Caerphilly County Borough

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Caerphilly County Borough
Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili (Welsh)
Caerphilly Castle (8083727397).jpg
Twisted Chimney - geograph.org.uk - 5295162 (cropped).jpg
Celtic Trail.jpg
Left to right:
Caerphilly arms.png
Motto: 
Working Together for the Good of All
Caerphilly UK location map.svg
Caerphilly shown within Wales
Coordinates: 51°39′22″N3°10′59″W / 51.656°N 3.183°W / 51.656; -3.183
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country Wales
Preserved county Gwent
Incorporated 1 April 1996
Administrative HQTredomen Park, Ystrad Mynach
Government
[1]
  Type Principal council
  Body Caerphilly County Borough Council
   Control Labour
   MPs
   MSs +4 regional members
Area
[2]
  Total107 sq mi (277 km2)
  Rank 16th
Population
 (2022) [2]
  Total176,130
  Rank 5th
  Density1,640/sq mi (635/km2)
Welsh language (2021)
[3]
  Speakers10.5%
  Rank 2nd
Time zone UTC+0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 code GB-CAY
GSS code W06000018
Website caerphilly.gov.uk

Caerphilly County Borough (Welsh : Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It is governed by Caerphilly County Borough Council.

Contents

Its main and largest town is Caerphilly. Other towns in the county borough are Bedwas, Risca, Ystrad Mynach, Newbridge, Blackwood, Bargoed, New Tredegar and Rhymney.

Geography

Caerphilly County Borough is in southeast Wales and straddles the border between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. It is bordered by Cardiff to the southwest, Newport to the southeast, Torfaen to the east, Blaenau Gwent to the northeast, Powys to the north, Merthyr Tydfil to the northwest and Rhondda Cynon Taf to the west. [4]

The northern part of the borough is formed by the broad expanse of the Rhymney Valley. The Rhymney River rises in the hills in the north and flows southwards for about thirty miles, looping round to the east just to the north of Caerphilly before reaching the Bristol Channel. Some of the larger towns are Bedwas, Risca, Ystrad Mynach, Newbridge, Blackwood, Bargoed, New Tredegar and Rhymney. The valley also includes the communities of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tir-Phil, Brithdir, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly. [4]

History

Located on the edge of the South Wales Coalfield this area was sparsely populated with livestock husbandry being the main occupation. Farmers in their remote farmhouses on the windswept pastures might dig themselves some bucketfuls of coal for their hearth. Things began to change with the development of the iron industry, the start of the Industrial Revolution. In 1752, a 99-year lease was granted for a parcel of land in the Rhymney Valley which gave the lessees the right to mine coal and iron ore. Other such transactions followed, pit shafts were dug and the coal industry developed. [5] By the beginning of the twentieth century, there were forty coalmines in the valley. [6]

One of the pits sunk in the late nineteenth century was the Elliot Colliery. At its peak before World War I, it was producing over a million tons of coal a year and employing nearly three thousand people. The coal eventually became depleted and the colliery closed in 1967. Most of the site was cleared but the East Winding House survives and is now a Grade II listed building, and a museum of the coal industry in the area has been opened on the site. [7] All the pits in the valley were closed by the end of the twentieth century; the spoil heaps were removed and the area was landscaped so that it is not now apparent that the valley ever had an industrial past. [6]

The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996 by the merger of the Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorgan with the Islwyn borough of Gwent. [8] In 2008, as a result of representations from different communities in the borough, a draft plan was put forward proposing various changes to the borders between communities. [9]

Education

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the County Borough of Caerphilly.

Individuals

Military Units

See also

Sports

Rugby

There are many rugby union clubs throughout the county. [20] These are:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caerphilly</span> Town in South Wales

Caerphilly is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bargoed</span> Town in Wales

Bargoed is a town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly. It straddles the ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, with Bargoed lying in Glamorgan and Aberbargoed in Monmouthshire. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council, consists of the towns of Bargoed and Aberbargoed and the village of Gilfach. The combined population of these settlements is about 13,000. The town's rugby club Bargoed RFC holds the world record for the most consecutive league wins in a row and was World Rugby magazine's team of the year in 2005. The town’s football team AFC Bargoed also have a rich history and finished second in the TERV Premier League 2022

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ystrad Mynach</span> Human settlement in Wales

Ystrad Mynach is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough, within the ancient county of Glamorgan, Wales, and is 5 mi (8.0 km) north of the town of Caerphilly. The urban area has a population of 19,204, and stands in the Rhymney Valley. Before the Industrial Revolution and the coming of coal mining in the South Wales Coalfield the valley was rural and farmed. It lies in the community of Gelligaer.

The Rhymney Valley is one of the South Wales valleys, with the Rhymney River forming the border between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. Between 1974 and 1996 a Rhymney Valley local government district also existed. The valley encompasses the villages of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Hengoed, Pontlottyn, Tir-Phil, New Tredegar, Nelson, Rhymney, and Llanbradach, and the towns of Bargoed, Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach and Aberbargoed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caerphilly (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918 onwards

Caerphilly is a constituency centred on the town of Caerphilly in South Wales, represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Chris Evans of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhymney River</span> River in the Rhymney Valley, Wales

The Rhymney River is a river in the Rhymney Valley, South Wales, flowing through Cardiff into the Severn Estuary. The river formed the boundary between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire until in 1887, the parishes east of the river, Rumney and St Mellons, were transferred from the jurisdiction of Newport, to Cardiff in Glamorgan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bargoed railway station</span> Railway station in Caerphilly, Wales

Bargoed railway station serves the town of Bargoed in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is a stop on the Rhymney branch of the Valley Lines network. It is located close to the Bargoed Interchange bus station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Rhymney Valley</span> Former district of Mid Glamorgan, Wales

Rhymney Valley was one of six local government districts in Mid Glamorgan from 1974 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedwellty</span>

Bedwellty is a small village in Caerphilly County Borough in south Wales. The village stands on a ridge of high ground between the Rhymney and Sirhowy valleys. The village comprises St Sannan's parish church, public house and a few houses. The register of St Sannan's Church dates from 1624, which qualifies Bedwellty as an ancient parish. Historically the parish lay in the county of Monmouthshire, the hundred of Wentloog, Tredegar County Court District, the rural deanery of Bedwellty, the archdeaconry of Monmouth and the diocese of Llandaff. Several towns based on the iron industry expanded within the parish boundary, including from west to east, Rhymney, Tredegar and Ebbw Vale, which gradually gained administrative independence from Bedwellty between the 1870s and 1890s. A Bedwellty Local Government District was established for the rest of the parish in 1891, becoming an urban district in 1894.

The College Ystrad Mynach is a former college of further education based in Ystrad Mynach in Caerphilly county borough, Wales. It had over 13,000 students ranging from school leavers to adult mature students. It taught mainly vocational courses from entry level to Degree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gelligaer</span>

Gelligaer is a community in the County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales, in the Rhymney River valley. As well as the village of Gelligaer, the community also includes the small towns of Hengoed and Ystrad Mynach. The population of the community at the 2011 census was 18,408.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberbargoed Hospital</span> Hospital in Wales

Aberbargoed Hospital was a community hospital in Aberbargoed, Caerphilly County Borough, Wales. It was managed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust was an NHS Trust in South East Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Listed buildings in Wales</span>

This is a list of listed buildings in Wales, which are among the listed buildings of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence</span> Welsh sports facility

The CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence was opened in May 2014. The CCB Centre for Sporting Excellence in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, Wales, is a sports facility located in and run by Caerphilly County Borough Council, South Wales. The Centre's facilities include a FIFA 2 star 3G Football Pitch, an IRB 22 ratified 3G Rugby Pitch, 2 conference rooms, a strength and conditioning room, medical & first aid rooms, a community room, 2 grandstands; 1 on each pitch and 2 balconies overlooking both pitches for performance analysis purposes.

References

  1. "Council and democracy". Caerphilly County Borough Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics . 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. "How life has changed in Caerphilly: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. 1 2 Concise Road Atlas: Britain. AA Publishing. 2015. p. 27. ISBN   978-0-7495-7743-8.
  5. "The History of the Upper Rhymney Valley". Bute Town. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  6. 1 2 "The Rhymney Valley today". Bute Town. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  7. "A History of Elliot Colliery". Winding House Project. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  8. "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994". The National Archives. legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  9. "Communities boundary review". Caerphilly County Borough Council. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  10. Crockett, Natalie (17 May 2009). "Caerphilly borough honours favourite son Calzaghe". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  11. 1 2 James, Rhiannon (6 October 2021). "Lauren Price and Lauren Williams get freedom of Caerphilly". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  12. "Prestigious honour set for Local Olympians". Caerphilly County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  13. "Royal Welsh Regiment to receive Freedom of Caerphilly County Borough – Caerphilly.Observer". 21 September 2010.
  14. WalesOnline (15 September 2010). "Regiment to get freedom of the borough".
  15. steveorido (26 September 2010). "The Royal Welsh Freedom of the borough, Blackwood and Caerphilly". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 via YouTube.
  16. "NOTICE OF THE DECISIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2020 AT 5.00P.M." (PDF). Caerphilly County Borough Council. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  17. James, Rhiannon (28 March 2022). "Royal British Legion granted the freedom of Caerphilly". Wales Online. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  18. "Freedom of the County Borough awarded to the Royal British Legion". Caerphilly County Borough Council. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  19. James, Rhiannon (25 March 2022). "Royal British Legion awarded freedom of Caerphilly county borough". The South Wales Argus. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  20. "Club Finder".