Nelson ( cy, Ffos y Gerddinen) is a village 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
County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales. It sits five miles north of
Caerphilly and ten miles north of
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, at the lower end of the
Taff Bargoed Valley
The Taff Bargoed () is a river and valley near Pontypridd in South Wales, and lies off the Abercynon roundabout on the A470 road, and is approximately 14 miles from Cardiff. The main settlements are Nelson, Edwardsville, Quakers Yard, Treharr ...
, and lies adjacent to
Treharris
Treharris is a small town and community (Wales), community (and electoral ward) in the Taff Bargoed Valley in the south of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, South Wales. It is located about west of Trelewis, from which it is separated by the Taff Ba ...
,
Trelewis
Trelewis is a small village in the Taff Bargoed Valley of south-east Wales, currently located in the southern part of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough. It is a former mining village and together with nearby Bedlinog was until 1974 part of the Gellig ...
and
Quakers Yard
Quakers Yard ( cy, Mynwent y Crynwyr) is a village in the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, situated where the Taff Bargoed Valley joins the Taff Valley. Quakers Yard is part of the Community (Wales), community of Treharris.
History
The early plac ...
.
Name
Etymologies
The area that became Nelson was 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".
The English name is borrowed from the ''Nelson's Arms''
coaching inn
The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of tra ...
, now Lord Nelson Inn, itself named after
Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
who lodged there with
Lady Hamilton
Dame Emma Hamilton (born Amy Lyon; 26 April 176515 January 1815), generally known as Lady Hamilton, was an English maid, model, dancer and actress. She began her career in London's demi-monde, becoming the mistress of a series of wealthy me ...
in the summer of 1802, following a visit to Cyfarthfa Ironworks in Merthyr en route to Monmouth. Following the opening of
Llancaiach Colliery in 1811 an urban village developed near the inn and it seems the name ''Nelson'' became the common name for the village amongst both Welsh and English speakers (in the same way the ''Mountain Ash Inn'' gave its name to the town of
Mountain Ash Mountain ash may refer to:
* ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia
* Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus''
See also
* Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Mounta ...
).
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."
The audit became the subject of debate in October 2021, when
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
reported the story with criticism from the
Secretary of State for Wales
The secretary of state for Wales ( cy, ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member ...
,
Simon Hart
Simon Anthony Hart (born 15 August 1963) is a British politician serving as the Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury since October 2022. He previously served as Secretary of State for Wales between 2019 ...
and
Member of the Senedd Natasha Asghar
Natasha Asghar is a Welsh Conservative Party politician who represents South Wales East in the Senedd since the 2021 Senedd election. Her father Mohammad Asghar represented the same constituency until his death in 2020. She is the first female ...
who called the audit "pandering to the
woke
''Woke'' ( ) is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and Racial discrimination, discrimination". Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social ineq ...
left".
The ongoing dispute led Senedd member for Caerphilly,
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 ...
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
Kenneth Owen Morgan, Baron Morgan, (born 16 May 1934) is a Welsh historian and author, known especially for his writings on modern British history and politics and on Welsh history. He is a regular reviewer and broadcaster on radio and televisi ...
stating that "I am all in favour of turning their names into the Welsh version, which they have had for centuries."
History
Ffos-y-Gerddinen was a relatively flat piece of land to the south of the ancient hamlet of
Llancaiach
Llancaiach is a hamlet just north of the village of Nelson, Caerphilly
Nelson ( cy, Ffos y Gerddinen) is a village and community in the County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales. It sits five miles north of Caerphilly and ten miles north of Cardiff, ...
, in the
Taff Bargoed Valley
The Taff Bargoed () is a river and valley near Pontypridd in South Wales, and lies off the Abercynon roundabout on the A470 road, and is approximately 14 miles from Cardiff. The main settlements are Nelson, Edwardsville, Quakers Yard, Treharr ...
. The area was on a well known
Drovers' road
A drovers' road, drove ''roador droveway is a route for droving livestock on foot from one place to another, such as to market or between summer and winter pasture (see transhumance). Many drovers' roads were ancient routes of unknown age; ot ...
from the
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
coast towards
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
and onwards to
Brecon
Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
and
Mid Wales. Had it not been for the development of the
South Wales coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield ( cy, Maes glo De Cymru) 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, espec ...
, the area would have remained as open country. When the
Llancaiach Colliery was developed from 1811, it created a need for new housing for the workers and heavy transport for the coal, which spilt onto the flatlands below the colliery.
Freight transport from Merthyr Tydfil had already brought about the development of the
Glamorganshire Canal
The Glamorganshire Canal in South Wales, UK, was begun in 1790. It ran along the valley of the River Taff from Merthyr Tydfil to the sea at Cardiff. The final section of canal was closed in 1951.
History
Construction started in 1790; being ...
which by-passed Nelson in the nearby
Taff Valley, but in 1841 the
Taff Vale Railway
The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in stag ...
's
Llancaiach Branch was built specifically to service Llancaiach Colliery and entered the Taff Bargoed Valley via the centre of Nelson. Looking for a name for its station, which was built on the flat land south of the colliery, the directors of the TVR chose the name of the coaching inn.
When the
Taff Vale Extension
Taff may refer to:
* River Taff, a large river in Wales
* Taff (TV series), ''Taff'' (TV series), a German tabloid news programme
* Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, an organisation for science fiction fandom
People
* a demonym for anyone from south Wale ...
railway of the
Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway
The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway was a railway company formed to connect the places in its name. When it sought Parliamentary authorisation, it was denied the southern section, and obliged to use the Monmouthshire Railway between P ...
was built, it replicated the TVR naming convention for its station, and Nelson was born as a village with a separate identity to Llancaiach.
Geography
Nelson is situated at above sea level in a natural basin close to the confluence of the
Taff
Taff may refer to:
* River Taff, a large river in Wales
* ''Taff'' (TV series), a German tabloid news programme
* Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, an organisation for science fiction fandom
People
* a demonym for anyone from south Wales
* Jerry Taff ( ...
and Taff Bargoed valleys, and the resultant relative flatness and surrounding fields are quite atypical of the steep-sided valleys and
linear village
Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship ('' function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear ...
s associated with the area. To the south the land rises gently to the 383-metre summit of
Mynydd Eglwysilan, which offers panoramic views of the
Brecon Beacons,
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
and the coasts of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
and
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
.
To the east of the village lies
Nelson Bog, a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
(SSSI). The bog is host to rare plants and wildlife including orchids, bats, badgers and otters.
Historically, Nelson lies within the county of
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
, 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
Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff (Welsh: ''Taf'') and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and vill ...
passes a mile to the west. The
hamlets
A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...
of Llancaiach and
Llanfabon
Llanvabon (also known as Llanfabon) is an area and former parish in South Wales. As described in 1849, it comprised two hamlets, in the union of Merthyr Tydfil, hundred of Caerphilly, county of Glamorgan, 9 miles (S. S. E.) from Merthyr Tydfi ...
lie to the north and south of Nelson respectively.
Notable Buildings
Llancaiach Fawr
Llancaiach Fawr Manor is a Tudor manor house near the village of Nelson, located just to the north of the site of the former Llancaiach Colliery in the heart of the Rhymney Valley in South Wales. The semi-fortified house was built on the site o ...
is a 16th-century
manor house
A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...
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 English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, 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
Roundhead
Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...
s. 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
Welsh handball ( cy, Pêl-law) is one of the ancient native sports of Wales. It is related to coeval sports such as Irish handball, fives, and Basque pelota and is a possible antecedent of American handball. The sport has been continually atte ...
court stands in the centre of the village and is believed to be the only operating Welsh handball court left in Wales.
Welsh Water's head office is in Nelson.
Sporting clubs
Nelson is home to
Nelson RFC
Nelson Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club team based in Nelson, Caerphilly. Today, Nelson RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union, Division one East League and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.
Their club badge is a white ...
, founded in 1934 and Nelson Cavaliers Football Club, founded in 1972. In 2001, the rugby league team
Valley Cougars
Valley Cougars are a rugby league team based in Treharris. They play in the Wales Premier League, which they won in 2017 after defeating the Torfaen Tigers in the league's Grand Final.
History
They were founded in 2001 as Cynon Valley Cougars a ...
was formed and now plays in the
Welsh Premier League.
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
Taff Vale Extension
Taff may refer to:
* River Taff, a large river in Wales
* Taff (TV series), ''Taff'' (TV series), a German tabloid news programme
* Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, an organisation for science fiction fandom
People
* a demonym for anyone from south Wale ...
, which brought about the introduction of passenger services from 1862. Nelson's position as a junction station was increased after it was joined by a passenger and freight line to
Dowlais
Dowlais () is a village and community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. At the 2011 census the electoral ward had a population of 6,926, The population of the Community being 4,270 at the 2011 census having excluded Pant. Dowlai ...
on the
Taff Bargoed
The Taff Bargoed () is a river and valley near Pontypridd in South Wales, and lies off the Abercynon roundabout on the A470 road, and is approximately 14 miles from Cardiff. The main settlements are Nelson, Edwardsville, Quakers Yard, Treharr ...
branch which opened in 1876 and closed in 1964. Passenger services from
Pontypridd
() (colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Geography
comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest (). The ...
were withdrawn along the Llancaiach Branch from 1932,
and the Taff Vale Extension from 1964 as part of the
Beeching cuts
The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised British Rail, railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Develop ...
. The station was demolished in 1972, but a very small part of the TVE Vale Of Neath line still exists to service the freight associated with coal extraction of the
Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme
The Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme is a major opencast coaling operation to the north-east of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. The contracted excavator/reclaiming company is Merthyr (South Wales) Ltdprev Miller Argent, which is owned by Gwent ...
on the
Taff Bargoed
The Taff Bargoed () is a river and valley near Pontypridd in South Wales, and lies off the Abercynon roundabout on the A470 road, and is approximately 14 miles from Cardiff. The main settlements are Nelson, Edwardsville, Quakers Yard, Treharr ...
branch. Since the closure of its railway stations, the closest railway station to Nelson is two miles away at
Ystrad Mynach
Ystrad Mynach is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough, within the ancient county of Glamorgan, Wales, and is north of the town of Caerphilly. The urban area has a population of 19,204, and stands in the Rhymney Valley. Before the Industr ...
.
Nelson lies one mile east of the
A470
The A470 (also named the Cardiff to Glan Conwy Trunk Road) is a trunk road in Wales. It is the country's longest road at and links the capital Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. While previously one had to navigat ...
Abercynon roundabout, while the
A472
List of A roads in zone 4 in Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European isla ...
trunk road bypasses the village. Bus services are provided by various companies and exist to the towns of Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Treharris and Ystrad Mynach. The direct bus service to Cardiff was discontinued in 2009, with a change at Pontypridd now required.
As part of the
South Wales Metro
The South Wales Metro () is an integrated heavy rail, light rail and bus-based public transport services and systems network in South East Wales around the hub of . The first phase was approved for development in October 2013. Works are current ...
project, rail service to Nelson branching from Ystryd Mynach could be reinstated.
Notable persons
Simon Weston
Simon Weston (born 8 August 1961) is a Welsh veteran of the British Army who is known for his charity work and recovery from severe burn injuries suffered during the Falklands War.
Early life
Weston was born at Caerphilly District Miners ...
, veteran of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
who is known for his charity work and recovery from severe
burn injuries
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...
suffered during the
Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
, was born in the village.
The current
Lord Lieutenant
A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...
for
Mid Glamorgan
, Government= Mid Glamorgan County Council
, Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–)
, Start= 1974
, End= 1996
, Arms= ''Coat of arms of Mid ...
, Kate Thomas, was brought up in Cardiff and educated at
Cheltenham Ladies College
Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Consistently ranked as one of the top all-girls' schools nationally, the school was established in 1853 to pr ...
before moving to Nelson where she settled into a farming life with her husband. She has previously held the offices of Vice Lord-Lieutenant and High Sheriff.
Robert Spragg (AKA Larry Love), the singer and songwriter from the band
Alabama 3
Alabama 3 are a British/English musical group founded in Brixton, London in 1995. They are best known for their track " Woke Up This Morning", which was used for the opening credits of the TV series ''The Sopranos''. In the United States, the ...
lived in Nelson before moving to London. His family moved to the village from Merthyr Tydfil and his parents still live there.
Sir
Tasker Watkins
Sir Tasker Watkins (18 November 1918 – 9 September 2007) was a Welsh Lord Justice of Appeal and deputy Lord Chief Justice. He was President of the Welsh Rugby Union from 1993 to 2004. During the Second World War, he served in the British Ar ...
VC GBE PC (1918–2007), was born in Nelson and was a recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
forces. He was successively a
High Court judge,
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Justice ...
and Deputy
Lord Chief Justice of England
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...
. He was President of the
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; cy, Undeb Rygbi Cymru) is the Sports governing body, governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby.
The WRU is responsible for the running ...
from 1993 to 2004.
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.
Gallery
File:Centre of Nelson, Caerphilly from Commercial Street.jpg, The centre of Nelson
File:Shingrigroad.jpg, Shingrig Road
File:Highstreetnelson.jpg, High Street
File:Cycletrack.jpg, The cycle track passing Nelson
File:Nelsonmountain.jpg, View of Nelson from Mynydd Eglwysilan
File:Church of St John the Baptist, Nelson - geograph.org.uk - 4679449.jpg, The church of St John the Baptist (Church in Wales)
File:Nelson Handball Court.jpg, 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
External links
www.geograph.co.uk - photos of Nelson and surrounding areaThe 1881 Census for NelsonNelson Community Council official website*www.facebook.com/nelsonmemories - a group showcasing images of Nelson past and present
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Caerphilly
Villages in Caerphilly County Borough
Communities in Caerphilly County Borough