Bedwellty
Encyclopedia
Bedwellty was a parish
and urban district
in Monmouthshire
, South
Wales
, until 1974.
The original ancient parish was very large, including most of the upper Ebbw
and Sirhowy valleys. A number of coal mining
communities grew up in the parish, and in the 19th century these became separate local government units.
On 19 June 1874, Ebbw Vale
, Rhymney
and Tredegar
local boards of health
and local government districts were formed, each including parts of the civil parish
. The remainder of Bedwellty itself became a local government district on 29 June 1891. In 1894 the local boards were replaced by urban district
s. The areas included in Bedwellty, Ebbw Vale, Rhymney and Tredegar urban districts became separate civil parishes.
Bedwellty urban district included the hamlets and villages of Argoed
, Bargoed
, Blackwood
, New Tredegar
, Pengam
and Rock.
In 1926 Bedwellty and Mynyddislwyn
urban districts formed the West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board to ensure local control of bus services. In 1935 a County Review Order
altered the boundaries between Bedwellty and Mynyddislwyn.
The urban district was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972
in 1974. Its area was split: the wards of Aberbargoed
, Cwmsyfiog, New Tredegar
and Phillipstown passed to the Rhymney Valley
district of Mid Glamorgan
, and the remainder was included in the Islwyn
borough of Gwent
.
Further local government reorganisation in 1996 has led to the area of the former urban district being included in the county borough
of Caerphilly
. It now corresponds to the communities
of Argoed, Bargoed, Blackwood, Cefn Forest, New Tredegar, and part of the community of Darran Valley
.
The parliamentary constituency of Bedwellty
was created in 1918 covering a much larger area. It continued to exist until 1983, when it was replaced by the constituency of Islwyn
. The member of parliament
for the Bedwellty and Islwyn constituencies from 1970 to 1995 was Neil Kinnock
, who took the title Baron Kinnock, of Bedwellty in the County of Gwent in 2005.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
and urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, South
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...
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...
, until 1974.
The original ancient parish was very large, including most of the upper Ebbw
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 ....
and Sirhowy valleys. A number 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,...
communities grew up in the parish, and in the 19th century these became separate local government units.
On 19 June 1874, 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...
, Rhymney
Rhymney
Rhymney is a town and a community located in the county borough of Caerphilly in south-east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Along with the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is designated as the 'Upper Rhymney Valley' by the local...
and 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...
local boards of health
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
and local government districts were formed, each including parts of the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
. The remainder of Bedwellty itself became a local government district on 29 June 1891. In 1894 the local boards were replaced by urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s. The areas included in Bedwellty, Ebbw Vale, Rhymney and Tredegar urban districts became separate civil parishes.
Bedwellty urban district included the hamlets and villages of 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....
, Bargoed
Bargoed
Bargoed is a town in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly and straddles ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council,...
, Blackwood
Blackwood, Wales
Blackwood is a town on the Sirhowy River in the South Wales Valleys within the Caerphilly County Borough.The town houses a growing number of light industrial and high-tech firms...
, New Tredegar
New Tredegar
New Tredegar is a former coal mining community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, Wales , within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
, Pengam
Pengam
Pengam is a former coal community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, in Wales. As of 2001, it has a population of 3,842.-Location and population:...
and Rock.
In 1926 Bedwellty and Mynyddislwyn
Mynyddislwyn
Mynyddislwyn was a civil parish and urban district in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It was abolished in local government reorganisation in 1974.The ancient parish of Mynyddislwyn covered a large part of the lower Ebbw and Sirhowy Valleys...
urban districts formed the West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board to ensure local control of bus services. In 1935 a County Review Order
Local Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
altered the boundaries between Bedwellty and Mynyddislwyn.
The urban district was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
in 1974. Its area was split: the wards of Aberbargoed
Aberbargoed
Aberbargoed is a small town in the Welsh county borough of Caerphilly, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, south Wales. Aberbargoed once contained the largest ever colliery waste tip in Europe, although this has now been reclaimed and turned into a country park.- Mining :Coal mining...
, Cwmsyfiog, New Tredegar
New Tredegar
New Tredegar is a former coal mining community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, Wales , within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
and Phillipstown passed to the Rhymney Valley
Rhymney Valley (district)
Rhymney Valley was one of six local government districts in Mid Glamorgan from 1974 to 1996.The district was formed from areas in the administrative counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire...
district of Mid Glamorgan
Mid Glamorgan
Mid Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales. From 1974 until 1996, it was also an administrative county, with a county council.Mid Glamorgan was formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
, and the remainder was included in the Islwyn
Islwyn
The Borough of Islwyn was one of five local government districts of Gwent from 1983 to 2011.The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 from part of the administrative county of Monmouthshire, namely the urban districts of Abercarn, Mynyddislwyn and Risca, and the Bedwellty urban...
borough of Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
.
Further local government reorganisation in 1996 has led to the area of the former urban district being included in the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Caerphilly
Caerphilly (county borough)
Caerphilly is a county borough in southern Wales, straddling the ancient county boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.Its main town is Caerphilly, and also the largest...
. It now corresponds to the communities
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
of Argoed, Bargoed, Blackwood, Cefn Forest, New Tredegar, and part of the community of Darran Valley
Darran Valley
Darran Valley is a community in the County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales. The Darran Valley consists of the valley of the Bargod Rhymni and contains the villages of Deri, Pentwyn and Fochriw. These settlements grew around the Industrial Age to serve the collieries of Fochriw, Pencarreg and Groesfaen...
.
The parliamentary constituency of Bedwellty
Bedwellty (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedwellty was a county constituency in Monmouthshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....
was created in 1918 covering a much larger area. It continued to exist until 1983, when it was replaced by the constituency of Islwyn
Islwyn (UK Parliament constituency)
Islwyn is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.This area, historically known for coal-mining, is a safe Labour Party seat latterly held by the former Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock...
. The member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Bedwellty and Islwyn constituencies from 1970 to 1995 was 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 took the title Baron Kinnock, of Bedwellty in the County of Gwent in 2005.