The Sirhowy Valley ( ) is an industrialised valley in the eastern part of the
Valleys region of
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. It is named from the
Sirhowy River
The Sirhowy River (Welsh language : ''Afon Sirhywi'') is a river in Wales and a tributary of the Ebbw River.
Sources
The Sirhowy River has its source on the slopes of Cefn Pyllau-duon above Tredegar. After flowing through Siôn-Sieffre's Res ...
() which runs through it. Its upper reaches are occupied by the town of
Tredegar
Tredegar (pronounced , ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the In ...
within the
unitary area of
Blaenau Gwent. The valley initially heads south-southeast between the ridges of
Cefn Manmoel to the east and
Mynydd Bedwellte to the west before turning to a more southerly direction. Its central section is one of the least populated of the Welsh coalfield valleys. The valley enters the unitary area of
Caerphilly which contains the towns of
Blackwood () and
Pontllanfraith. It then turns east and joins the valley of the
Ebbw River
The Ebbw River (; cy, Afon Ebwy) is a river in South Wales which gives its name to the town of Ebbw Vale. The Ebbw River is joined by the Ebbw Fach River ( Welsh: Afon Ebwy Fach meaning 'little Ebbw river') at Aberbeeg. The Ebbw Fach is itself ...
,
Ebbw Vale at
Crosskeys
Crosskeys ( cy, Pont-y-cymer) is a village, community and an electoral ward in Caerphilly county borough in Wales.
Etymology
The village was originally named Pont-y-cymer and this remains the official Welsh name for the village. The name ...
.
History
The valley's industrial history began with
ironworks before evolving to meet the demand for
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when ...
and the expansion of
coal mining. This process was led by companies such as the
Tredegar Iron and Coal Company
: ''For the ironworks in the US state of Virginia, see Tredegar Iron Works.''
Tredegar Iron and Coal Company was an important 19th century ironworks in Tredegar, Wales, which due to its need for coke became a major developer of coal mines and p ...
. Coal mines used to be located throughout the valley, including:
Wyllie;
Nine Mile Point and
Oakdale. The Sirhowy passes the old Gelligroes Mill near
Blackwood along its path.
Prior to the
Beeching Axe, the valley was served by the
Sirhowy Railway.
Stations could be found at many points including Nantybwch,
Argoed,
Blackwood,
Pontllanfraith and
Ynysddu.
References
{{reflist
External links
The Sirhowy Valley Websitewww.geograph.co.uk : photos of the Sirhowy Valley and surrounding area
Valleys of Blaenau Gwent
Caerphilly
Valleys of Caerphilly County Borough