Cwm, Blaenau Gwent
Cwm
| |
---|---|
Location within Blaenau Gwent | |
Population | 4,120 (2019)[1] |
OS grid reference | SO1805 |
Principal area | |
Preserved county | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Ebbw Vale |
Postcode district | NP23 |
Dialling code | 01495 |
Police | Gwent |
Fire | South Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
Blaenau Gwent | |
Cwm (from
Etymology
The name Cwm is thought to have derived from the farm on the present day nature reserve (Silent Valley), Cwm Merddog. Cwm is the
History
Originally a rather insignificant spot in the
Tirzah Baptist Chapel was built in 1859 in the Simple Gothic style of the gable entry type. It was destroyed by fire in 1916 or 1917,[2][3] but was rebuilt in 1921.[4] The church is still active and has weekly Sunday services.[5]
At the southern edge of Cwm, near the road from Cwm to Aberbeeg, lies Llandavel, now only a few houses, which was a busy community long before Cwm existed.[citation needed] At one time Llandavel had a colliery named in its own right.[6]
Coal industry
The main employment of the village was the
Marine Colliery
The sinking of this colliery began in 1889 by the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company Ltd. The downcast shaft being 418 yards (382 m) deep and the up-cast 414 yards (379 m) yards. The first coal was produced in 1893.
From the Inspector of Mines list 1896, there were 833 men employed producing from the Old coal, Three quarters, Big and Elled seams. In 1913 there were 2,407 men employed. From a report of 1923, there were 944 men working at Marine No. 1, producing from the Old Coal seam and there were 1,097 employed at No. 2 working the Elled, Big Vein and Three Quarters seams.
On 1 March 1927 an underground gas and coal dust explosion killed 52 men. The death toll would have been many more if it hadn't been for the quick thinking of the manager Mr. Edward Gay, who on his arrival at the mine, ordered the ventilation fan to be slowed down so that it wouldn't fan the flames of any fires burning below. It turned out that his actions saved the lives of the men still alive in the district where the explosion occurred. At this time there were 1400 men employed at the colliery but fortunately when the explosion occurred only the night shift were working underground.
By 1935 the ownership of the colliery change hands to Partridge, Jones & John Paton Ltd. who worked the colliery until Nationalisation in 1947, when there were 1,540 men employed.
An incident at Marine Colliery led to an important case in the law of England and Wales. After a miner named Edwards was killed by a falling rock at Marine Colliery on 6 November 1947, the case of Edwards v National Coal Board in 1949 established the concept of "reasonable practicability" with avoiding workplace deaths.[7]
During the 1970s it became integrated with Six Bells Colliery with all the coal being handled at the Marine. In 1982 £2.5 million was spent on a new skip winding system, also a new coal handling plant was installed on the surface. Marine was the last deep mine to work in the Ebbw valleys, it closed in March 1989.
Transport
The village and the colliery were connected to the Great Western Railway network with a station in the middle of Cwm and a halt at Marine Colliery to transport the coal it produced. The station was closed to passengers in 1962 and Marine halt shut when the colliery was demolished in 1989. With the reinstatement of passenger trains on the Ebbw Valley Railway in 2008, there are plans to rebuild Cwm railway station but there has been no commitment or timescale given for a station in Cwm.
In 2002 work began on the Cwm road bypass. It has markedly reduced traffic travelling through the village, thus easing the congestion and pollution.
There is only one hourly bus service that runs between Ebbw Vale and Abertillery. Currently, there are talks underway for a potential modern app travel service; where residents can book an as and when service via bus to further destinations such as Cwmbran & Newport. This app service would replace the scrapped bus services of the 22 and X18.
Education
Cwm originally had a secondary school called Dyffryn located at the bottom of the village. Dyffryn's catchment area included
Notable people
- John Quantick (1909–1972), footballer with Hull City
- Ryland Davies (1943–2023), operatic tenor, born in Cwm[10][11]
- Mark Williams, World Snooker Champion, born in Cwm in 1975[12]
References
- ^ "Ward/Community population 2011". Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ Cwm & Waunlwyd (19 December 1916). "Tirzah after the fire of 1916 | Religious, Construction, World War 1, Photo, Social History, Architecture | Cwm & Waunlwyd". Cwm-waunlwyd.gwentheritage.org.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "Thirzah (Tirzah) Baptist Chapel, Station Terrace, Cwmrhydderch, Ebbw Vale (10646)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ Cwm & Waunlwyd. "Tirzah Baptist being rebuilt | Religious, Construction, Male, Photo, Group, Social History, Architecture, The 1920s | Cwm & Waunlwyd". Cwm-waunlwyd.gwentheritage.org.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "Blaenau Gwent community news and announcements". Wales Online. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "Llandavel Colliery Cwm Valley". Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ "Principles of Health and Safety" (PDF). National Compliance and Risk Qualifications.
- ^ Bevan, Nathan (5 April 2009). "Victor Spinetti tells how he saved Ringo Starr from drowning". Wales on Sunday.
- ^ Massingberd, Hugh (12 November 2006). "My pages were pinned to poor Irene's mound of Venus". The Daily Telegraph.
- .
- ^ "El tenor británico Ryland Davies fallece a los 80 años". Platea. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ Welton, Blake (4 March 2015). "Who are the Welsh players set to compete at the Snooker World Grand Prix?". Daily Post. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
External links
- "Images near to Cwm, Blaenau Gwent, Great Britain". Geograph.
- "Collieries Page". Welsh Coal Mines.
- Kelvin Jones. "Silent Valley - The Story So Far". Gwent Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
- "The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company". Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales.
- "Cwm Station". Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011.