Sirhowy | |
---|---|
The remnants of the Sirhowy Ironworks | |
Location within Blaenau Gwent | |
OS grid reference | SO144101 |
Community | |
Principal area | |
Preserved county | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | TREDEGAR |
Postcode district | NP22 |
Dialling code | 01495 |
Police | Gwent |
Fire | South Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
UK Parliament | |
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Sirhowy (Welsh : Sirhywi) is a village in the Sirhowy Valley (Welsh : Glyn Sirhywi) and the county of Blaenau Gwent.
It is located 0.83 miles (1.34 km) north east of Tredegar, 1.44 miles (2.32 km) north west of Ebbw Vale, and 16.73 miles (26.92 km) north west of Newport. The A4048 runs near the village.
The area is also known as a popular rock climbing site due to the geology of the area offering "one of the best chunks of quarried sandstone in the area". [1] UK Climbing describe this as providing a "brilliant line-up of fingery wall climbs" and "plenty of excellent (slightly) easier climbing on some of the best rock around." [1]
The Gwent Heritage voluntary group have extensively documented the history of the area as far back as its mining establishment. The group's branch meets regularly to contribute to the collection of materials covering the region. [2]
The Sirhowy River flows past the west of the village. [3]
The ironworks established in the village were first established in 1778 operated by William Borrow, Rev. Matthew Monkhouse and Richard Fothergill [4] and are of regional and national significance, and are well preserved. [5] It supplied first Tredegar Ironworks and later Ebbw Vale Ironworks with pig iron. In 1818 the works were acquired by James Harford of Harford, Partridge and Co. of Ebbw Vale. [4] By 1877 it was overproducing iron and was partly demolished, however it continued to produce coke until 1905. [5] The remains of the site include the three masonry arches, furnace base, waterwheel tunnel, and other earthworks. [5] It is a scheduled monument listed by Coflein and Visit Wales and is open to visitors. [4]
Facilities in Sirhowy include a Tai Calon Community Housing centre named Star Centre, Welsh Government funded Flying Start hub, [6] [7] one pub, one restaurant, an IndyCube co-working space, and two garages.
The village was formerly served by the defunct Sirhowy railway station. The village is now a 40-minute walk 2.2 miles (3.5 km) from Ebbw Vale Town railway station. [8] From there services run to and from Cardiff Central. In 2021 services will also run to Newport. [9]
The village is served by several bus stops providing services to various locations as listed below.
Sirhowy is covered by an electoral ward of the same name, [10] though this covers a far larger area to the northwest of the village. The population of the ward in 2011 was 5,630. [11]
The ward's Councillors are Brian Thomas (Ind, Sirhowy), Malcolm Cross (Lab, Sirhowy), and Tommy Smith (Lab, Sirhowy). [12]
The area is represented in the Senedd by Alun Davies (Labour) [13] and the Member of Parliament is Nick Smith (Labour). [14]
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar. Its highest point is Coity Mountain at 1,896 feet (578 m).
The Ebbw Valley Railway is a branch line of the South Wales Main Line in South Wales. Transport for Wales Rail provides an hourly passenger service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Cardiff Central, and an hourly service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Newport.
Ebbw Vale Parkway railway station is a station on the Ebbw Valley Railway in Wales. The station opened on 6 February 2008 when services to and from Cardiff Central commenced after 46 years of being a freight-only line. A northwards extension of the line to a new terminus at Ebbw Vale Town opened on 17 May 2015, which accounts for the drop in usage in 2015–16. A direct service to Newport was expected to commence in 2018 following double-tracking and re-signalling works between Aberbeeg and Crosskeys, but this has now been pushed back to 2021.
The Sirhowy Valley is an industrialised valley in the eastern part of the Valleys region of Wales. It is named from the Sirhowy River which runs through it. Its upper reaches are occupied by the town of Tredegar within the county borough of Blaenau Gwent. The valley initially runs south-southeast between the ridges of Cefn Manmoel to the east and Mynydd Bedwellte to the west before turning to a more southerly direction. Its central section is one of the least populated of the Welsh coalfield valleys. The valley enters the county borough of Caerphilly, which contains the towns of Blackwood and Pontllanfraith. It then turns east and joins the valley of the Ebbw River, Ebbw Vale at Crosskeys.
Ebbw Vale Town railway station serves the town centre of Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, Wales, serving as the terminus of the Ebbw Valley Railway.
Beaufort is a village and community on the northern edge of the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in Wales. It is located in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) and the preserved county of Gwent. According to the 2011 census, the population of the ward and community of Beaufort is 3,866
Trefil is a small village in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. It lies at the top of the Sirhowy Valley, near to Brecon Beacons National Park. It is three miles northwest of Tredegar. With one public house, The Top House, serving homemade food and drinks to local visitors.
Cwm is a former coal mining village, community and electoral ward three miles (4.8 km) south of Ebbw Vale in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, United Kingdom. In the far north of the community lies Waunlwyd.
Ebbw Vale Steelworks was an integrated steel mill located in Ebbw Vale, South Wales. Developed from 1790, by the late 1930s it had become the largest steel mill in Europe. It was nationalised after World War II. As the steel industry changed to bulk handling, iron and steel making was ceased in the 1970s, and the site was redeveloped as a specialised tinplate works. It was closed by Corus in 2002, but is being redeveloped in a joint partnership between Blaenau Gwent Council and the Welsh Government.
Tredegar Iron and Coal Company was an important 19th century ironworks in Tredegar, Wales, which due to its need for coke became a major developer of coal mines and particularly the Sirhowy Valley of South Wales. It is most closely associated with the Industrial Revolution and coal mining in the South Wales Valleys.
Swffryd is a Welsh community on the boundary of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
Badminton is a community and electoral ward in Blaenau Gwent, Wales, with the community being created in 2010.
Waun-Lwyd or Waunlwyd is a village in the Ebbw Valley in Blaenau Gwent. It belongs in the community of Cwm.
Ebbw Vale bus station, also known as Inner Bypass, is a bus terminus located in the town centre of Ebbw Vale, South Wales.
Brynithel is a village in the Ebbw Valley in Blaenau Gwent. It belongs in the community of Llanhilleth.
Coalbrookvale is a village in the Ebbw Valley in Blaenau Gwent. It belongs in the community of Nantyglo and Blaina.
Georgetown is a village in the Sirhowy Valley in Blaenau Gwent. It belongs in the ward of Georgetown.
Llan-dafel is a village in the community of Cwm, in the Ebbw Valley in Blaenau Gwent.