Beddau ( en, Graves cy, Y Beddau) is a large former mining village (and

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 ...

) situated within the South Wales Valleys Davies (2008), page 507. around from

Llantrisant Llantrisant (; " Parish of the Three Saints") is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the town's name are ...

and from the larger town of

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 (). ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Governance

Beddau was also the name of a county borough

within the Llantrisant

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, t ...

, bordered to the east by the Tyn-y-nant ward, which included Tynant. The Beddau ward elected a county councillor to

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf) is the governing body for Rhondda Cynon Taf, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council headquarters are located in the community of Cwm Clydach ...

. Apart from 2008 to 2012, when the ward elected an

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

councillor, the ward has been represented by the Labour Party. Since 2012 the ward was represented by Councillor Ricky Yeo.Rhondda Cyon Taff County Borough Council Election Results 1995-2012
The Election Centre. Retrieved 29 October 2018. The county councillor for the Tyn-y-Nant ward was Labour's Clayton Willis. A 2018 review of electoral arrangements by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales would see Beddau and Tyn-y-nant merged to form a single county ward. The proposals would take effect from the 2022 council elections. Beddau is also a ward for Llantrisant Community Council, electing four community councillors. Tynant forms another community ward, electing three councillors to the community council.Councillors
Llantrisant Community Council. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

Education

Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Castellau is the village's

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 peopl ...

speaking primary school. As of July 2016, it is a school to 256 children. English language medium schools are Gwaunmeisgyn Primary School and Llwyncrwn Primary School, which both feed into Beddau's secondary school

Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School is an 11–18 mixed, English-medium, community secondary school and sixth form in Beddau, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Notable alumni * Ellis Jenkins, rugby union player * Gethin Jenkins, rugby union player ...

Sport

Beddau is notable for its exported

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

talent.

Neil Jenkins Neil Jenkins, (born 8 July 1971) is a Welsh former rugby union player and current coach. He played fly-half, centre, or full back for Pontypridd, Cardiff, Celtic Warriors, Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Jenkins is Wales' highest ever ...

Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...

and

Gethin Jenkins Gethin Jenkins (born 17 November 1980) is a Welsh former rugby union player. He won 129 international caps for Wales and five for the British & Irish Lions. Jenkins was the record cap holder for Wales until he was overtaken by Alun Wyn Jones o ...

are former pupils of Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive, and

Gemma Hallett Gemma Hallett (born 24 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union retired professional player who has played second row and number 8, earning 35 caps for Wales. Hallett started her international career making her appearance in the Welsh Students squad ...

a former pupil of the Welsh School in Llanharry, all grew up in Beddau and played for the Welsh Rugby Union. Beddau fields a rugby union team,

Beddau RFC Beddau Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Beddau, South Wales. The present club was formed in 1951-52, but it can trace its roots to around 1900. Beddau RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for ...

, as well as its own

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

team, Cwm Welfare AFC.

Transport

Beddau is served by bus services to Llantrisant, Cardiff and Pontypridd. A station,

Beddau Halt railway station Beddau Halt railway station was a railway station at Beddau, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the ...

on the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway existed until 1964 quite some way south of the village. A private railway siding from the Treferig branch of the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway to coal workings extended to the village existed for a time. Extensive sidings and rail traffic served Cwm Colliery and coking works until 1984 when the line to junction at Pontyclun station was closed and mothballed. Efforts are being made to reopen this line to passenger traffic.

Notable residents

Actor

Adrian Lewis Morgan Adrian Lewis Morgan (born 15 February 1973) is a Welsh actor, known for portraying the role of Jimmi Clay in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. Having appeared since 2005, he is the longest serving cast member on ''Doctors''. Early life Morgan wa ...

, who is best known for his role of Dr. Jimmi Clay in the BBC soap opera, '' Doctors'', was born in Beddau.

Bibliography

References

External links

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Beddau and surrounding area

{{authority control Villages in Rhondda Cynon Taf Wards of Rhondda Cynon Taf Llantrisant