Bryn Mawr

Coordinates: 51°47′46″N 3°10′59″W / 51.796°N 3.183°W / 51.796; -3.183

Brynmawr
Brynmawr Brynmawr shown within Wales
Population	5,599  [1]
OS grid reference	SO185115
Principal area	Blaenau Gwent
Ceremonial county	Gwent
Constituent country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	EBBW VALE
Postcode district	NP23
Dialling code	01495
Police	Gwent
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
European Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Blaenau Gwent
List of places: UK • Wales • Blaenau Gwent

See also Bryn Mawr (disambiguation) for other places with this name.

Brynmawr (sometimes hyphenated to Bryn-mawr in Welsh — meaning "big hill") is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys. It grew during the arrival of the coal mining and iron industries in the early 1800s.

It was originally a small village settlement called Gwaen Helygen, and lay in the former county of Brecknockshire. With the expansion of the Nantyglo (meaning stream of coal) Ironworks housing was required for the workers and Brynmawr turned into a prosperous town. Although coal mining 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 5.75% of the 16-65 age group spoke Welsh, but the proportion of children (3-15) able to speak Welsh was much higher at 30.54%. ^[2] The town has the only Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Brynmawr, in Blaenau Gwent with 310 pupils ranging from nursery to year 6.

Commerce and local economy

Although the traditional Saturday market itself has diminished somewhat, the focal point of the town still remains the Market Square [1][2] 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 Asda supermarket on the old site of the Semtex factory [3] 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'.

Brynmawr now has its own radio station. It launched on Thursday 18 October 2007. It broadcasts on 97.3 FM and BRfm has the boast "Best Radio for Miles".

Sport and leisure

Brynmawr RFC is the local rugby union club which is presently affiliated to the Newport Gwent Dragons.

See also

• Brynmawr Furniture
• Brynmawr Experiment
• Brynmawr Rubber Factory

External links

• A community website for local residents.
• Brynmawr Radio website
• Old photos of Brynmawr
• [4]
• Aerial photograph of Brynmawr
• Photos of Brynmawr and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Brynmawr.

References