Coordinates: 51°40′12″N 3°08′10″W / 51.670°N 3.136°W
| Newbridge | |
| Welsh: Trecelyn | |
  Newbridge
Newbridge shown within Wales |
|
| Population | 6,000 (2001 census[1]) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Principal area | Caerphilly |
| Ceremonial county | Gwent |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWPORT |
| Postcode district | NP11 |
| Dialling code | 01495 |
| Police | Gwent |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Islwyn |
| Welsh Assembly | Islwyn |
| List of places: UK • Wales • Caerphilly | |
Newbridge (Welsh: Trecelyn) is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.
Contents |
History
In medieval times what is now the separate townships of Abercarn, Cwmcarn and Newbridge were known as Abercarne, a manorial title which goes back to the Norman period. The three townships were also within the boundaries of the ancient parish of Mynyddislwyn and remained therein up until comparatively recent times.
Newbridge, as its name implies, was the name given by the people to land around the "new bridge" built across the River Ebbw towards the end of the 18th century. At this time Newbridge was a predominantly Welsh agrarian community of rural farms and sheep pasture with a low population count.
In the valley, the chief farms were Ty-Llydd, where the new vicarage now stands, Tynewydd, where the Newbridge Hotel stands, Ty-hir, the house which stands next to the Beaufort Arms, and the Newbridge Corn mill which stood near the South Celynen Colliery. The road pattern as we know it today was non-existent—all activity and commerce took place along the mountain tracks which led over Mynyddislwyn and Mynydd Maen. Adjacent to the tracks were the more prosperous farms, Hyfod Fach, Glanshon and Cillonydd.
The coal-mining boom
Towards the end of the 18th century, Newbridge was established as a farming community around a new bridge across the River Ebbw. Like many towns in the area, it experienced a population explosion and socio-economic change with the arrival of coal mining in the 19th century. The mines attracted workers from the English West Country and West Midlands, Cornwall, Scotland, Mid Wales and further afield. The Celynen Collieries Workingmen's Institute, ("the 'Stute") and Memorial Hall ("the 'Memo") became, like many miners' institutes, the communal heart of the town. The local collieries enjoyed a reputation for highly skilled miners, a productive workforce, non-radical politics and the community became a fine example of a south Wales valley community with thriving shops, churches, chapels and sports teams.[citation?]
Modern Newbridge
Mining eventually ceased in the mid-1980s, after persevering on through the 1926 United Kingdom general strike, the 1930s Depression and post-war nationalisation, but became unsustainable following the UK miners' strike (1984-1985), with the 'Memo' becoming a working arts centre.
Since the end of coal mining, new leisure facilities have been constructed in Newbridge, and there are plans for improved rail links with Newport and Cardiff. Residents have also reported the return to the area of birds such as herons, buzzards and kestrels.
As of March 2008, after delays, the Ebbw Valley Line rail link running from Ebbw Vale Parkway railway station to Cardiff Central railway station opened with Newbridge being one of seven stations.
A bridge linking the main town of Newbridge with the School and Leisure centre over the river Ebbw is being completed at a cost of over £3 million.
Sport and leisure
Newbridge Rugby Union Football Club plays in the Welsh Division One East.
Newbridge Boxing Club is the base of Team Calzaghe whose famous member Joe Calzaghe retired in 2009 as an undefeated world champion.
Newbridge has a public leisure centre[2] which was opened in January 1997. The complex includes a swimming pool and a fitness suite which was enlarged from one to two floors in 2007.
Education
Newbridge Comprehensive School is located in the town, catering for some 1,000 pupils aged 11 to 16. Tynewdd Primary School in Greenfield caters for 4- to 11-year-olds.
People of note
Famous people to have grown up in Newbridge include world-champion boxer Joe Calzaghe, Steve Strange, frontman of New Romantic band Visage and billionaire and owner of the Celtic Manor Resort Sir Terry Matthews. Former British Lions and Welsh rugby union captain and coach John Dawes is from Chapel-Of-Ease, near Newbridge.
Etymology
The Welsh placename for Newbridge is often incorrectly shown on OS Maps as Cefn Bychan. It is in fact Trecelyn, meaning the town of the holly trees.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Office for National Statistics Parish Headcounts: Newbridge
- ^ Newbridge Leisure Centre on Caerphilly County Borough Council website
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
