HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Rhymney (; cy, Rhymni ) is a town and a
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, ...
in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. With the villages of
Pontlottyn Pontlottyn ( cy, Pontlotyn) is a village located in the county borough of Caerphilly, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. It is sited just to the south of Rhymney, and to the west of the Rhymney River. History Pontlottyn, ...
,
Fochriw Fochriw () is a village located in Caerphilly County Borough, Wales, United Kingdom. It was well known for its neighbouring collieries, which employed nearly the entire local population in the early 20th century. It lies within the historic cou ...
,
Abertysswg Abertysswg ( cy, Abertyswg) is a village in the county borough of Caerphilly, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Location Situated in the South Wales Valleys, Abertysswg is a small village located to the east of Pontlott ...
,
Deri Deri may refer to : People * Aryeh Deri (born 1959), an Israeli politician * Frances Deri (1880–1971), an Austrian psychoanalyst * Miksa Déri (1854–1938), a Hungarian electrical engineer * Shlomo Deri (fl. 2000s), an Israeli politician * ...
and
New Tredegar New Tredegar ( cy, Tredegar Newydd) is a former mining town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. New Tredegar is now home to 'The Winding House', a county museum ...
, Rhymney is designated as the ' Upper Rhymney Valley' by the local
Unitary Authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
,
Caerphilly County Borough Council Caerphilly County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is the governing body for Caerphilly County Borough, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The last full council elections took place 5 May 2022. Political control The ...
. As a community, Rhymney includes the town of Rhymney, Pontlottyn, Abertysswg, Butetown and Twyncarno. Rhymney is known to many outside Wales as a result of the song "
The Bells of Rhymney "The Bells of Rhymney" is a song first recorded by folk singer Pete Seeger, which consists of Seeger's own music accompanying words written by Welsh poet Idris Davies. Composition The lyrics to the song were drawn from part of Davies' poetic wor ...
", a musical adaptation of a poem by
Idris Davies Idris Davies (6 January 1905 – 6 April 1953) was a Welsh poet. Born in Rhymney, near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, he became a poet, originally writing in Welsh, but later writing exclusively in English. He was the only poet to cover signific ...
.


Etymology

The town is named after 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, ...
, whose name derives from the Welsh word ' " auger" + ', a derivational noun ending.


History

The countryside around present day Rhymney would have been very different in the early 17th century. A new parish of Bedwellty had been formed in 1624, covering the lower division of the
Wentloog Hundred Wentloog (also known as Wentlloog and Wentllooge) was an ancient hundred of Monmouthshire. It was also known as Newport hundred. It was situated in the western part of the county, bounded to the north by Brecknockshire; on the east by ...
, in the county of Monmouth, a hilly district between the river Rumney, on the West, and the Sirhowey on the East. The upper Sirhowy Valley at this time would have been a natural well wooded valley, consisting of a few farms and the occasional small iron works where iron ore and coal naturally had occurred together. Later it would have contained the chapelries of Rhymney and
Tredegar Tredegar (pronounced , ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the In ...
, the latter being known as a market town. It was not until the 1750s that industrialisation began with the establishment of the Sirhowy Iron Works. It was from this pastoral pre-industrial period that the
Buccaneer Buccaneers were a kind of privateers or free sailors particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 until about 168 ...
Henry Morgan Sir Henry Morgan ( cy, Harri Morgan; – 25 August 1688) was a privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming we ...
was born around 1635 -the eldest son of Robert Morgan, a farmer living in Llanrhymny, today known as Rhymney three miles from Tredegar. In Welsh the original meaning of Llan is ‘an enclosed piece of land’. The town was founded with the establishment of the Union ironworks in 1801, with the Rhymney Iron Company later being founded from a merger between the Bute and Union Ironworks in 1837. The ironworks used local coking
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...
, iron ore and
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
. From the mid-19th century, steam coal pits were sunk to the south of the town. The ironworks closed in 1891 and by the early 20th century the town's
collieries Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use c ...
employed nearly the entire local population. The parish church of Rhymney is a Grade II listed building that was constructed in the neo-classical style. It was built by architect
Philip Hardwick Philip Hardwick (15 June 1792 in London – 28 December 1870) was an English architect, particularly associated with railway stations and warehouses in London and elsewhere. Hardwick is probably best known for London's demolished Euston Arch ...
from London on commission for Andrew Buchan who was the manager of the local Rhymney brewery between 1838–1858. The building was listed in 1990 and was noted for being one of the most 'interesting' examples of neoclassical architecture in South Wales. Buchan himself is buried in the parish church vaults and is commemorated with a plaque in the nave of the church. The parish is occasionally visited by enthusiasts of Hardwick's work who are interested in neo-classical buildings of this type. The history of Rhymney is described in ''Rhymney Memories,'' a book by Dr Thomas Jones. Jones was born in the town and his daughter, the Labour Party politician Eirene White, was later granted the title
Baroness Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
White of Rhymney.


Education and transport

The town's secondary school, Idris Davies School, serves a catchment area that includes
Fochriw Fochriw () is a village located in Caerphilly County Borough, Wales, United Kingdom. It was well known for its neighbouring collieries, which employed nearly the entire local population in the early 20th century. It lies within the historic cou ...
,
Pontlottyn Pontlottyn ( cy, Pontlotyn) is a village located in the county borough of Caerphilly, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales. It is sited just to the south of Rhymney, and to the west of the Rhymney River. History Pontlottyn, ...
and
New Tredegar New Tredegar ( cy, Tredegar Newydd) is a former mining town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. New Tredegar is now home to 'The Winding House', a county museum ...
. There is also a Welsh language primary school in Rhymney. In 1999
Ystrad Mynach College The College Ystrad Mynach is a former college of further education based in Ystrad Mynach in Caerphilly county borough, Wales. It had over 13,000 students ranging from school leavers to adult mature students. It taught mainly vocational course ...
launched its sister campus in Rhymney to serve the top end of the Rhymney Valley under the name The College Rhymney. The College Rhymey has undergone rapid growth since its opening with over 700 students enrolled on various courses in the academic year 2007–2008. This has been closed for a very long while now however.
Rhymney railway station Rhymney railway station serves the town of Rhymney in Wales. Situated on the Valley Lines network north of Cardiff Central railway station, Cardiff Central, it is the terminus of the Rhymney Line. The railway station, station has sidings to the ...
is on the Rhymney Line. Featured on the Rhymney Line is a viaduct that was built by the
Rhymney Railway The Rhymney Railway was a railway company in South Wales, founded to transport minerals and materials to and from collieries and ironworks in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales, and to docks in Cardiff. It opened a main line in 1858, and a limite ...
company to facilitate the line in 1857 after the incorporation of the company to build the line to the steel works in 1854. The viaduct which opened in 1858 was designed by English engineer
Joseph Cubitt Joseph Cubitt (24 November 1811 – 7 December 1872) was an English civil engineer. Amongst other projects, he designed the Blackfriars Railway Bridge over the River Thames in London. Early life Cubitt was born in Horning, Norfolk, on 24 Nove ...
.(1811–1872).


Notable people and organisations

:''See also :People from Rhymney'' The celebrated Welsh poet
Idris Davies Idris Davies (6 January 1905 – 6 April 1953) was a Welsh poet. Born in Rhymney, near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, he became a poet, originally writing in Welsh, but later writing exclusively in English. He was the only poet to cover signific ...
(1905–1953) was born in Rhymney. After leaving school at the age of 14 he worked as a miner in the nearby
Abertysswg Abertysswg ( cy, Abertyswg) is a village in the county borough of Caerphilly, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Location Situated in the South Wales Valleys, Abertysswg is a small village located to the east of Pontlott ...
and Rhymney Mardy Pits. After participating in the failed
General Strike of 1926 The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 to 12 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British governmen ...
, Davies moved to London where he worked as a teacher at various schools. Four volumes of his poetry were published during his lifetime: ''Gwalia Deserta'' (1938), ''The Angry Summer: A Poem of 1926'' (1943), ''Tonypandy and other poems'' (1945), and ''Selected Poems'' (1953). He returned to Rhymney in 1947 and died of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
on 6 April 1953. General manager and engineer of the Rhymney Railway Cornelius Lundie (1815–1908). For over 40 years, he was, a few years prior to his death, appointed consulting director to the Company, and actively discharged the duties of that office until the very end. As an engineer he designed and constructed many extensions of the system and widenings of the main line, including a double-way tunnel under the Cefn On or
Caerphilly mountain Caerphilly Mountain ( cy, Mynydd Caerffili) lies between Cardiff and Caerphilly at the southern edge of the South Wales Coalfield. Its summit is above sea-level. Since 1957 there had been a small wooden snack bar near to the summit. In Septemb ...
, and a masonry viaduct of seven spans over the
River Taff The River Taff ( cy, Afon Taf) is a river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons; the Taf Fechan (''little Taff'') and the Taf Fawr (''great Taff'') before becoming one just north of Merthyr Tydfil. Its confluence with th ...
, besides new locomotive shops at Caerphilly, and other works. He was 93 when he died in 1908 and is thought to be the oldest railway director of his time. The professor, civil servant, administrator, and author Dr Thomas Jones CH (1870–1955) was also born in Rhymney. After leaving school at 14 he became a clerk at the Rhymney Iron and Steel Works. He was admitted to the
University College of Wales, Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...
in 1890 and later migrated to
Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
in 1890. Between 1904 and 1905 he lectured in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and upon returning to Wales in 1910 became Secretary of the Welsh National Campaign against Tuberculosis. He was appointed Secretary of the National Health Insurance Commission (Wales) in 1912 and transferred to London in 1916 as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, eventually becoming Deputy Secretary. He suffered a serious fall indoors at his home in
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
in June 1955 and died in a private nursing home on 15 October 1955. Notable people born in Rhymney include the
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
trainer John D. Reese, Wales international rugby union
Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
Tom James Thomas James MBE (born 11 March 1984) is a British rower, twice Olympic champion and victorious Cambridge Blue. In a British coxless four in 2012 he set a world's best time which still stood as of 2021. Background and early life James was bor ...
, and Professor W. John Morgan, Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner, and Chair of the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO.https://www.ukwhoswho.com/ One of the largest employers in Rhymney is Williams Medical Supplies Ltd. The town is home to the Rhymney Silurian Male Choir, which was formed in 1951 to renew the tradition of male voice singing in Rhymney. During its history, the choir has won four National
Eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, ac ...
titles and raised money for a number of charities.


"The Bells of Rhymney"

Rhymney is known to many outside Wales due to
folk singer Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
's song "The Bells of Rhymney". The lyrics to the song are drawn from a poem by
Idris Davies Idris Davies (6 January 1905 – 6 April 1953) was a Welsh poet. Born in Rhymney, near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, he became a poet, originally writing in Welsh, but later writing exclusively in English. He was the only poet to cover signific ...
, and the poem was first published in Davies' 1938 anthology ''Gwalia Deserta''. The poem was inspired by the failure of the
1926 General Strike The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 to 12 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British governme ...
and by the Marine Colliery disaster of 1 March 1927. In addition to Rhymney, the poem also refers to the bells of
Merthyr 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 ...
,
Rhondda Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coal mining, coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fa ...
,
Blaina Blaina ( cy, Blaenau ) is a small town, situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Brynmawr and Abertillery in the unitary authority of Blaenau Gwent, ancient parish of Aberystruth, preserved county of Gwent and historic county o ...
, Caerphilly, Neath,
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 ...
, Swansea, Newport,
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 ...
and the
Wye Valley The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; cy, Dyffryn Gwy) is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. The River Wye ( cy, Afon Gwy) is the fourth-longest river in th ...
. The song has been
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by a number of acts over the years, including Judy Collins, Cher,
the Alarm The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales, in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977, under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the band soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh languag ...
, the Ian Campbell Folk Group, John Denver,
Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...
,
Oysterband Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976. History Early history The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as ...
and
Ralph McTell Ralph McTell (born Ralph May, 3 December 1944) is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s. McTell is best known for his song " Streets of London" (19 ...
. Arguably the most widely known rendition of the song, however, was that recorded by the American band
the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...
for their 1965 album '' Mr. Tambourine Man''.


See also

*
Redwood Memorial Hospital Redwood Memorial Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Coffa Redwood) was a community hospital in Rhymney, Wales, managed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Aneurin Bevan) is ...


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * *Jones,Thomas, 1990, ''Rhymney Memories'', The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, . * Morris, Eben (Ed.),1990, ''Fe'm Ganed i yn Rhymni, I Was Born in Rhymney'', Cyfrol Deyrnged i Idris Davies, The Idris Davies Memorial Volume, Gwasg Gomer, Gomer Press, LLandyssul, Dyfed. (HB) -4 (SB). *


External links


The College Rhymney

Rhymney Comprehensive School


{{authority control Towns in Caerphilly County Borough Communities in Caerphilly County Borough