Wattsville
Encyclopedia
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
.
, starting at the tourist centre in Full Moon Cottage, a site for hillwalking
and mountain biking
on the old railway trackbed.
is the old site of Nine Mile Point Colliery
. This was the site of the first ever 'sit in' of miners. At Wattsville the New Risca Mine, open 1878 and was 855 feet deep. It was located on the eastern edge of Wattsville and was the first colliery in South Wales
to have electric lighting at the pithead and underground in 1892.
The bassist
and lyricist
of Manic Street Preachers
Nicky Wire
lived in Wattsville and wrote a song about the village called "Wattsville Blues", where he describes his love of the village. The song appears on the album Know Your Enemy
.
About halfway up the main street, there is a noticeable gap in the terrace. This is where a house used to stand, which was flattened due to a dropped German bomb during World War 2. There is now a monument and garden on the site. There is a similar gap next to the play area on Duffryn Terrace.
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
village
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...
in the Sirhowy valley, 8 miles north west of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, the county capital, in 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...
, 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....
.
Amenities
It consists of one main street with another hugging the valley below. Wattsville is the base for the Sirhowy valley country parkCountry park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
, starting at the tourist centre in Full Moon Cottage, a site for hillwalking
Hillwalking
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...
and mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
on the old railway trackbed.
History
Further up the valley at CwmfelinfachCwmfelinfach
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...
is the old site of Nine Mile Point Colliery
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...
. This was the site of the first ever 'sit in' of miners. At Wattsville the New Risca Mine, open 1878 and was 855 feet deep. It was located on the eastern edge of Wattsville and was the first colliery in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
to have electric lighting at the pithead and underground in 1892.
The bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
of Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
Nicky Wire
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the lyricist, bassist and occasional vocalist with the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early life:...
lived in Wattsville and wrote a song about the village called "Wattsville Blues", where he describes his love of the village. The song appears on the album Know Your Enemy
Know Your Enemy (Manic Street Preachers album)
Know Your Enemy is the sixth album by the Manic Street Preachers. It was released in March 2001 on Virgin Records. The album has songs ranging from energetic lo-fi rock songs reminiscent of their earlier material to highly produced, more melodic pop songs as well as a disco song...
.
About halfway up the main street, there is a noticeable gap in the terrace. This is where a house used to stand, which was flattened due to a dropped German bomb during World War 2. There is now a monument and garden on the site. There is a similar gap next to the play area on Duffryn Terrace.