Abertysswg ( cy, Abertyswg) is a village 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 te ...
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
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 south-east of
Rhymney. The nearest major town is
Merthyr Tydfil. 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, ...
lies just west of the village.
Abertysswg is overlooked to the south by Twyn Cornicyll above Coed Cefn Rhychdir. The village came into being in 1895-1900 through
industrialisation brought by the development of Abertysswg Colliery, the first shaft of which was sunk in 1897.
Village commerce and industry
The village is within 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, espe ...
and used to have a pit at the end of Westville, although the mine closed in 1969. Most of the village's industry is now small scale retail. Abertysswg has a
village shop,
Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...
, takeaway and has two clubs.
Year 2000 renovation
The village has had some renovation work completed on it in the new
millennium
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...
. A new park/recreation area has been built, and a brand new community centre stands at the top of the village.
Notable residents
*
Jack Howells, film director, winner of the 1963 Academy Award for his short documentary film ''
Dylan Thomas''.
*
Colin Lewis, an ex professional road cyclist, who was the first Welsh rider to compete in the Tour De France.
In popular culture
The
Doctor Who Big Finish Productions audio drama Black Thursday is set in the village.
Bibliography
*Evans, Marion, (1994), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 1. Old Bakehouse Publications. .
*Evans, Marion, (1995), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 2. Old Bakehouse Publications. .
*Evans, Marion, (1996), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 3. Old Bakehouse Publications. .
*Evans, Marion, (1998), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 4. Old Bakehouse Publications. .
*Evans, Marion, (2009), A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw, volume 5. Old Bakehouse Publications. .
External links
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Abertysswg and surrounding areaWelsh Coal Mines website - research the history of the local pit
{{authority control
Villages in Caerphilly County Borough