The last remaining house in the Welsh village of Troedrhiwfuwch, abandoned in 1985 due to fears of a landslide similar to the Aberfan disaster, has been sold at auction for £35,000. The three-bedroom property, 2 Lawrence Terrace, stood as the sole survivor of a once-thriving mining community of around 600 residents, with only the former post office and war memorial also remaining.
Evacuation Due to Geological Instability
Troedrhiwfuwch, located in the Rhymney Valley of south Wales, was founded in the 1850s to house workers from nearby mines. The village comprised roughly 100 terraced houses, along with a school, church, shops, and pubs. In the 1980s, serious concerns arose about the geological stability of the surrounding terrain, with fears that the mountain behind the village was moving, potentially causing a catastrophic landslide. This led to the evacuation of all residents in 1985.
The Last House Standing
Despite the village being largely demolished, 2 Lawrence Terrace survived, hidden behind foliage on one of three residential streets. The property, which retains its original furniture, offers a poignant glimpse into the past. Sean Roper of Paul Fosh Auctions, which handled the sale, stated: "It's a vastly overused word but this a truly unique sale for all manner of reasons, the main one being that the house offers a real-life connection to a now vanished community where a population of more than 600 men, women and children and their pets, once thrived." He added: "Why this otherwise ordinary three-bedroom house survived while all the others didn't remains a bit of a mystery but it may be a story a new owner of the property may wish to unravel."
Property Features and Auction
The house includes two reception rooms, a kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor, three bedrooms upstairs, and a rear yard with outbuildings and a front garden. It is equipped with gas central heating and partial uPVC double glazing. The property was auctioned by Paul Fosh Auctions with a guide price of £35,000, offering stunning views of the valley and mountains. The sale has since concluded, and the house is no longer on the market.
