Derelict school still has artwork on the walls and PE kit on the floor
For a lot of us, school days are remembered with affection. From forming lifelong friendships to keeping up with the latest fashion trends, school was the most exciting part of our young lives even if it didn’t always seem that way at the time.
When we walk through their doors for the last time, for most of us, it’s an opportunity we’ll never have again. But not for photographer Tim Morris, who got to visit his former school, Dyffryn Lower Comprehensive School in Port Talbot, almost half a century later.
Dyffryn Comprehensive School, which was officially opened in 1966, was situated on two sites. Year 7 and Year 8 pupils were taught at the Lower School, which was located on Talcennau Road in the town, while Year 9, 10 and 11 pupils attended the Upper School on Bertha Road in Margam.
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Eventually, both schools were closed to make way for a bigger school – Ysgol Cwm Brombil, which is now home to children from the ages of three to 16. In 2019, the former Upper School buildings were demolished, and in the same year, the Lower School building was deemed as “surplus” to the operational requirements of the Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning Directorate.
Now, the former school on Talcennau Road is facing a new chapter in its life. In May of last year, Neath Port Talbot Council’s planning committee approved plans for new homes. It is set to see the construction of 43 affordable properties built on the site by developers Linc Cymru, along with an internal road network, landscaping, and additional car parking. You can read more about the proposed plans here.
Ahead of the work taking place, developers got in contact with Tim Morris, to invite him to take photographers of the old site before the major changes get underway. The photographer took pictures of the derelict site in the space of four supervised visits with the developers.
Here are some of the best photos of the school. He also shared his experience of taking photographs of his former school.
Tim Morris explained that the first time he went to Dyffryn Lower Comprehensive School as a pupil was in 1974 at the age of 11 – almost 50 years ago
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim has been an avid photographer all his life and mostly enjoys taking photographs of buildings
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“I hadn’t done schools until now,” he said. “I’ve done farm houses, industrial places, military places. They were all legal – I don’t break into these places. Going into my old school and having a look around was great.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim said he attended the nearby Central Junior School before going to Dyffryn Lower. He said: “Dyffryn was a much bigger school, they had more children than we had in the junior school. Coming from the Central School, I was one of the biggest, largest boys and then I went to Dyffryn – even though there were only two years there, I became one of the youngest.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“As an 11-year-old, you don’t really appreciate the architecture of the school or the buildings while you’re in it,” Tim said. “I could walk to the school because my parents’ house in Port Talbot was about a five-minute walk away. I could walk to it then and I could see it.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“I was aware that the school had closed, but didn’t know when it had closed. I go to Port Talbot to visit my parents, but I don’t really socialise in Port Talbot anymore – up until recently I didn’t keep up with what was going on in the town.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim explained that he became a member of various art walk groups on social media, one of which is located in Port Talbot. From there, a representative of Linc Cymru got in contact with the group asking if a photographer wanted to take photos of the closed school before work would begin on the site, which Tim volunteered to do.
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“The reason I got involved in this is because there is a heritage project aiming to record the school, and also when it’s demolished, to try and have some sort of memorial for the school built into the new housing development.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim first visited the old school in September of last year and went back to take more photographs three more times
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim said: “I went in twice in September of last year, the next time I wandered from the outside, and then the last time I went in was January of this year.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)When asked what it was like, Tim said that it was “quite bizarre”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)He added: “The outside buildings haven’t really changed, but the inside – it has changed completely from when I was there, I was trying to remember what it was like.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“The old woodworking room is no longer there, that had been repurposed.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“The lower part of the school was for the lower year, and it’s strange to think, we were all taught in that building for the whole of our first year.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“The only building that had remained the same was the gym – that hadn’t changed since the 70s, it had the same wooden floors and the beams.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim revealed that his favourite subjects while at Dyffryn Lower Comprehensive School were the scientific subjects
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“I was quite glad that I could go back in a few times. I went in for the first time, and there were things I hadn’t photographed or I thought I hadn’t photographed well. So to go back in a few times afterwards, I could explore the same buildings but from a different angle.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Dyffryn Comprehensive School, which was officially opened in 1966, was situated on two sites, and Year 7 and Year 8 pupils were taught at the Lower School
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Some of the work that former pupils did while at Dyffryn Lower
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“Going in, I had no idea what it was like, so there was no plan. I remember the layout being there as a boy, but in terms of what the state was like, I just wanted to see what it was like.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)According to Tim, some rooms, including the gym, had remained in tact, while others had been affected by the weather and other elements
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)He said: “The gym photos are the ones that stand out for me, the room seemed fairly intact. But to go to the other extreme, the very first form room that I was in has been badly damaged by rain and various things.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“You’ve got the contrast where the building is intact and then the room that has been destroyed.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“The gym was the highlight for me because it was just like it was back in the 70s, it hadn’t changed whatsoever.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Even a pair of PE daps had been left in the school
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“The changing rooms were the same, very simple, very basic.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)The school kitchen had also been frozen in time
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)‘Is it good to live forever?’
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Even former pupils’ work had been left on the school floor
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Some more work
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Ystafell yr Athrawon
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim said he “enjoyed” the experience of taking photographs of his former school
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim said: “I’ve shared it on a Facebook group that has been specifically set up for former pupils of Dyffryn School, I joined that and shared the photos. People loved the pictures, but I think people’s memories of the school were good and bad.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“Some people had good times, some people had bad times with the place.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)For Tim, he had nothing but fond memories of his former school. He explained that he went on to work within the IT industry and retired as a computer programmer last year, which meant that he had “more time” to focus on his photography
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)“I’m surprised with how small the school seems now compared to when I was there.”
(Image: Tim Morris Photography)Tim said he was “proud” of the work that he produced while visiting his former school
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