Clydach, Monmouthshire
Encyclopedia
Clydach is a village in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, 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...
. Its nearest neighbours are the towns of Gilwern
Gilwern
Gilwern is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales. The name is translated from the Welsh language as "the nook near the alder grove". It is within the Llanelly parish ward of Monmouthshire County Council, west of market town of Abergavenny.-Attractions:...
and Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
.
Heads of the Valleys
It is split by the A465 roadA465 road
The A465 is a major road in south Wales. It is more commonly known as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it joins together the north ends of the South Wales Valleys...
(the 'Heads of the Valleys') into North Clydach and South Clydach.
Industrial Heritage
Historically its main industry was based around the ironworksIronworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
on the south side of the valley which have long since closed.
Primary School Closure 2006
The community's only schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, Clydach County primary school, closed its gates for the final time in July 2006 after a controversial decision by Monmouthshire County Council to shut it, despite the protests of local residents. The reasons for the school's closure appear to have been primarily financial with the Council seeing the school as having too few pupils to justify its funding, at the time of closure there were less than 30 pupils, with no pupils in years 5 or 6. Local residents claimed however that the closure would force the children affected to travel significant distances to attend other schools. However these children now attend schools in nearby villages and towns, Gilwern and Brynmawr. The school now is not used for any purpose, it has been left as a shell for the past 3 years. The ex headteacher is now headteacher of another local school, Llanover Primary.
Local Walks
The area around the village is popular for hillwalkingHillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
with many routes tracing the beauty of the nearby Clydach Gorge
Clydach Gorge
The Clydach Gorge is a steep-sided valley in south-east Wales down which the River Clydach flows to the River Usk. It runs for 5.6km from the vicinity of Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent eastwards and northeastwards to Gilwern in Monmouthshire...
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/297781 or Cwm Clydach, and the old trackbed of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway was a railway company operating between 1860 and 1958 between the towns of Merthyr Tydfil, Tredegar and Abergavenny through the counties of Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire in south east Wales....
is a cycleway and walkway and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal can be walked or travelled by narrow boat.
There is a picnic site and caravan park alongside the River Clydach
River Clydach, Monmouthshire
The River Clydach is a short, steep and fast-flowing river in Monmouthshire and the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in south Wales. It lies within the Brecon Beacons National Park. It is around in length....
, easily reached from the A465 Heads of the Valleys road. The ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
are some 300 metres away, across the river. The ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
were built during the late 18th century and are a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
. There are also limeworks.
The area is within the Brecon Beacons National Park close to the Blaenavon
Blaenavon
Blaenavon is a town and World Heritage Site in south eastern Wales, lying at the source of the Afon Lwyd north of Pontypool, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people...
Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
and not far from Big Pit National Coal Museum. Clydach Gorge
Clydach Gorge
The Clydach Gorge is a steep-sided valley in south-east Wales down which the River Clydach flows to the River Usk. It runs for 5.6km from the vicinity of Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent eastwards and northeastwards to Gilwern in Monmouthshire...
or Cwm Clydach has been designated a SSSI.
External links
- Caves in the Clydach Gorge area
- Walks in the Clydach Gorge area
- Monmouthshire Council Clydach Site
- Clydach-Gilwern-Llanelly Hill community website excellent photos
- Old photos of Clydach
- Photograph of Clydach Gorge
- Photograph of the ironworks
- Photograph of the ironworks
- Photograph of the ironworks
- Photograph of the limeworks