Bargoed ( cy, Bargod) is a town and
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
in the
Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the
South Wales Valleys. It lies on the
Rhymney River
The Rhymney River ( cy, Afon Rhymni) is a river in the Rhymney Valley, South Wales, flowing through Cardiff into the Severn Estuary. The river formed the boundary between the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire until in 1887, t ...
in the
county borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent ter ...
of
Caerphilly
Caerphilly (, ; cy, Caerffili, ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley.
It is north of Cardiff and northwest of Newport. It is the largest town in Caerphilly County Borough, and lies wit ...
. It straddles the
ancient boundary of
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
and
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
, with Bargoed lying in Glamorgan and
Aberbargoed in Monmouthshire. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council, consists of the towns of Bargoed and Aberbargoed and the village of
Gilfach
Gilfach is the small district that lies between Bargoed and Pengam, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, seven miles north of Caerphilly, within the historic boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. The Bargoed ward had a population of 2,062 at the ...
. The combined population of these settlements is about 13,000. The town's rugby club
Bargoed RFC holds the world record for the most consecutive league wins in a row and was ''
World Rugby'' magazine's team of the year in 2005.
The town’s football team AFC Bargoed who also hold a rich history are currently rebuilding and have a good young squad, finishing 2nd in the TERV Premier League 2022
Toponymy
The name of the town is derived from that of the
River Bargoed, which itself is based on the
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
word "border, boundary". The change from Bargod to Bargoed is recorded from the sixteenth century onwards and was probably a
hypercorrection
In sociolinguistics, hypercorrection is non-standard use of language that results from the over-application of a perceived rule of language-usage prescription. A speaker or writer who produces a hypercorrection generally believes through a mi ...
under the influence of "trees, woods", perhaps reinforced by nearby place names such as Pen-y-coed, Argoed and Blackwood ( cy, y Coed-duon). The modern pronunciation of the town's name varies depending on street, ranging from (based on ) and (based on ') to the more informal .
History
Originally a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
, Bargoed grew into a substantial town following the opening of a
colliery in 1903. By 1921 Bargoed had a population of 17,901; this has been steadily declining since that time, as the general demand for Welsh coal continued to fall. The colliery, which was the subject of a painting by
L. S. Lowry, closed during the 1970s, and its former site is now a
country park
A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.
United Kingdom
History
In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised coun ...
.
![Austin Toy Cars (Factory), Pengam, Bargoed (19363299009)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Austin_Toy_Cars_%28Factory%29%2C_Pengam%2C_Bargoed_%2819363299009%29.jpg)
The town was home to a factory built by the
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company Limited was an English manufacturer of motor vehicles, founded in 1905 by Herbert Austin in Longbridge. In 1952 it was merged with Morris Motors Limited in the new holding company British Motor Corporation (BMC) Limi ...
from 1949. This was a project by Austin chairman
Leonard Lord
Leonard Percy Lord, 1st Baron Lambury KBE (15 November 1896 – 13 September 1967) was a captain of the British motor industry.
Background and education
Leonard Percy Lord was born on 16 November 1896 and was the youngest child in his family ...
, with government funding, to employ miners suffering from
pneumoconiosis
Pneumoconiosis is the general term for a class of interstitial lung disease where inhalation of dust ( for example, ash dust, lead particles, pollen grains etc) has caused interstitial fibrosis. The three most common types are asbestosis, silicos ...
, a lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of dust. In 1945 it was estimated that 5000 miners in the South Wales region were affected by the condition to the extent that they could not work in the coal industry. The Austin factory at Bargoed became the first factory in the world where every employee was registered as disabled. Ex-miners could work at Bargoed under full-time medical supervision and with medical facilities on-site at the factory. The factory work was understandably light, with the main product being the J40 children's
pedal car
A quadracycle is a four-wheeled human-powered land vehicle. It is also referred to as a quadricycle, quadcycle, pedal car or four-wheeled bicycle amongst other terms.
Quadracycles have been in use since 1853 and have grown into several famil ...
. The success and efficiency of the factory was such that 150 men were employed by 1953 and Austin began the manufacture of small metal pressings for its full-size cars, such as dashboard parts, car registration plates and
rocker covers at Bargoed. By 1965 over 500 men, all pneumoconiosis sufferers, were working at the factory. Production of the J40 pedal cars ended in 1971 but the factory's other work kept it open. Improving conditions in the mining industry and the slow reduction in the number of mines and workers in the region meant that the factory's purpose began to become redundant during the 1980s. The numbers employed slowly dropped and new workers did not have to be pneumoconiosis sufferers. The end of production of the
Austin A-Series engine in 1999, the rocker cover of which was made solely in Bargoed, meant that the factory (then under the ownership of the
Rover Group) employing 45 people, of which only 11 were registered as disabled, closed.
Governance
An
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
with the same name exists. At the 2011 census this ward had a population of 6,196.
Redevelopment
![Baptist chapel, Bargoed - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Baptist_chapel%2C_Bargoed_-_geograph.org.uk-3464808.jpg)
The town has been undergoing a major redevelopment scheme, which included a bypass (running through the valley, with links to Bargoed town centre, Aberbargoed and Gilfach),
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as one in Gibraltar. The company is headqua ...
supermarket and petrol station, a new bus station, repaving the road though the heart of the town, a 400+ space car park, new library, 3 new offices, a relaxation area where the old bus station was on Hanbury Square, and 7 retail units. There are ongoing issues with plans for a state of the art
Odeon Cinema and the site remains undeveloped (summer 2015). A redevelopment of the former Plasnewydd Hotel has created Murray's.
The Grade II* listed Hanbury Road Baptist chapel has been converted into a public library which includes a council services helpdesk, a computer suite, a coffee lounge, and a scaled-down chapel; the pipe organ (now silent), occupies its original dominant position overlooking the main ground floor area, while the erstwhile chapel gallery houses a substantial collection of reference and other books. At the rear of the library a new mini park has been created using 40 ft flower sculptures.
The sites of the former collieries of Bargoed, Gilfach, and Britannia have been landscaped as a recreational nature park with a network of paths on either side of the Rhymney river. Figures of mine workers from these three communities have become the inspiration for wooden sculptures in the park, while in Hanbury Square a group of three immense heads of colliery workers dominates the tiered piazza.
Transport
The town is served by
Bargoed railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Bargoed Railway Station (geograph 4776805).jpg
, borough = Bargoed, Caerphilly
, country = Wales
, coordinates =
, grid_name ...
with services to Cardiff, Penarth, and Barry;
Bargoed Bus Interchange
Bargoed ( cy, Bargod) is a town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly. It straddles the ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, wi ...
is situated at the northern end of the town, with local services and routes to nearby Blackwood, Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, and Newport among others.
The
A469
The A469 is a road in south Wales. It links Cardiff and Caerphilly with Rhymney and the Heads of the Valleys Road (A465).
See also
* Transport in Cardiff
* Transport in Wales
Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the cou ...
by-pass road connects with the
A465
The A465 is a trunk road that runs from Bromyard in Herefordshire, England to Llandarcy near Swansea in South Wales. The western half is known officially as the Neath to Abergavenny Trunk Road, but the section from Abergavenny to the Vale of N ...
Heads of the Valleys road to the north and the
A470 to the south, serving Cardiff and linking with the east-west
M4 motorway
The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...
.
Education
Bargoed Grammar Technical School existed as the local grammar school before
Heolddu Comprehensive School was formed. Some of the grammar school's buildings in Park Crescent were used from the 1980s until 2002 for the valley's first
Welsh language
Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
comprehensive school,
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, which has now moved to a new purpose-built site in Fleur-de-Lys. Primary Schools include St Gwladys Bargoed School, Park Primary School, Aberbargoed Primary School, Gilfach Fargoed Primary School and a Welsh school
Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod
Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod is a Welsh medium primary school located in the village of Gilfach, Bargoed in the County Borough of Caerphilly.
Established in 1963, Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod was one of the first Welsh medium schools in the Rhy ...
. Heolddu Comprehensive School serves the local area as the main secondary school.
Notable people
:''See
:People from Bargoed''
*
Nathan Cleverly (born 1987), World Champion boxer, grew up in Bargoed and went to Heolddu Comprehensive School
*
Sam Cookson (born 1891), footballer
*
Hefin David
Hefin Wyn David (born 1977) is a Welsh Labour politician and the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Caerphilly. He was elected in 2016 to replace Jeff Cuthbert, who became Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner. Despite the common surname, he is no ...
, Welsh Assembly Member (MS), went to school in Bargoed and his office is based in Bargoed YMCA
*
Bradley Dredge (born 1973), golfer, Golf World Cup winner, twice
European Tour winner, is a lifetime member at Bargoed Golf Club and started his career there
*
Kieron Evans
Kieron Thomas Evans (born 19 December 2001) is a Welsh professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Torquay United F.C., Torquay United on loan from EFL Championship side Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City.
Club care ...
,
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
footballer, went to school in Bargoed
*
James Fox (born 1976), singer-songwriter and British
Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
contestant
*
Doris Hare
Doris Breamer Hare, MBE (1 March 1905 – 30 May 2000) was a British actress, comedian, singer, and dancer best known for portraying Mabel Butler in the British sitcom ''On the Buses'' and its film spin-offs, after replacing the original actres ...
(1905–2000), actress, born in Bargoed
*
Alun Hoddinott (1929–2008), a composer of classical music, one of the first Welsh composers to receive international recognition
*
Graham Moore played football for Bargoed YM (now AFC Bargoed), represented Wales 1959–1970.
*
Steffanie Newell (born 1994), professional wrestler formerly signed to
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
under the name Tegan Nox, born in Bargoed and attended
Heolddu Comprehensive School
*
Morgan Phillips (1902–1963), General Secretary of the Labour Party from 1944 to 1961, brought up in Bargoed
*
Ivor Powell
Ivor Verdun Powell, MBE (5 July 1916 – 6 November 2012) was a Welsh football player and manager. He won eight caps for Wales.
A wing half, he began his professional career with Queens Park Rangers in September 1937. His career was interr ...
(1916–2012), former professional footballer and manager, was born in Gilfach-Bargoed on 5 July 1916
*
Lauren Price MBE
Lauren may be a given name or surname.The name's meaning may be "laurel tree", "sweet of honor", or "wisdom". It is derived from the French name Laurence, a feminine version of Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Roman surname Laurentius.
...
(born 1994), professional boxer, Olympic Gold Medalist, attended Heolddu Comprehensive School in Bargoed and was brought up in Mc Donell Rd Bargoed
*
David Probert
David Probert (born 1988) is a Welsh jockey who was joint British flat racing Champion Apprentice in 2008.
Background
Probert was born in Bargoed, Wales, attended Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni Welsh language school, and grew up competing in pony raci ...
(born 1988),
British flat racing Champion Apprentice
The flat racing Champion Jockey and Champion Apprentice titles are awarded annually to the jockey(s) and apprentice(s) respectively that have ridden the most winners (both turf and all-weather) in Great Britain during a set period or championship ...
jockey 2008, attended
Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod
Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod is a Welsh medium primary school located in the village of Gilfach, Bargoed in the County Borough of Caerphilly.
Established in 1963, Ysgol Gymraeg Gilfach Fargod was one of the first Welsh medium schools in the Rhy ...
and
Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni
*
Robbie Regan former world boxing champion grew up and trained in Bargoed, he still lives in the town
*
John Tripp (1927–1986) Anglo-Welsh poet and short-story writer, born in Bargoed
*
Mark Williams (born 1975), Embassy
World Snooker Champion in 2000, 2003 and 2018, practises at the town's Emporium Snooker Hall
*
Adam Woodyatt, actor, had grandparents who lived in Bargoed and had a summer job in the local butchers
*
Luke Evans grew up in neighbouring Aberbargoed and attended school in Bargoed
References
External links
www.geography.co.uk : photos of Bargoed and surrounding areaSt Gwladys Bargoed Primary School
{{authority control
Towns in Caerphilly County Borough
Communities in Caerphilly County Borough