Wattsville is a small village in the
Sirhowy Valley
The Sirhowy Valley ( ) is an industrialised valley in the eastern part of the Valleys region of Wales. It is named from the Sirhowy River () which runs through it. Its upper reaches are occupied by the town of Tredegar within the unitary area of ...
, eight miles north west of
Newport, built in the 20th century for accommodation for mine workers.
Amenities
Modern Wattsville consists of two villages, Wattsville and Brynawel. It consists of one main street (Islwyn road) with another hugging the valley below. Wattsville is the base for the Sirhowy valley
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 ...
, starting at the tourist centre in Full Moon Cottage (the site of an 19th century village of Full moon, a site for
hillwalking
Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much uncultiv ...
and
mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...
on the old railway trackbed.
History
Further up the valley at
Cwmfelinfach
Cwmfelinfach is a small village located in the Sirhowy valley of south-east Wales. It is part of the district of Caerphilly within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is located north of Wattsville, about 5 miles north of the nearest ...
is the old site of
Nine Mile Point Colliery
Nine Mile Point colliery was a coal mine at Cwmfelinfach in the South Wales Valleys, originally known as "Coronation Colliery", and constructed between 1902 and 1905. The deepest shaft was 1,176 feet deep. Seven men were killed on 13 August 1 ...
. This was the site of the first ever 'sit in' of miners. At Wattsville the New Risca Mine, opened 1878 and was 855 feet deep. It was located on the eastern edge of Wattsville and was the first colliery in
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 ...
to have electric lighting at the pithead and underground in 1892.
The
bassist
A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
and
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income ...
of
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
Nicky Wire
Nicholas Allen Jones (born 20 January 1969), known as Nicky Wire, is a Welsh musician and songwriter, best known as lyricist, bassist and secondary vocalist of the Welsh alternative rock band, Manic Street Preachers.
Prior to the group, Wire s ...
lived in Wattsville and wrote a song about the village called "
Wattsville Blues", where he describes his love of the village. The song appears on the album ''
Know Your Enemy''.
About halfway up the main street, there is a noticeable gap in the terrace. This is where 4 houses used to stand, which were flattened due to subsidence from underground mine workings. There is now a monument and garden on the site. There is a similar gap next to the play area on Duffryn Terrace.
Wattsville is home to Wattsville football club
Wattsville F.C.
Notable people
Osi Rhys Osmond
Osi Rhys Osmond (born Donald Malcolm Osmond; 28 June 1942 – 6 March 2015) was a Welsh painter and an occasional television and radio presenter.
Biography
Osmond was born in Bristol to Welsh parents from Wattsville, Sirhowy, Caerphilly, where ...
, artist
External links
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Wattsville and surrounding areaWelsh Coal Mines website - check out the history of the local pits
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Villages in Caerphilly County Borough