Nelson, Caerphilly
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2022) |
Nelson (sometimes
.Etymologies
The area that became Nelson was originally called Ffos-y-Gerddinen and this remains the name of the village in Welsh. The meaning of this name is often given as ditch/moat of the Rowan Trees but Thomas Morgan translated it as "Mountain Ash Bog".[2]
Debate
In 2020, the Welsh government conducted an audit of names that commemorated slavery or those associated with the slave trade, including Horatio Nelson. However, the audit noted that the village was "named for the adjacent Lord Nelson Inn rather than in intentional commemoration of Nelson."[3]
The audit became the subject of debate in October 2021, when The Daily Telegraph reported the story with criticism from the Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart and Member of the Senedd Natasha Asghar who called the audit "pandering to the woke left".[4]
The ongoing dispute led Senedd member for Caerphilly, Hefin David to state that the name would not change "unless the people of Nelson decide it should change." This debate has led to suggestions that the village should revert to its Welsh name only, with Kenneth O. Morgan stating that "I am all in favour of turning their names into the Welsh version, which they have had for centuries."[5][6][7]
History
Ffos-y-Gerddinen was a relatively flat piece of land to the south of the ancient hamlet of
Freight transport from Merthyr Tydfil had already brought about the development of the
Geography
Nelson is situated at 150 metres (500 ft) above sea level in a natural basin close to the confluence of the
To the east of the village lies
Historically, Nelson lies within the county of Glamorgan, although boundary changes in 2003 merged the whole of Caerphilly County Borough with the preserved county of Gwent. The boundary with the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil runs along the northern edge of the village, while the border with Rhondda Cynon Taf passes a mile to the west. The hamlets of Llancaiach and Llanfabon lie to the north and south of Nelson respectively.
Notable Buildings
Llancaiach Fawr is a 16th-century manor house which lies at the northern end of Nelson. The building is now a living history museum set in the year 1645 at height of the English Civil War, the year in which King Charles I visited the house in an attempt to persuade its owner, Colonel Edward Pritchard, not to switch allegiance to the Roundheads. In spite of this, the colonel joined the Parliamentarian cause some time later. The manor is now reputed to be one of the most haunted buildings in Wales.
An open-air Pêl-Law court stands in the centre of the village and is believed to be the only operating Welsh handball court left in Wales.
Sporting clubs
Nelson is home to
Transport
Originally created as a result of transport needs for the Llancaiach Colliery, the Taff Vale Railway's Llancaiach Branch serviced only freight needs until the development of the
Nelson lies one mile east of the
As part of the South Wales Metro project, rail service to Nelson branching from Ystryd Mynach could be reinstated.[9]
The Taff Trail and route 47 on the National Cycle Network pass near and through Nelson.[10][11]
Notable persons
The current
Robert Spragg (AKA Larry Love), the singer and songwriter from the band Alabama 3 lived in Nelson before moving to London.[13] His family moved to the village from Merthyr Tydfil and his parents still live there.
Sir
The family of Edward Prichard, Sheriff of Glamorgan in 1638 and appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1640, lived at the Manor House at Llancaiach Fawr.[15]
Gallery
-
The centre of Nelson
-
Shingrig Road
-
High Street
-
The cycle track passing Nelson
-
View of Nelson from Mynydd Eglwysilan
-
The church of St John the Baptist (Church in Wales)
-
Nelson Handball court in the Winter of 1990. The court is situated in the village centre, and has been part of the village fabric for many, many decades.
Location grid
References
- ^ "Community population 2011". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ^ Williams, Morgan (1912). The Place-Names of Wales. Dalcassian Publishing Company. p. 36.
- ^ The Slave Trade and the British Empire An Audit of Commemoration in Wales (PDF). Welsh Government. 26 November 2020. p. 106. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Simpson, Craig (9 October 2021). "Welsh village called Nelson on list of 'problematic' places". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "'Just use the Welsh' suggested as solution to Nelson village name's 'slave trade' connections". Nation.Cymru. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "No Nelson rename says Senedd member – but historian backs village using its Welsh title". Nation.Cymru. 11 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ "Slave trade link 'a problem' for Nelson village". The Times. 11 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ a b Evans, Edward A. "The Nelson branch". Backtrack 1996 Volume 10. pp. 12–17. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
- ^ "Rolling out our Metro" (PDF). Government of Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2019.
- ^ https://www.mytafftrail.co.uk/index.php?section=trail&area=Quakers%20Yard
- ^ https://explore.osmaps.com/?lat=51.650920&lon=-3.303088&zoom=12.9574&style=Standard&type=2d&overlays=os-ncn-layer
- ^ "My mum said 'where do we go from here?'". Wales Online. 8 June 2007.
- ^ "Alabama 3's Larry Love on the London riots, life in the Valleys and bible reading with Bez". WalesOnline. 16 November 2011.
- ^ "SIR TASKER WATKINS VC Lawyer, judge and war hero". The Scotsman on Sunday. 12 September 2007. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ^ "History of Llancaiach Fawr Manor".
External links
- www.geograph.co.uk - photos of Nelson and surrounding area
- The 1881 Census for Nelson
- Nelson Community Council official website
- www.Facebook.com/nelsonmemories - a group showcasing images of Nelson past and present