Cwmfelinfach
Encyclopedia
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 a coal mining
community during the early to mid 20th century. The colliery, known as "Nine Mile Point
", opened about 1905 and closed in 1964. Nine Mile Point Colliery was the site of the first ever 'sit in' of miners. During 1935 there was a "stay down strike" involving 164 colliers. They were protesting over the use of "Scab" miners (men not members of the Federation unlike the rest of the "Points" workforce) and their ordeal only ended after the company promised no non-federation men would be employed at the colliery, the stay-down strike lasted for 177 hours. Miners from other collieries in the area, some taking similar action, supported their action.
Cwmfelinfach can be translated from the Welsh language
as "valley of the little mill". The village was a small hamlet (place)
until the late 19th century — therefore the majority of housing is traditional terraced from early 20th century. A map of 1885 showns the Melin (mill) and the Welsh
Calvinistic Methodist chapel Babel Chapel. http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ The grave of Islwyn
the 19th century Welsh-language poet
can be found here. http://ogre-blog.blogspot.com/2006/03/babel-chapel-cwmfelinfach-burial-place.html
To the east the valley is bordered by the hills of Pen-y-Trwyn (1,028 ft / 313 m). To the west is Mynydd y Grug (1,132 ft / 345 m).
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...
located 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....
. Located north of Wattsville
Wattsville
Wattsville is a small South Wales Valleys village in the Sirhowy valley, 8 miles north west of Newport, the county capital, in south-east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.- Amenities :...
and about 5 miles north of the nearest town 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 south 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...
.
Cwmfelinfach was home to a coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
community during the early to mid 20th century. The colliery, known as "Nine Mile Point
Nine Mile Point Colliery
Nine Mile Point colliery was a coal mine at Cwmfelinfach in the South Wales Valleys, originally known as "Coronation Colliery", and constructed between 1902 and 1905. The deepest shaft was 1,176 feet deep...
", opened about 1905 and closed in 1964. Nine Mile Point Colliery was the site of the first ever 'sit in' of miners. During 1935 there was a "stay down strike" involving 164 colliers. They were protesting over the use of "Scab" miners (men not members of the Federation unlike the rest of the "Points" workforce) and their ordeal only ended after the company promised no non-federation men would be employed at the colliery, the stay-down strike lasted for 177 hours. Miners from other collieries in the area, some taking similar action, supported their action.
Cwmfelinfach can be translated from the Welsh language
Welsh 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...
as "valley of the little mill". The village was a small hamlet (place)
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
until the late 19th century — therefore the majority of housing is traditional terraced from early 20th century. A map of 1885 showns the Melin (mill) and the Welsh
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...
Calvinistic Methodist chapel Babel Chapel. http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ The grave of Islwyn
Islwyn
The 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...
the 19th century Welsh-language poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
can be found here. http://ogre-blog.blogspot.com/2006/03/babel-chapel-cwmfelinfach-burial-place.html
To the east the valley is bordered by the hills of Pen-y-Trwyn (1,028 ft / 313 m). To the west is Mynydd y Grug (1,132 ft / 345 m).