At the 2001 census, 3,842 people lived in Pengam, and there were about 1,561 homes. 1% of residents were from ethnic minority groups, 27.67% of people were between the ages of 20 and 39, and there were 797 people over the age of 60. 67.78% of residents owned their own homes either owned outright or with a mortgage. 24.79% of residents lived in council or housing association homes. 5.89% of residents lived in privately rented homes. 1.54% of residents lived completely rent-free. The population rose slightly to 3,848 at the 2011 Census.[2]
The population density of Pengam is approximately 4,204 people per square mile (1623/km2). The actual size of the electoral ward is 0.9 square miles (2.3km2).
The biggest employer in this area (with 29.42% of people) is the manufacturing industry.
Pengam is home to Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, Pengam Primary School, Fleur-de-Lys Primary and Ysgol Trelyn.
Coal and the railways
Two collieries previously existed in, or near, Pengam. One at the top of the Main Street (Pengam Pit), and the other was on the Aberbargoed Road (Britannia Pit).
The sinking of Pengam Colliery was begun in the late 1890s by the Rhymney Iron Company to work the Brithdir House coal seam at a depth of 312 yards. By 1908, it was employing 196 men and in 1918 the workforce numbered 518. During the late 1920s, it came under the ownership of the Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries Ltd., who employed 67 men there in 1938. The workforce numbered 195 in 1945.
As with most House Coal collieries in this area, Pengam was troubled with water inundation and heavy water pumps worked around the clock to avoid the mineworkings flooding. Production ceased in 1956 but it was kept open as an underground pumping station, to prevent the flooding of the nearby Britannia colliery. There was a landing, about halfway down in each of the Britannia shafts (North and South) from which it was possible to access Pengam pit bottom. The official entrance to Pengam colliery was adjacent to Pengam (Mon) station, on High Street previously known as Waunborfa Road.
Pengam at one time had two railway stations – one in Glamorgan and one in Monmouthshire. The line in Pengam (Mon) belonged to the Brecon and Merthyr Railway. Construction began in 1825 and it was opened in 1836, mainly to cater to the needs of the small pits and levels, and then increasingly for the collieries when they were sunk at the start of the century. It also accommodated the desire for more mobility by the rapidly growing population of the valley, when the steam locomotives pulled the passenger carriages up and down the line. The railway track from Newport to Brecon, or Tredegar, branched at Machen, the line going from there to Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil. The line branched behind Britannia Colliery for Brecon, or carried straight on to Tredegar where the line terminated.
Light engine in 1965 at the station on the Brecon and Merthyr line
The locomotives hauling the coal trains along this line were pannier-tank type steam engines. The station, and stationmaster's house were directly adjacent to Pengam pit.
Pengam was the location of the Austin Junior Car Factory set up by Leonard Lord, managing Director of the Austin Motor Company, to employ disabled Welsh miners making children's pedal cars. More than 30,000 J40 pedal cars were built between 1949 and 1962. Apart from a few managers and trainers from Longbridge, the factory was considered unique in the world at the time for having a workforce that was 100% disabled – 60% of whom suffered from Complicated Pneumoconiosis.[3]
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
Caerphilly County Borough is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It is governed by Caerphilly County Borough Council.
Rhymney is a town and a community in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. With the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is designated as the 'Upper Rhymney Valley' by the local Unitary Authority, Caerphilly County Borough Council. As a community, Rhymney includes the town of Rhymney, Pontlottyn, Abertysswg, Butetown and Twyncarno.
South Wales is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards to include Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. In the western extent, from Swansea westwards, local people would probably recognise that they lived in both south Wales and west Wales. The Brecon Beacons National Park covers about a third of south Wales, containing Pen y Fan, the highest British mountain south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia.
The Rhymney Railway (RR) was a railway company in South Wales, founded to transport minerals and materials to and from collieries and ironworks in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales, and to docks in Cardiff. It opened a main line in 1858, and a limited passenger service was operated in addition.
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.
Trethomas is a small village 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) northeast of Caerphilly, southeast Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.
The Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (B&MR) was a railway company in Wales. It was originally intended to link the towns in its name. Finding its access to Merthyr difficult at first, it acquired the Rumney Railway, an old plateway, and this gave it access to Newport docks. This changed its emphasis from rural line to mineral artery.
Blackwood is a town, community and an electoral ward on the Sirhowy River in the South Wales Valleys administered as part of Caerphilly County Borough. It is located within the historic county of Monmouthshire.
Rhymney Valley was one of six local government districts in Mid Glamorgan from 1974 to 1996.
Fochriw is a village in Caerphilly County Borough, Wales. It was well known for its neighbouring collieries, which employed nearly the entire local population in the early 20th century. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. The village appears as the backdrop on the BBC Wales sitcom High Hopes credits. The village's population was 1,250 in 2011.
The Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway was built to bring the coal output of the Aberdare and Rhondda valleys directly to Alexandra Docks at Newport.
Oakdale is a large village in Caerphilly county borough, Wales, 9½ miles north of Caerphilly itself, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Situated in the Sirhowy valley, it is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Blackwood, with which it forms a conurbation. At the 2001 census Oakdale had a population of 4,478.
Llanbradach is a village within the historic boundaries of Glamorgan, South Wales less than three miles north of the town of Caerphilly. It is part of the community of Llanbradach and Pwll-y-Pant.
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni is a Welsh-medium school situated in the village of Fleur-de-Lys in the Rhymney Valley. Cwm Rhymni was founded in 1981 with just over 150 pupils and has since grown to 1,684 pupils with 1,164 at the Gellihaf campus and 520 at Y Gwyndy.
Abertysswg railway station was a station which served Abertysswg, in the Welsh county of Glamorgan. It was served by trains on the line from Pengam (Mon) to Rhymney Lower & Pontlottyn.
The Taff Bargoed is a river and valley near Pontypridd in South Wales, and lies off the Abercynon roundabout on the A470 road, and is approximately 14 miles from Cardiff. The main settlements are Nelson, Edwardsville, Quakers Yard, Treharris, Trelewis, and Bedlinog. The valley is situated where the three County Boroughs of Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taff, and Merthyr Tydfil meet.
Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod is a Welsh medium primary school located in the village of Gilfach, Bargoed in the County Borough of Caerphilly.
Cwm Bargoed railway station was near the village of Fochriw, in the Taff Bargoed valley of Caerphilly County Borough, Wales, from 1876 to 1964 on the Rhymney Railway. The station was 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Merthyr Tydfil, but was in a parallel valley.
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