Brynmawr
Encyclopedia
- See also Bryn Mawr (disambiguation)Bryn Mawr (disambiguation)-United States:Cities, town, etc.* Bryn Mawr, California* Bryn Mawr, Chicago, Illinois** Bryn Mawr , a rapid transit station on the Chicago 'L' serving the Bryn Mawr neighborhood* Bryn Mawr, Minneapolis, Minnesota,* Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania...
for other places with this name.
Brynmawr is a market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in 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...
, 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...
. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys
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...
. It grew during the arrival of the coal mining and iron industries in the early 19th century.
It was originally a small village settlement called Gwaen Helygen, and lay in the former county of Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
. With the expansion of the Nantyglo
Nantyglo
Nantyglo is a village in the ancient parish of Aberystruth and county of Monmouth situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Blaina and Brynmawr in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent.- Places of interest in Nantyglo :...
(meaning stream of coal) Ironworks
Ironworks
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...
housing was required for the workers and Brynmawr turned into a prosperous town. Although coal mining
Mining in Wales
Mining in Wales provided a significant source of income to the economy of Wales throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth century....
has declined, a large mining museum is nearby at Big Pit.
Today Brynmawr has an estimated population of over 6,000 people. At the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
5.75% of the 16-65 age group spoke Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, but the proportion of children (ages 3–15) able to speak Welsh was much higher at 30.54%. The town had the only Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Brynmawr, in Blaenau Gwent with 310 pupils ranging from nursery to year 6 until 2010, when the school re-located to Blaina
Blaina
Blaina is a small town, situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Brynmawr and Abertillery in the unitary authority of Blaenau Gwent, ancient parish of Aberystruth, preserved county of Gwent and historic county of Monmouthshire.-Notable people:...
and moving into a brand new, purpose built school.
Commerce and local economy
Although the traditional Saturday market itself has diminished somewhat, the focal point of the town still remains the Market Square http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/365586http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/365589 and with its Market Hall, now a cinema and theatre presenting films and productions from the local amateur operatic society. Around the Market Square, the trading community offers traditional, family orientated shops with a friendly and personal service. It also now has a large AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket on the old site of the Semtex factory
Brynmawr Rubber Factory
The Brynmawr Rubber Factory was a notable building situated in Brynmawr in Wales. It was designed between 1946 and 1951 by The Architect's Co-Op, a group of Architecture students from the AA in London, in collaboration with the Engineer Ove Arup....
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/365566 which boosted the town's name and reputation over the last 50 years. There is also a selection of units being built on the same site as the Asda store. The area has now been named as 'Lakeside Park'.
Places of interest
Parc Nant y Waun is a nature reserveNature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
incorporating 22 hectares of grassland, mires and reservoirs which was officially opened in 2007. Opening of Parc Nant y Waun Home to a many wildlife species, it includes a picnic area, an outdoor classroom, and an angling club.
Sport and leisure
Brynmawr RFCBrynmawr RFC
Brynmawr Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Brynmawr in South Wales. The club presently plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.....
is the local rugby union club which is presently affiliated to the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
.