Caerphilly County Borough

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Caerphilly County Borough

| native_name = {{native name|cy|Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili}}

| settlement_type = County borough

| image_skyline = {{multiple image |border=infobox |perrow=1/2 |total_width=270

| image1 = Caerphilly Castle (8083727397).jpg

| image2 = Twisted Chimney - geograph.org.uk - 5295162 (cropped).jpg

| image3 = Celtic Trail.jpg

}}

| imagesize =

| image_alt =

| image_caption = Left to right: {{ubl|Caerphilly Castle|Twisted Chimney sculpture in Rhymney|Hillside view of Bedwas and Caerphilly}}

| image_flag =

| flag_alt =

| image_shield = Caerphilly arms.png

| shield_alt =

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| etymology =

| nickname =

| motto = Working Together for the Good of All

| image_map = Caerphilly UK location map.svg

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Caerphilly shown within Wales

| coordinates = {{coord|51.656|-3.183|region:GB_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}

| subdivision_type = Sovereign state

| subdivision_name = United Kingdom

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = Wales

| subdivision_type2 = Region

| subdivision_name2 =

| subdivision_type3 = Preserved county

| subdivision_name3 = Gwent

| subdivision_type4 =

| subdivision_name4 =

| established_title = Incorporated

| established_date = 1 April 1996

| established_title1 =

| established_date1 =

| named_for =

| seat_type = Administrative{{nbsp}}HQ

| seat = Tredomen Park, Ystrad Mynach

| parts_type =

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| government_footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/my-council.aspx |title=Council and democracy |website=Caerphilly County Borough Council |access-date=6 August 2024}}

| government_type = Principal council

| governing_body = Caerphilly County Borough Council

| leader_title =

| leader_name =

| leader_title1 = Control

| leader_name1 = {{UK council control|GSS=W06000018}}

| leader_title2 =

| leader_name2 =

| leader_title3 = MPs

| leader_name3 = {{Collapsible list |title=3 MPs

|Chris Evans (L)

|Ruth Jones (L)

|Nick Smith (L)

}}

| leader_title4 = MSs

| leader_name4 = {{Collapsible list |title=3 MSs

|Dawn Bowden (L)

|Hefin David (L)

|Rhianon Passmore (L)

}}

+4 regional members

| area_footnotes = {{UK subdivision statistics citation}}

| area_total_km2 = {{UK subdivision area|GSS=W06000018}}

| area_land_km2 =

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| area_rank = List of Welsh principal areas

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| population_as_of = {{UK subdivision statistics year}}

| population_total = {{UK subdivision population|GSS=W06000018}}

| population_rank = List of Welsh principal areas

| population_density_km2 = {{UK subdivision density|GSS=W06000018}}

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| demographics_type1 =

| demographics1_footnotes =

| demographics1_title1 =

| demographics1_info1 =

| demographics_type2 = Welsh language (2021)

| demographics2_footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/W06000018/ |title=How life has changed in Caerphilly: Census 2021 |date=19 January 2023 |website=Office for National Statistics |access-date=6 August 2024 }}

| demographics2_title1 = Speakers

| demographics2_info1 = 10.5%

| demographics2_title2 = Rank

| demographics2_info2 = 2nd

| timezone1 = GMT

| utc_offset1 = +0

| timezone1_DST = BST

| utc_offset1_DST = +1

| postal_code_type = Postcode areas

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| area_code_type = Dialling codes

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| iso_code = GB-CAY

| blank1_name = GSS code

| blank1_info = W06000018

| website = {{URL|caerphilly.gov.uk}}

}}

Caerphilly County Borough ({{langx|cy|Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili}}) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It is governed by Caerphilly County Borough Council.

Its main and largest town is Caerphilly. Other towns in the county borough are, Risca, Ystrad Mynach, Newbridge, Blackwood, Bargoed, New Tredegar and Rhymney.

Geography

Caerphilly County Borough is in southeast Wales and straddles the border between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. It is bordered by Cardiff to the southwest, Newport to the southeast, Torfaen to the east, Blaenau Gwent to the northeast, Powys to the north, Merthyr Tydfil to the northwest and Rhondda Cynon Taf to the west.{{cite book |title=Concise Road Atlas: Britain |year=2015 |publisher=AA Publishing |isbn=978-0-7495-7743-8 |page=27 }}

The northern part of the borough is formed by the broad expanse of the Rhymney Valley. The Rhymney River rises in the hills in the north and flows southwards for about thirty miles, looping round to the east just to the north of Caerphilly before reaching the Bristol Channel. Some of the larger towns are Bedwas, Risca, Ystrad Mynach, Newbridge, Blackwood, Bargoed, New Tredegar and Rhymney. The valley also includes the communities of Abertysswg, Fochriw, Pontlottyn, Tir-Phil, Brithdir, New Tredegar, Aberbargoed, Rhymney and Ystrad Mynach, and the towns of Bargoed and Caerphilly.

History

Located on the edge of the South Wales Coalfield this area was sparsely populated with livestock husbandry being the main occupation. Farmers in their remote farmhouses on the windswept pastures might dig themselves some bucketfuls of coal for their hearth. Things began to change with the development of the iron industry, the start of the Industrial Revolution. In 1752, a 99-year lease was granted for a parcel of land in the Rhymney Valley which gave the lessees the right to mine coal and iron ore. Other such transactions followed, pit shafts were dug and the coal industry developed.{{cite web |url=http://www.butetownhistory.info/en/history-of-upper-rhymney-valley/ |title=The History of the Upper Rhymney Valley |work=Bute Town |access-date=2 May 2016}} By the beginning of the twentieth century, there were forty coalmines in the valley.{{cite web |url=http://www.butetownhistory.info/en/history-of-upper-rhymney-valley/the-rhymney-valley-today/ |title=The Rhymney Valley today |work=Bute Town |access-date=2 May 2016 |archive-date=15 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315034859/http://www.butetownhistory.info/en/history-of-upper-rhymney-valley/the-rhymney-valley-today/ |url-status=dead }}

One of the pits sunk in the late nineteenth century was the Elliot Colliery. At its peak before World War I, it was producing over a million tons of coal a year and employing nearly three thousand people. The coal eventually became depleted and the colliery closed in 1967. Most of the site was cleared but the East Winding House survives and is now a Grade II listed building, and a museum of the coal industry in the area has been opened on the site.{{cite web |url=http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/windinghouse/explore-history/history-elliot-colliery |title=A History of Elliot Colliery |publisher=Winding House Project |access-date=2 May 2016}} All the pits in the valley were closed by the end of the twentieth century; the spoil heaps were removed and the area was landscaped so that it is not now apparent that the valley ever had an industrial past.

The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996 by the merger of the Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorgan with the Islwyn borough of Gwent.{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/19/contents |title=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 |work=The National Archives |publisher=legislation.gov.uk |access-date=2 May 2016}} In 2008, as a result of representations from different communities in the borough, a draft plan was put forward proposing various changes to the borders between communities.{{cite web |url=http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/My-Council/Voting-and-elections/Community-boundaries-review |title=Communities boundary review |publisher=Caerphilly County Borough Council |access-date=2 May 2016}}

Education

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the County Borough of Caerphilly.

=Individuals=

Joseph Calzaghe: 17 May 2009.{{cite web |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/4374944.caerphilly-borough-honours-favourite-son-calzaghe/ |title=Caerphilly borough honours favourite son Calzaghe |last=Crockett |first=Natalie |date=17 May 2009 |website=South Wales Argus |publisher= |access-date=6 October 2021 |quote=}}
Lauren Price: 6 October 2021.
Lauren Williams: 6 October 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/19629031.lauren-price-lauren-williams-get-freedom-caerphilly/ |title=Lauren Price and Lauren Williams get freedom of Caerphilly |last=James |first=Rhiannon |date=6 October 2021 |website=South Wales Argus |publisher= |access-date=6 October 2021 |quote=}}{{cite web |title=Prestigious honour set for Local Olympians |url=https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/News/News-Bulletin/September-2021/Prestigious-honour-set-for-Local-Olympians |website =Caerphilly County Borough Council |access-date=15 September 2021}}

=Military Units=

The Royal Welsh: 26 September 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.caerphillyobserver.co.uk/news/4440/royal-welsh-regiment-to-receive-freedom-of-caerphilly-county-borough/|title=Royal Welsh Regiment to receive Freedom of Caerphilly County Borough – Caerphilly.Observer|date=21 September 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/regiment-freedom-borough-1897828|title=Regiment to get freedom of the borough|last=WalesOnline|date=15 September 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejNMOoKDKYY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/ejNMOoKDKYY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=The Royal Welsh Freedom of the borough, Blackwood and Caerphilly|last=steveorido|date=26 September 2010|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
The Royal British Legion: 25 March 2022.{{cite web |title=NOTICE OF THE DECISIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2020 AT 5.00P.M. |url=http://212.219.240.82/documents/s500003490/HYSBYSIAD%20O%20BENDERFYNIADAUR%20CYNGOR%20OR%20CYFARFOD%20A%20GYNHALIWYD%20AR%2017%20TACHWEDD%202020.pdf?LLL=0 |website=Caerphilly County Borough Council |access-date=16 September 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/royal-british-legion-granted-freedom-23525002 |title=Royal British Legion granted the freedom of Caerphilly |last=James |first=Rhiannon |date=28 March 2022 |website=Wales Online |publisher= |access-date=28 March 2022 |quote=}}{{cite web |title=Freedom of the County Borough awarded to the Royal British Legion |url=https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/News/News-Bulletin/March-2022/Freedom-of-the-County-Borough-awarded-to-the-Royal |website=Caerphilly County Borough Council |access-date=28 March 2022 |language=en}}{{cite web |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/20021413.royal-british-legion-awarded-freedom-caerphilly-county-borough/ |title=Royal British Legion awarded freedom of Caerphilly county borough |last=James |first=Rhiannon |date=25 March 2022 |website=The South Wales Argus |publisher= |access-date=28 March 2022 |quote=}}

= Sports=

==Rugby==

There are many rugby union clubs throughout the county.{{cite web | url=https://community.wru.wales/club/club-finder/ | title=Club Finder }} These are:

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References

External links

[http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk Caerphilly Council official website]
[http://www.mentercaerffili.org Menter Iaith Sir Caerffili] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501163309/http://www.mentercaerffili.org/ |date=2016-05-01 }} the Welsh Language Initiative for Caerphilly County Borough
[http://www.visitcaerphilly.com/ Visit Caerphilly] Tourism site by the local authority
[http://www.caerphillyobserver.co.uk/ Caerphilly Observer] Newspaper for the borough

Category:Glamorgan

Category:Principal areas of Wales

Category:County boroughs of Wales

Category:1996 establishments in Wales