Tredegar
Encyclopedia
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
. The historic Tredegar Iron Works
in Richmond, Virginia
, United States was named in honour of the town.
, namely:
Hence by the start of the 1700s, the upper Sirhowy Valley was a natural well wooded valley, consisting of a few farms and the occasional small iron works where iron ore and coal naturally had occurred together.
s and worked by men from Penydarren
, Merthyr Tydfil
. The Sirhowy Iron Works was erected in 1750 by Mr Kettle of Shropshire. In 1778 Kettle sold this ironworks to Thomas Atkinson and William Barrow, who came to the area from London. They developed it as the first coal
fired furnace, so men were employed to dig coal at Bryn Bach and Nantybwch, the first small scale coal mining
operation in the area. The furnace and hence the business failed in 1794.
, with partners Richard Fothergill
and the Matthew Monkhouse built a new furnace, leasing the land from the Tredegar Estate in Newport
. This created the new Sirhowy Ironworks, that were in 1800 to become the Tredegar Iron Company, named in honour of the Tredegar Estate at Tredegar House
and Tredegar Park
in Newport
in the south of the county.
Homfray was a hard task master. He sold franchise
es to business people who wanted to operate within his town, from which he would take a percentage. He paid his workers in his own private coinage, so that they could not easily spend their wages outside the town. However, the opportunity to work created a boom town, which with a parish population of 1132 in 1801 had boomed to 34,685 by 1881, in part boosted by the laying of the 24 miles (38.6 km) stretch of horse drawn track to Newport
in 1805.
But all of this development came at a price. Adrian Vaughn, in his 1985 book "Grub, Water & Relief," mentions that in 1832 John Gooch took a managerial post in the Tredegar iron works:
There were several cholera
epidemics in the town in the 19th century, and a dedicated cholera burial ground was established at Cefn Golau
.
and the Labour Movement
in the UK. It was the birthplace of Aneurin Bevan
, who was responsible for the introduction of the British National Health Service
(NHS), and who in the 1920s was involved in the management of Tredegar General Hospital
. It was also the birthplace of former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock
who attended Georgetown Infants and Juniors. His predecessor as leader, Michael Foot
, was MP for the local constituency - Ebbw Vale
- during his time as party leader. Ironically, Michael Foot's constituency home was Number 10. In a further irony, Tredegar, as part of the Blaenau Gwent constituency was for a period no longer represented by a Labour MP, with the independent Dai Davies representing the once safe Labour constituency until the general election of 2010.
is a Grade 2 listed house and gardens. Originally a "low thatched-roof cottage", the old house was renovated in 1809. The present Bedwellty House was built in 1818 as a home for Samuel Homfray, whose Iron and Coal Works were the main local employers for much of the 19th century. The surrounding 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) Victorian
garden and park, designed originally as a Dutch garden around which one could walk or ride without being confronted by gate, fence or outside features, contains the Long Shelter, a Grade 2 listed structure built for the Chartist movement.
.
Tredegar Orpheus Male voice choir celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. Originally in Tredegar there were two choirs, a glee party and a small chapel
choir. In 1909, these united under the baton of Mr John Davy Evans, and thus became known as 'The Tredegar Orpheus Male Voice Choir', the name Orpheus
coming from the Greek god of music.
Tredegar Town Band won the Champion Band
of Wales title for the tenth time in 2010, and became the British Open Champions for the first time in their history in the same year.
Their financial support comes from local councils and from the support of 'friends' who raise the money needed to maintain the band. Many other bands attract private sponsorship.
Tredegar is home to rugby union
teams Tredegar Rugby Football Club
who play in the Swalec League Division One East and Tredegar Ironsides Rugby Football Club
. The club was formed in 1946. There is also the nearby Tredegar and Rhymney Golf Club
.
, connecting Tredegar to Newport Docks
through 24 miles (38.6 km) of tramway. Originally powered by horses, in 1829 Chief Engineer Thomas Ellis was authorised to purchase a steam locomotive from the Stephenson Company. Built at Tredegar Works and made its maiden trip on December 17, 1829. In 1865 the railway was extended north to Nantybwch to meet the LNWR The railway declined with the industrial works, and Tredegar railway station closed with the Beeching Axe
in 1963. The closest railway stations now are in Ebbw Vale, Rhymney and Abergavenny.
Tredegar has been twinned with Orvault
in south-east Brittany
since 1979.
starring Nerys Hughes
. In 1982, a televised version of the A.J. Cronin novel
, The Citadel, was filmed in Tredegar, starring Ben Cross
. The series was based partly on Cronin's experiences as a doctor in the town, where he had worked for the Tredegar Medical Aid Society
in the early 1920s. This society contributed the model which established the British National Health Service
. Aneurin Bevan who launched the Health Service in 1948 said ""All I am doing is extending to the entire population of Britain the benefits we had in Tredegar for a generation or more. We are going to 'Tredegarise' you"
Just north of Tredegar lies the Trefil region. Trefil found new fame in 2005 when it was used as a location for the alien Vogon
homeworld in the film of Douglas Adams
's book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
.
In 2011 the Trefil Region was once again used as a filming location for a major Hollywood production when parts of a sequel to 'Clash of the titans' was filmed there.
The town is known for two riots. In 1868 there were the election riots which took place after the locals' favourite candidate, Colonel Clifford, was not elected. Secondly were the anti-Jewish riots of 1911 when Jewish shops were ransacked and the army had to be brought in.
On 20 July 2008 the car crash scene for short film 'Cow
' filmed on the Tredegar bypass. 'Cow' was produced by Gwent Police and Tredegar Comprehensive School to highlight the dangers of texting while driving
. The movie was made available online and received widespread attention, featuring on TV news programs, in newspapers and internet forums worldwide.
On 25 January 2010 the independent movie "A Bit Of Tom Jones
" premiered at Leicester Square
, London. Filmed in and around Tredegar, the film was funded by local businesses.
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...
, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. The historic Tredegar Iron Works
Tredegar Iron Works
The Tredegar Iron Works was a historic iron foundry in Richmond, Virginia, United States of America, opened in 1837. During the American Civil War, the works served as the primary iron and artillery production facility of the Confederate States of America...
in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, United States was named in honour of the town.
Origin of the name
The name Tredegar can be explained as tref deg erw. Deg erw is Welsh for "ten acres" or "ten-acre"; tref means "town", although its original meaning was "farm" or "estate."Pre-industrialisation
Tredegar grew as a developed town thanks to the natural resources it had within the Sirhowy ValleySirhowy Valley
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...
, namely:
- Iron ore
- Coal with which to produce coke
- Power, from the fast-flowing Sirhowy River
- Wood, which could be cut for buildings and pit props, and burnt for fuel
Hence by the start of the 1700s, the upper Sirhowy Valley was a natural well wooded valley, consisting of a few farms and the occasional small iron works where iron ore and coal naturally had occurred together.
Industrialisation
The first recorded iron works in the Sirhowy Valley was Pont Gwaith Yr Hearn, developed by two BretonBreton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
s and worked by men from Penydarren
Penydarren
Penydarren Ironworks was the fourth of the great ironworks established at Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales.Built in 1784 by the brothers Samuel Homfray, Jeremiah Homfray, and Thomas Homfray, all sons of Francis Homfray of Stourbridge. Their father, Francis, for a time managed a nail warehouse there...
, Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
. The Sirhowy Iron Works was erected in 1750 by Mr Kettle of Shropshire. In 1778 Kettle sold this ironworks to Thomas Atkinson and William Barrow, who came to the area from London. They developed it as the first 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...
fired furnace, so men were employed to dig coal at Bryn Bach and Nantybwch, the first small scale 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,...
operation in the area. The furnace and hence the business failed in 1794.
Tredegar Ironworks
In 1797, Samuel HomfraySamuel Homfray
Samuel Homfray was an English industrialist during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, associated with the early iron industry in South Wales....
, with partners Richard Fothergill
Richard Fothergill
Richard Fothergill was an English ironmaster and coal-owner in Wales and a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1880....
and the Matthew Monkhouse built a new furnace, leasing the land from the Tredegar Estate in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. This created the new Sirhowy Ironworks, that were in 1800 to become the Tredegar Iron Company, named in honour of the Tredegar Estate at Tredegar House
Tredegar House
Tredegar House in Newport, set in the 90 acre Tredegar Park, is one of the best examples of a 17th century Charles II country house mansion in the United Kingdom.-History of the Building:...
and Tredegar Park
Tredegar Park
Tredegar Park is a large municipal park located near the housing estates of Duffryn, Maesglas, and Gaer in the city of Newport in South Wales.- History :...
in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
in the south of the county.
Foundation
Homfray and his partners needed accommodation for their workers, and so needed to develop a suitable town. The land on the eastside of the Sirhowy river was owned by Lt.Col. Sir Charles Gould Morgan who granted a lease in 1799 to build Tredegar Ironworks Company. In 1800, Homfray married Sir Charles daughter Jane, and hence improved his lease terms. The west bank of the river was owned by Lord Tredegar, and hence in the short term remained undeveloped.Homfray was a hard task master. He sold franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
es to business people who wanted to operate within his town, from which he would take a percentage. He paid his workers in his own private coinage, so that they could not easily spend their wages outside the town. However, the opportunity to work created a boom town, which with a parish population of 1132 in 1801 had boomed to 34,685 by 1881, in part boosted by the laying of the 24 miles (38.6 km) stretch of horse drawn track to Newport
Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was a railway company operating between 1860 and 1958 between the towns of Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar and Abergavenny through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire in south east Wales....
in 1805.
But all of this development came at a price. Adrian Vaughn, in his 1985 book "Grub, Water & Relief," mentions that in 1832 John Gooch took a managerial post in the Tredegar iron works:
There were several cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemics in the town in the 19th century, and a dedicated cholera burial ground was established at Cefn Golau
Cefn Golau
Cefn Golau is a disused cholera cemetery situated on a narrow mountain ridge in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, and located between Rhymney and Tredegar in south-east Wales. A suburb of Tredegar and a nearby feeder reservoir have the same name...
.
Links with the Labour Party
Tredegar has strong links with prominent Labour MPs and the history of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and the Labour Movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
in the UK. It was the birthplace of Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
, who was responsible for the introduction of the British National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS), and who in the 1920s was involved in the management of Tredegar General Hospital
Tredegar General Hospital
Tredegar General Hospital is a community hospital in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, Wales providing rehabilitation and GP in-patient care with 85 full and part-time staff and 58 beds in two wards. There is a small 24 hour minor casualty unit staffed by nurses. The hospital is operated by the Aneurin...
. It was also the birthplace of former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
who attended Georgetown Infants and Juniors. His predecessor as leader, Michael Foot
Michael Foot
Michael Mackintosh Foot, FRSL, PC was a British Labour Party politician, journalist and author, who was a Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and from 1960 until 1992...
, was MP for the local constituency - Ebbw Vale
Blaenau Gwent (UK Parliament constituency)
Blaenau Gwent is a county constituency in South Wales, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
- during his time as party leader. Ironically, Michael Foot's constituency home was Number 10. In a further irony, Tredegar, as part of the Blaenau Gwent constituency was for a period no longer represented by a Labour MP, with the independent Dai Davies representing the once safe Labour constituency until the general election of 2010.
Architecture
Bedwellty HouseBedwellty House
Bedwellty House is a Grade 2 listed house and gardens in Tredegar, in the Sirhowy Valley in south-east Wales.- History :Originally a ”low thatched roof cottage,” the old house was renovated in 1809...
is a Grade 2 listed house and gardens. Originally a "low thatched-roof cottage", the old house was renovated in 1809. The present Bedwellty House was built in 1818 as a home for Samuel Homfray, whose Iron and Coal Works were the main local employers for much of the 19th century. The surrounding 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
garden and park, designed originally as a Dutch garden around which one could walk or ride without being confronted by gate, fence or outside features, contains the Long Shelter, a Grade 2 listed structure built for the Chartist movement.
The Town Clock
One of Tredegar's main attributes is the Town Clock - dominating the southern part of the town centre. The clock was the idea of Mrs. R P Davies the wife of the Tredegar ironworks manager, who had decided that she wanted to present a "lofty illuminated clock" and it was she who decided that it would be erected in the Circle."The clock tower is seventy-two feet high. The foundation is of masonry, on which is surmounted the cast-iron base which has four arms from each corner to a distance of sixty feet at a depth of five feet and six inches (152 mm) below ground level. The pillar is wholly composed of cast-iron, upon a square pediment which in turn, receives a rectangular plinth, and upon this stands a cylindrical column of smooth surface and symmetrical diameter, ornamented with suitable coping on which rests the clock surrounded with a weather vane. The plinth is inscribed on the four aspects, on the south side - Presented to the town of Tredegar from the proceeds of a bazaar promoted by the late Mrs R.P.Davis. Erected in the year 1858. On the west side is effigy of Wellington, with the legend - Wellington, England's Hero. On the North, the Royal Arms of England; and on the east, the name and description of the founder with his crest, - Charles Jordan, Iron Founder, Newport, Mon.
The clock is provided with four transparent faces or dials, each five feet three inches diameter, and these were illuminated originally by gas, but this was later changed to electricity. The minute hands are each two feet two inches long, and the hour hand one foot seven inches long. The clocks mechanism is a fifteen inch (381 mm) mainwheel strike, with a single four-legged Gravity Escapement driving the four dials. It has a 1¼ second pendulum and the bob weighs two hundredweight".
Culture and leisure
Tredegar is home to Bryn Bach Park, a country parkCountry park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
.
Tredegar Orpheus Male voice choir celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. Originally in Tredegar there were two choirs, a glee party and a small chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
choir. In 1909, these united under the baton of Mr John Davy Evans, and thus became known as 'The Tredegar Orpheus Male Voice Choir', the name Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
coming from the Greek god of music.
Tredegar Town Band won the Champion Band
Brass band (British style)
A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities...
of Wales title for the tenth time in 2010, and became the British Open Champions for the first time in their history in the same year.
Their financial support comes from local councils and from the support of 'friends' who raise the money needed to maintain the band. Many other bands attract private sponsorship.
Tredegar is home to rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams Tredegar Rugby Football Club
Tredegar RFC
Tredegar Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Tredegar. The club was founded in 1893 but at that time played under the name Tredegar Harriers. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
who play in the Swalec League Division One East and Tredegar Ironsides Rugby Football Club
Tredegar Ironsides RFC
Tredegar Ironsides Rugby Football Club is a rugby union, from Tredegar in South Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.....
. The club was formed in 1946. There is also the nearby Tredegar and Rhymney Golf Club
Tredegar and Rhymney Golf Club
The Tredegar and Rhymney Golf Club is a golf club established in 1921 and was opened officially on the 6 June 1925 as a 9 hole golf club is situated between Rhymney and Tredegar in S Wales. The course was officially opened as an 18 hole golf course on the 5 July 2003 after being given help to...
.
Local schools
- Two dame schoolDame schoolA Dame School was an early form of a private elementary school in English-speaking countries. They were usually taught by women and were often located in the home of the teacher.- Britain :...
s prior to 1828 - The Town School opened in 1837
- Georgetown schools in 1877. First Headmistress in 1878
- Georgetown Senior Boys School in 1904
- Tredegar Grammar SchoolGrammar schoolA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
- Tredegar Secondary Modern
- Tredegar Comprehensive schoolComprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
- Deighton primary school
- Glanhowy primary school
- Georgetown primary school (rebuilt 2004)
- St. Joseph's R.C school
- Brynbach primary school
Transport
The need for transport development came from Tredegar's industrialisation. By 1805, a joint venture between the Tredegar Iron Company and the Monmouthshire Canal resulted in the early development of what became the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny RailwayMerthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was a railway company operating between 1860 and 1958 between the towns of Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar and Abergavenny through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire in south east Wales....
, connecting Tredegar to Newport Docks
Newport Docks
Newport Docks is the collective name for a series of docks in the city of Newport, South Wales.-Background:Newport was a small fishing port and market town until the coming of the industrial age at the beginning of the 19th century...
through 24 miles (38.6 km) of tramway. Originally powered by horses, in 1829 Chief Engineer Thomas Ellis was authorised to purchase a steam locomotive from the Stephenson Company. Built at Tredegar Works and made its maiden trip on December 17, 1829. In 1865 the railway was extended north to Nantybwch to meet the LNWR The railway declined with the industrial works, and Tredegar railway station closed with 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...
in 1963. The closest railway stations now are in Ebbw Vale, Rhymney and Abergavenny.
Twin towns
Tredegar has been twinned with OrvaultOrvault
Orvault is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It is the fourth-largest suburb of the city of Nantes, and is adjacent to it on the northwest.-External links:*...
in south-east Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
since 1979.
Claims to fame
Tredegar has been used for numerous TV and film locations, including The District NurseThe District Nurse
The District Nurse is a British television series, produced by BBC Wales and shown on BBC One between 1984 and 1987.The series was a period drama created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland and starred Nerys Hughes as Megan Roberts, the titular district nurse fighting to improve living conditions for...
starring Nerys Hughes
Nerys Hughes
Nerys Hughes , is a Welsh actress, known primarily for her television roles.Nerys Hughes was born in Rhyl, . She studied drama at Rose Bruford College. She is best known for the role of Sandra Hutchinson in the enormously successful BBC TV series The Liver Birds which ran from 1969 to 1978 with a...
. In 1982, a televised version of the A.J. Cronin novel
The Citadel (novel)
The Citadel is a novel by A. J. Cronin, first published in 1937, which was groundbreaking with its treatment of the contentious theme of medical ethics. It is credited with laying the foundation in Great Britain for the introduction of the NHS a decade later...
, The Citadel, was filmed in Tredegar, starring Ben Cross
Ben Cross
Ben Cross is a British actor of the stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
. The series was based partly on Cronin's experiences as a doctor in the town, where he had worked for the Tredegar Medical Aid Society
Tredegar Medical Aid Society
Tredegar Medical Aid Society was founded in Tredegar in South Wales. In return for a contribution from its members it supplied free health care. This society contributed the model which established the British National Health Service...
in the early 1920s. This society contributed the model which established the British National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
. Aneurin Bevan who launched the Health Service in 1948 said ""All I am doing is extending to the entire population of Britain the benefits we had in Tredegar for a generation or more. We are going to 'Tredegarise' you"
Just north of Tredegar lies the Trefil region. Trefil found new fame in 2005 when it was used as a location for the alien Vogon
Vogon
The Vogons are a fictional alien race from the planet Vogsphere in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams, who are responsible for the destruction of the Earth, in order to facilitate an intergalactic highway construction project. Vogons are slug-like but vaguely humanoid, are...
homeworld in the film of Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
's book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
.
In 2011 the Trefil Region was once again used as a filming location for a major Hollywood production when parts of a sequel to 'Clash of the titans' was filmed there.
The town is known for two riots. In 1868 there were the election riots which took place after the locals' favourite candidate, Colonel Clifford, was not elected. Secondly were the anti-Jewish riots of 1911 when Jewish shops were ransacked and the army had to be brought in.
On 20 July 2008 the car crash scene for short film 'Cow
Cow (public service announcement)
Cow is a public service announcement film directed by Peter Watkins-Hughes with assistance from the Gwent Police Department and Tredegar Comprehensive School. The August 2008 film was a co-production by Gwent Police and Tred Films, with special effects by Zipline Creative Limited...
' filmed on the Tredegar bypass. 'Cow' was produced by Gwent Police and Tredegar Comprehensive School to highlight the dangers of texting while driving
Texting while driving
Texting while driving is the act of composing, sending, reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the web on a mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle. The practice has been viewed by many people and authorities as dangerous. It has also been ruled as the cause of some motor...
. The movie was made available online and received widespread attention, featuring on TV news programs, in newspapers and internet forums worldwide.
On 25 January 2010 the independent movie "A Bit Of Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
" premiered at Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
, London. Filmed in and around Tredegar, the film was funded by local businesses.
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Tredegar
- Aneurin BevanAneurin BevanAneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
, founder of the National Health ServiceNational Health ServiceThe National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
, born in Charles St, about half a mile from the town centre - A.J. Cronin, novelist
- Alun Davies, LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Mid and West Wales region - James J. DavisJames J. DavisJames John Davis was an American steel worker and Republican Party politician in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served as U.S. Secretary of Labor and represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate...
, U.S. Secretary of Labor, founder of Moose InternationalMoose InternationalMoose International is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, consisting of the Loyal Order of Moose, with nearly 1 million men in roughly 2,400 Lodges, in all 50 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda; and the Women of the Moose with more than...
, the Grand Lodge of Moose in Great Britain, was born in Tredegar - Bradley DredgeBradley DredgeBradley Dredge is a Welsh professional golfer.Dredge was born in Tredegar. He turned professional in 1996.Dredge attempted to gain his card on the European Tour via the qualifying school in 1995 and 1996, the second time doing sufficiently well to gain a place on the Challenge Tour for 1997...
, golfer - Neil KinnockNeil KinnockNeil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
, former leader of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and European Commissioner, born in Tredegar in 1942 - Christopher MeredithChristopher Meredith- Personal life :He was educated at Tredegar Comprehensive school and later studied philosophy and English at Aberystwyth University. He has a wife and two sons, Rhodri and Steffan...
, novelist, educated at Tredegar Comprehensive School - Ray ReardonRay ReardonRay Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...
and Cliff WilsonCliff WilsonCliff Wilson was a Welsh professional snooker player. He managed to get to into the world's top 16 in 1988 at the age of 55; a remarkable feat for someone with very poor eyesight and a number of other ailments.- Amateur years :...
, snookerSnookerSnooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
players, and Bryan D. WhiteBryan D. WhiteBryan David White was General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Loyal Order of Moose in Britain .- Early Years & Family Tradition :...
, the former mayor, were born in Tredegar - Prof. Phil Williams, scientist
- Nicky WireNicky WireNicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
, bassist of rock band, Manic Street PreachersManic Street PreachersManic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
, and his brother, Patrick JonesPatrick JonesPatrick Jones is a Welsh poet, playwright and filmmaker. His work is often in collaboration with the rock band Manic Street Preachers; his brother, Nicky Wire, is their bassist.-Biography:...
, poet, were born in Tredegar - Anterior (band)Anterior (band)Anterior is a American metal band from Tredegar, Wales. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records, although they were also approached by Manowar's Joey DeMaio. They have released one album through Metal Blade called This Age of Silence.-History:...
, Metal band who have been on tour with All That RemainsAll That Remains (band)All That Remains is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, which formed in 1998. They have released five studio albums, a live CD/DVD, and have sold nearly 800,000 records... - Jonathan Evans, the ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for Cardiff NorthCardiff NorthCardiff North or North Cardiff can refer to the collections of mainly middle class suburban communities in the north of Cardiff, Wales. The population of the north of Cardiff is around 85,000 and is represented by the Conservative Party on most levels of government...
was born here.