the Vaynor lanes are Welsh such as Minafon (beside the river), Garthown contains both, Maesyrhandir is mainly English, Maesydail is mainly Welsh while Trehhafren lanes are Welsh. The language is worthy of further study. An example is Golwgydre, a view across the town.

Hillcrest at the Valley Bottom

by Brian Poole