Ynysddu
Encyclopedia
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 (6.8 km) north of the town of Risca
and 4 miles (5.1 km) south of the market town of Blackwood
, about 10 minutes by road from the M4
motorway and 35 minutes from the Severn Bridge
. The electorate in 2008 was 2,905.
descriptive words 'Ynys' ('island' or 'river meadow') and 'ddu' ('black'). 'Black river meadow' is appropriate for the landscape of the area.
After he became alarmed at the terrible living conditions of the poor in the 1820s Moggridge also built ‘The Ranks’. Founded as a social experiment ‘The Ranks’, like similar properties in Blackwood, allowed a few workers to lease a plot of land to build a cottage and garden allotment. 'The Ranks' were situated near the Black Prince pub, but have long since disappeared.
In 1901 Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire said:
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...
in the Sirhowy valley of south-east 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 part of the district 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...
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 is next to Cwmfelinfach
Cwmfelinfach
Cwmfelinfach is a small village located in the Sirhowy valley of south-east Wales. It is part of the district of Caerphilly within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Located north of Wattsville and about 5 miles north of the nearest town Risca and south of Blackwood.Cwmfelinfach was home to...
, 4.3 miles (6.8 km) north of the town of Risca
Risca
Risca is a town of approximately 11,500 people in South Wales, within the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is today part of the Newport conurbation , though it is not a Ward of Newport City Council...
and 4 miles (5.1 km) south of the market town of 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...
, about 10 minutes by road from the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
motorway and 35 minutes from the Severn Bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
. The electorate in 2008 was 2,905.
History
Ynysddu was founded in the early 19th century by the enlightened local colliery owner John Hodder Moggridge, who lived at nearby Woodfield Park. It got its name from Ynsyddu Farm, which was built by Moggridge in 1804. Ynysddu comes from the WelshWelsh 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...
descriptive words 'Ynys' ('island' or 'river meadow') and 'ddu' ('black'). 'Black river meadow' is appropriate for the landscape of the area.
After he became alarmed at the terrible living conditions of the poor in the 1820s Moggridge also built ‘The Ranks’. Founded as a social experiment ‘The Ranks’, like similar properties in Blackwood, allowed a few workers to lease a plot of land to build a cottage and garden allotment. 'The Ranks' were situated near the Black Prince pub, but have long since disappeared.
In 1901 Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire said:
"YNYSDDU is a hamlet of this parish, having a station on the Sirhowy section, London and North Western railway, 10¼ miles north-west from Newport. Here are Baptist and Calvinistic and Primitive Methodist chapels.
Post Office.—John Hughes, sub-postmaster. Letters received through Newport at 8.55 a.m.; dispatched, 6.30 p.m. week days only. Postal orders are issued here, but not paid. Pontllanfraith is the nearest money order & Blackwood the nearest telegraph office
Board School, erected in 1877, at a cost of £1,500, & erected in 1899, for 167 children; average attendance, 101; Thomas Harries Phillips, master; Miss Susanna Evans, assistant mistress. Railway Station, James Williams, station master"
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Ynysddu
- Welsh poet William ThomasWilliam Thomas (Islwyn)William Thomas, bardic name Islwyn , was a Welsh language poet, born near Ynysddu, then in the old county of Monmouthshire, south-east Wales.- Early life :...
(1832–1878). was born in Ynysddu, taking his bardic name IslwynIslwynThe 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...
(meaning below the grove) from the parish of Mynyddislwyn, itself named after the mountain which towers over the village. His two best-known poems are both entitled "Yr Ystorm" ("The Storm"); one is a long philosophic poem over 9,000 lines long. - Singer Ricky ValanceRicky ValanceRicky Valance is a Welsh singer. He is best known for the number one single, "Tell Laura I Love Her", which sold over a million copies in 1960.-Life and career:...
(real name David Spencer) was born here.
- Scott Morgan, sports shooter, born 1990; Olympic Trap Shooting (Shotgun)
Education
Ynysddu Primary School is located in the town; its headmaster was John Farmer.Sport and leisure
Ynysddu Rugby ClubYnysddu RFC
Ynysddu Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Ynysddu in Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
and is a feeder club for 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...
.
The first Ynysddu game recorded was in 1894 against Abercarn
Abercarn
Abercarn is a small town community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales, 10 miles north-west of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-History:...
, and was played in the church field at 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...
.
Ynysddu originally played in an all-black strip, but now play in Black and Red.
Ynysddu Crusaders Football Club (1915-1939) was re-formed in 2008, following the formal amalgamation of Ynysddu Welfare Crusaders AFC (fomerly Ynysddu Welfare AFC 1947-2006) and Crusaders [Seniors] AFC (2003-2008), which had superseded Cwmfelinfach Colts AFC (1978-2003).
They are affiliated to the Gwent County Football Association and are members of the ATEGA South Wales Amateur Football League and the Ryan Transport Ltd North Gwent Football League. Club Colours are gold and black striped shirts, with black shorts and socks. They play their home games at Nine Mile Point Welfare Grounds, with their headquarters at the Forestier-Walker Conservative Club, Cwmfelinfach.
Nearby is the Sirhowy Valley
Sirhowy 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...
Country Park
Country 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...
. The Ynys Hywel Activity Centre, located there, offers adventure activities such as abseiling
Abseiling
Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
and hill-walking.