Sirhowy Valley
Encyclopedia
The Sirhowy Valley is an industrialised valley in the eastern part of the Valleys region
of South Wales
. It is named from the Sirhowy River which runs through it. Its upper reaches are occupied by the town of Tredegar
within the unitary area of Blaenau Gwent
. The valley initially heads 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 unitary area 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
.
before evolving to meet the demand for coal
and the expansion of coal mining
. This process was led by companies such as the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company
. Coal mines used to be located throughout the valley, including: Wyllie
; Nine Mile Point
and Oakdale
. The Sirhowy passes the old Gelligroes Mill near Blackwood along its path.
Prior to the Beeching Axe
, the valley was served by the Sirhowy Railway. Stations could be found at many points including Nantybwch, Argoed
, Blackwood
, Pontllanfraith
and Ynysddu
.
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
of South Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is named from the Sirhowy River which runs through it. Its upper reaches are occupied by the town of Tredegar
Tredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
within the unitary area of Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in South Wales, sharing its name with a parliamentary constituency. 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...
. The valley initially heads south-southeast between the ridges of Cefn Manmoel
Cefn Manmoel
Cefn Manmoel is the name given to the broad ridge of high ground between the Sirhowy Valley and Ebbw Vale in the Valleys region of South Wales. It straddles the boundary between the unitary areas of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent....
to the east and Mynydd Bedwellte
Mynydd Bedwellte
Mynydd Bedwellte is the name given to the broad ridge of high ground between the Rhymney Valley and the Sirhowy Valley in the Valleys region of South Wales...
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 unitary area of Caerphilly
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
which contains the towns of Blackwood and Pontllanfraith
Pontllanfraith
Pontllanfraith is a large village located in the Sirhowy Valley in Caerphilly county borough, south Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is situated adjacent to the town of Blackwood, with the Sirhowy River passing through both locations...
. It then turns east and joins the valley of the Ebbw River
Ebbw River
The Ebbw River is a river in South Wales.The main Ebbw River is formed by the confluence of the two minor Ebbw rivers, Ebbw Fach, and Ebbw Fawr ....
, Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
at Crosskeys
Crosskeys
Crosskeys is a small village in Caerphilly county borough in Wales.- Location :Crosskeys is seven miles north west of Newport, just past Risca off the A467 road. Located near to the confluence of the Ebbw River and the Sirhowy River, it was originally called Pont-y-cymer...
.
History
The valley's industrial history began with ironworksIronworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
before evolving to meet the demand for coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and the expansion of coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
. This process was led by companies such as the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company
Tredegar Iron and Coal Company
Tredegar Iron and Coal Company was a major maker of iron 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...
. Coal mines used to be located throughout the valley, including: Wyllie
Wyllie Colliery
Wyllie Colliery was located in the Sirhowy Valley, South Wales.- 20th Century Pit :The coal mine was sunk by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company and opened in 1926. The colliery was named after a director of the company, Alexander Wyllie...
; Nine Mile Point
Nine Mile Point Colliery
Nine Mile Point colliery was a coal mine at Cwmfelinfach in the South Wales Valleys, originally known as "Coronation Colliery", and constructed between 1902 and 1905. The deepest shaft was 1,176 feet deep...
and Oakdale
Oakdale Colliery
Oakdale Colliery was a coal mine located in the Sirhowy Valley, one of the valleys of South Wales.In the early years of the twentieth century the need for coal was growing both in America and Europe, and local business men in Wales were looking for new opportunities to fill the demand...
. The Sirhowy passes the old Gelligroes Mill near Blackwood along its path.
Prior to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, the valley was served by the Sirhowy Railway. Stations could be found at many points including Nantybwch, Argoed
Argoed, Caerphilly
Argoed is a village in the Sirhowy Valley between Blackwood and Tredegar in Caerphilly County Borough in south Wales.Argoed is Welsh for wood or grove....
, Blackwood
Blackwood
-Botany:* African Blackwood , decorative timber tree native to seasonally dry regions of Africa* Australian Blackwood, Acacia melanoxylon, native to eastern Australia...
, Pontllanfraith
Pontllanfraith
Pontllanfraith is a large village located in the Sirhowy Valley in Caerphilly county borough, south Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is situated adjacent to the town of Blackwood, with the Sirhowy River passing through both locations...
and Ynysddu
Ynysddu
Ynysddu is a small village in the Sirhowy valley of south-east Wales. It is part of the district of Caerphilly within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is next to Cwmfelinfach, 4.3 miles north of the town of Risca and 4 miles south of the market town of Blackwood, about 10 minutes by...
.