The video will start in 8 Cancel

Get the biggest stories sent straight to your inbox Sign up for regular updates and breaking news from WalesOnline Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

They were once proud neighbourhoods each boasting a unique and vibrant identity.

But after years of decline, these estates began to suffer from deep-seated social problems caused in part by the poor conditions people were expected to live in.

Something these communities have in common is that authorities eventually decided the only way to solve the problem was to tear them down and start again.

Here are some of the estates in Wales that have been torn down after suffering decades of decline:

Newtown, Cardiff

In the years after the Irish potato famine of 1845, hundreds of Irish families came to Cardiff for work.

Many ended up settling in Newtown, which had been expanded by the Marquess of Bute to house construction workers for Cardiff's new docks.

With a population made up mainly of Irish families, the area became known locally as "Little Ireland".

Its six streets - Ellen Street, North Williams Street, Pendoylan Street, Pendoylan Place, Roland Street, and Rosemary Street – were immediately south of the railway line and north of Tyndall Street.

But by the 1930s, the area had deteriorated to slum conditions.

The houses were bought by compulsory purchase in 1966 and eventually demolished in 1970.

The site then became a trading estate which in turn was demolished in anticipation of a new housing and office development in 2010.

Loudoun Square, Cardiff

In the heyday of the Marquess of Bute's Butetown, Loudoun Square was the jewel in the crown and perhaps the poshest area of town.

The heart of the old Tiger Bay, the square surrounded a green, tranquil park with its houses home to shipwrights, mariners, merchants, brokers and builders.

By the 1880s, the wealthier residents had moved away to the new suburbs on the outer edges of Cardiff.

(Image: Western Mail Archive)

While Mount Stuart Square became the site for an impressive new Coal Exchange building, Loudoun Square became increasingly overcrowded as more tenants banded together to help pay high rents.

After the Second World War, housing in Butetown was in extremely poor repair and the area was considered a slum by city authorities.

Eventually, the decision was taken to demolish the existing houses and replace them with modern residential tower blocks.

Loudoun Square was the first area in Butetown to be tackled.

The housing was cleared in 1960 and over the next six years, two 16-storey tower blocks, Loudoun House and Nelson House, were built on the centre of Loudoun Square.

The blocks still stand to this day and have benefited from several investment schemes.

Temperance Town

(Image: Glamorgan Archive)

Perhaps one of the most striking changes to the Cardiff landscape in the last 100 years has taken place around Wood Street and the River Taff.

From the late 1850s until it was demolished in the 1930s, the area was known as Temperance Town - named for its teetotaller Colonel Edward Wood, who imposed a condition on the developer that the sale of alcohol would not be allowed within its boundaries.

The working-class inner-city suburb was developed through the 1850s and early 1860s.

Schools were opened in January 1879 and a church, St Dyfrig's, was built in 1888. The main street, Wood Street, was filled with shops and other businesses.

Temperance Town was another area to fall victim to Cardiff's loss of prosperity in the early 20th century due to the decline in coal exports.

Poverty and overcrowding increased, and conditions deteriorated.

In 1930, Great Western Railway built a new station on the edge of the district and the railway company convinced Cardiff Corporation (then the local authority) to improve the area.

Demolition began in 1937 but was delayed by the Second World War. The bus station was opened in 1954, and Wood Street was widened with offices and shops.

Today, the area is undergoing further redevelopment with new offices in Central Square that will soon house BBC Wales and Cardiff School of Journalism.

(Image: Richard Williams)

The Billybanks, Penarth

The Billybanks housing estate was once a pioneering 1960s housing scheme.

In its early years, it was described as the "heart and soul" of its town - known for its sense of community and pride.

More than 300 homes were built for up to 1,000 people and their high quality was recognised with a prestigious architecture award.

But after decades of neglect and a lack of investment, an unmaintained Billybanks fell into disrepair and suffered from the subsequent influx of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Its reputation quickly turned to that of an eyesore and a magnet for squatters.

In 2002, a regeneration plan was approved by Vale of Glamorgan Council and, after a lengthy delay, an application to demolish the estate was passed in 2007 to make way for the new Penarth Heights.

Residents were rehoused around the Vale of Glamorgan and their homes were levelled to make way for luxury apartments with breathtaking views.

(Image: Rob Browne)

Bwlch y Gwynt and Machynys, Llanelli

(Image: Sandra Jenkins/Abandoned Communities)

Bwlch y Gwynt and Machynys were two distinct communities south of Llanelli, known for their production of tin and steel.

The two hamlets were once made up of more than 100 homes, complete with its own school and surrounding industries.

After the tinplate mines closed in the 1960s and 1970s, 100 households moved out of their communities and into council houses in Llanelli.

The terraced houses and factories were pulled down and in 2005 the land was turned into an 18-hole golf course.

Brynmefys, Llanelli

(Image: Llanelli Star)

The Brynmefys estate was built near the Furnace area of the town in the post-war period.

By the late 1980s, residents started moving away from the area and a steady period of decline ensued.

Today, the buildings still stand with missing roof tiles, overgrown gardens and broken and boarded up windows. Only a few of the properties remain occupied.

(Image: Llanelli Star)

The site is now a popular draw for urban explorers and film crews who travel from all over the country to experience and capture its unique atmosphere.

Dylife, Powys

(Image: Abandoned Communities)

Located at the head of Afon Twymyn, Dylife was a former lead mining community.

It was first established during Roman times and recommenced during the 17th century until the 19th century.

As lead reserves declined near the end of the 1860s, so did Dylife's population.

(Image: Abandoned Communities)

Before the community diminished, it housed a church, chapels, a school, post office, grocery, butchers and a smithery.

In 1864, its population stood at around 100, with many of its men and boys working in the mines, but numbers began to dwindle with the loss of work.

The Star, a pub from the time of the decline, still remains.