Blaengarw is the uppermost village in the

river valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ...

(Cwm Garw) of the

River Garw The River Garw (''Afon Garw'' in Welsh, meaning "rugged river") runs for about 12 miles from its source in the hills north of Blaengarw to the confluence with the River Ogmore and the River Llynfi at Aberkenfig. It is one of three main trib ...

, in the county borough of

Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...

, Wales. In the

English language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...

Blaengarw means the rugged 'front' or 'head' of the valley. The population of Blaengarw ward according to the 2001 census was 1,895, falling to 1,789 at the 2011 census.

History

During the 19th and 20th centuries the village served as a

mining town A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry. Historical mining communities Australia * Ballarat, Victoria * Bendig ...

for the coal miners of the

Garw Valley Garw Valley () is a community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Bridgend County Borough, South Wales. As the name suggests, it follows and encompasses the valley of the River Garw. The community includes the village of Blaengarw ...

section of the

South Wales coalfield The South Wales Coalfield () extends across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. It is rich in coal deposits, especially in the South Wales ...

. Built in 1893, the Blaengarw Workmen's Hall is a testament to this history and is still used today as a community and entertainment centre. The Welsh poet

Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) Daniel James (23 January 1848 – 16 March 1920), also known by his bardic name of Gwyrosydd, was a Welsh poet and hymn-writer, best known for writing the words of the popular hymn, "Calon Lân" (published in 1892). Early life Daniel James came ...

composed the popular Welsh hymn

Calon Lân is a Welsh hymn, the words of which were written in the 1890s by Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) and sung to a tune by John Hughes (1872–1914), John Hughes. The song was originally written as a hymn, but has become firmly established as a rugby anth ...

while working as a coal miner at the Blaengarw pit. The town was a flashpoint of public disorder during the

UK miners' strike (1984–1985) UK miners' strike may refer to: *1893 United Kingdom miners' strike *South Wales miners' strike (1910) *1912 United Kingdom national coal strike *UK miners' strike (1921) *UK miners' strike (1953) *1969 United Kingdom miners' strike, a widespread u ...

Governance

Formerly a separate ward electing one councillor, since 2022 Blaengarw has formed part of the three-member

ward.

Time banking

Blaengarw is home to the largest Time Bank in Europe the Blaengarw Time Centre, hosted by Creation Group. The Blaengarw Time Centre is based in Blaengarw Workmen's Hall which was bought by the community in 2000. For every hour spent on community work citizens receive one "Time Credit" which can be used to attend one hour of a social, educational or cultural event. Community assets in the village include a food shop, a community café, a heritage café, a digital inclusion centre, a community library and a sculpture studio. Activities organised by the centre include coffee mornings, arts classes, information technology classes, a youth club, dance and drama workshops, sugar craft and after-school clubs.

Film

The 2001 comedy ''

Very Annie Mary ''Very Annie Mary'' is a 2001 musical-comedy film, written and directed by Sara Sugarman and starring Rachel Griffiths and Jonathan Pryce. It is a coming-of-age tale, set in south Wales, about a woman in her 30s who lives with her verbally abusi ...

'', starring

Rachel Griffiths Rachel Anne Griffiths (born 1968) is an Australian actress. List of awards and nominations received by Rachel Griffiths, Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, three AACTA Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award and four Primetime Em ...

Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nom ...

and

Ioan Gruffudd Ioan Gruffudd (; ; born 6 October 1973) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his roles in film and television series in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Gruffudd became known for his portrayal of Harold Lowe in ''Titanic'' ( ...

was filmed in the village, as was the 2019

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

miniseries '' The Accident''.

Notable people

:''See :People from Blaengarw'' * Kenneth "Ken" Davies *

* Dewi James (David James), co-founder of Vivid Entertainment *

Ike Owens Isaac Andrew Owens AFM (7 November 1918 – 15 October 1998) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Blaengarw RFC (in Blaengarw, Bridgen ...

Brian Plummer Brian Plummer, also known as David Brian Plummer (11 September 1936 – 12 September 2003), was a British writer, teacher and dog breeder. Background In 1977, Plummer appeared on Richard Whiteley's ''Calendar'' regional news programme, during ...

, author, dog breeder, originator of the

Plummer Terrier The Plummer Terrier is a working terrier. It was originally bred by Brian Plummer to primarily be a Ratter (dog), ratter and hunt vermin. The breed, while unrecognized by any kennel club, is known for its rugged determination and hardiness. ...

Jeff Young (rugby player) Jeffrey Young Order of the British Empire, OBE (16 September 1942 – 3 October 2005)Jeff Young player p ...

References

External links

The Garw Valley Web Site

Garw Valley Web Site

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Blaengarw and surrounding area
{{authority control Villages in Bridgend County Borough