Machen
Encyclopedia
Machen is a large village
3 miles east of Caerphilly
, south Wales
, situated in the Caerphilly borough
within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
. It neighbours Bedwas
and Trethomas
, and forms a council ward in conjunction with those communities. It lies on the Rhymney River
.
Saint Peter
was visiting Wales in order to watch over the Faithful. Taking offence at the sudden appearance of the Devil, he picked up a large number of boulders and placed them in his apron so as to carry them more easily. He then gave chase to the Devil, both chaser and chased (having the stature of giants) leaping from mountain-top to mountain-top. As the Devil alighted on Mynydd Machen he paused to catch his breath, whereupon Saint Peter
began hurling the rocks at him, leaving a considerable amount of debris around his adversary in the process. The area of rocks is known to this day as "The Devil's Apron Strings"
Machen was a station on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway
and a branch to Caerphilly on the Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway, closed to passengers in 1956.
In 2005, Dennis Spargo, a resident of Machen, along with several members of his family and friends, produced a film detailing the history of the village titled Machen: Then & Now, he sold it with help from the local council at the village hall.
Famous people from Machen include Ron Davies, often claimed as the "architect of Welsh devolution". He was honoured as a member of the Gorsedd
with the bardic name "Ron o Fachen" (Ron from Machen).
Alfred Edward Morgans (17 February 1850 – 10 August 1933), Premier of Western Australia for just 32 days in 1901, was born in Machen.
Ian Thomas the former Glamorgan County Cricket Club cricketer, is from Machen. He Played for Glamorgan between 1998 and 2005 winning 2 one day league winners trophies with the club. He is also remembered for scoring the first Televised 20-20 century in 2004 (116 Not Out against SOMERSET.)
, to instruct their members in using computers to scan and upload their comprehensive Machen archive onto the Community Archives Wales
website. This has been a great success with many of Machen's pictures now available for viewing on the website.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
3 miles east 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...
, 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...
, situated in the Caerphilly borough
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...
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 neighbours Bedwas
Bedwas
Bedwas is a town two miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
and Trethomas
Trethomas
Trethomas is a small village 2½ miles north-east of Caerphilly, south-east Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
, and forms a council ward in conjunction with those communities. It lies on the Rhymney River
Rhymney River
The Rhymney River is a river in the Rhymney Valley, south-east Wales, flowing through Cardiff into the Severn estuary.The river forms the boundary between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.-Path of the river:...
.
Mynydd Machen
Mynydd Machen (Machen Mountain) provides a spectacular backdrop to the village. It is possible to walk up to and along the top of the mountain, where a number of large boulders were present. These were explained in local folklore as follows.Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
was visiting Wales in order to watch over the Faithful. Taking offence at the sudden appearance of the Devil, he picked up a large number of boulders and placed them in his apron so as to carry them more easily. He then gave chase to the Devil, both chaser and chased (having the stature of giants) leaping from mountain-top to mountain-top. As the Devil alighted on Mynydd Machen he paused to catch his breath, whereupon Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
began hurling the rocks at him, leaving a considerable amount of debris around his adversary in the process. The area of rocks is known to this day as "The Devil's Apron Strings"
Industrial history
Machen was a village rooted in the iron and coal industries stretching from the 17th Century. Though little trace remains, the village was the site of the Machen Forge and several coal mines. A local history trail visits some of these sites. Machen Forge was an early adopter of the Osmond process for the production of wrought iron.Machen was a station on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway
Brecon and Merthyr Railway
The Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway was one of several railways that served the industrial areas of South Wales and Monmouthshire. It ranked fifth amongst them in size, although hemmed in by the Taff Vale Railway and Great Western Railway...
and a branch to Caerphilly on the Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway, closed to passengers in 1956.
Notable people
- See :Category:People from Machen
In 2005, Dennis Spargo, a resident of Machen, along with several members of his family and friends, produced a film detailing the history of the village titled Machen: Then & Now, he sold it with help from the local council at the village hall.
Famous people from Machen include Ron Davies, often claimed as the "architect of Welsh devolution". He was honoured as a member of the Gorsedd
Gorsedd
A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is occasionally spelled gorsedh , or goursez in Brittany....
with the bardic name "Ron o Fachen" (Ron from Machen).
Alfred Edward Morgans (17 February 1850 – 10 August 1933), Premier of Western Australia for just 32 days in 1901, was born in Machen.
Ian Thomas the former Glamorgan County Cricket Club cricketer, is from Machen. He Played for Glamorgan between 1998 and 2005 winning 2 one day league winners trophies with the club. He is also remembered for scoring the first Televised 20-20 century in 2004 (116 Not Out against SOMERSET.)
Community Archives Wales
In 2008 Machen Remembered, the local archive group, received assistance from Community Archives WalesCommunity Archives Wales
Community Archives Wales is a website of digital content created and maintained by a number of community heritage groups from across Wales...
, to instruct their members in using computers to scan and upload their comprehensive Machen archive onto the Community Archives Wales
Community Archives Wales
Community Archives Wales is a website of digital content created and maintained by a number of community heritage groups from across Wales...
website. This has been a great success with many of Machen's pictures now available for viewing on the website.
Community Groups
CALON is a community group based in Machen since December 2009. As well as Machen it also focuses on the surrounding villages and countryside. Meetings are free and open to anybody who wants to listen or take part. They meet on the second Tuesday of the month. They look at issues affecting our community and tackle them proactively. They run events, help other community organisations to achieve their goals, and campaign for improvements with local authorities. An example of this was the planting of a community orchard. Their focus is on sustainability by using new and existing resources from within the community wherever possible.Other uses
- Angeology - The Fourth Heaven, Machanon or Machen is ruled by ArchangelArchangelAn archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
MichaelMichael (archangel)Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
, "Is the site of the heavenly Jerusalem, the holy Temple and its Altar" (Godwin, p. 122). It is said to house the city of Christ and is the native seat of the angels.