Llanelly ( cy, Llanelli) is the name of a parish and coterminous community in the principal area of

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...

, within the historic boundaries of

Brecknockshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...

, south-east Wales. It roughly covers the area of the

Clydach Gorge The Clydach Gorge (also known as Cwm Clydach) is a steep-sided valley in south-east Wales down which the River Clydach flows to the River Usk. It runs for from the vicinity of Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent eastwards and northeastwards to Gilwern ...

. The population of the parish and ward at the 2011 census was 3,899.

Location

The parish encompasses the area surrounding the

, west of

Abergavenny Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...

, east of

Brynmawr Brynmawr (; , ,) is a market town, community and electoral ward in Blaenau Gwent, Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at above sea level at the head of the South Wales Valleys. It grew with the devel ...

and south of Crickhowell. The Church of St Ellibr>
has its own page.

Settlements

Llanelly Hill, Blackrock, Clydach, Monmouthshire, Clydach, Maesygwartha and

Gilwern Gilwern is a village within the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, Wales. Historically in Brecknockshire, it extends to either side of the River Clydach, Monmouthshire, River Clydach on the south side of the River Usk, Usk valley. It ...

are the main settlements in the parish. Llanelly Hill occupies the north-west hilltop of the Clydach Gorge. It developed as a result of coal mining and limestone quarrying for the nearby ironworks including

Clydach ironworks The Clydach Gorge (also known as Cwm Clydach) is a steep-sided valley in south-east Wales down which the River Clydach flows to the River Usk. It runs for from the vicinity of Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent eastwards and northeastwards to Gilwern ...

and Ebbw Vale ironworks. Blackrock and Clydach North (also referred to as Cheltenham) were both built up along the turnpike road that ran on the north side of the river between

Govilon Govilon ( cy, Gofilon) is a small Welsh village located between Llanfoist and Gilwern near Abergavenny in north Monmouthshire. It is part of the community of Llanfoist Fawr. the population was 1,447 in 2011. Attractions The Monmouthshire an ...

and

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 ...

. Clydach South developed on the south side of the river above the ironworks. It climbs the north-west slopes towards Llanelly Hill. Gilwern is located at the mouth of the River Clydach, where it meets the

river Usk The River Usk (; cy, Afon Wysg) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it fl ...

. Maesygwartha lies between Clydach and Gilwern along one of the many tram roads in the gorge.

History

The parish is part of the principal area of

. Before local government reorganisation in 1996, it was in the district of

Blaenau Gwent Blaenau Gwent (; ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw ...

, but the electors overwhelmingly voted to be transferred out. The Brecon Beacons National Parkbr>
encompasses the parish and the surrounding area.

Governance

The

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 t ...

of Llanelly Hill is coterminous with the Llanelly community and elects one county councillor to

Monmouthshire County Council Monmouthshire County Council (or simply Monmouthshire Council) ( cy, Cyngor Sir Fynwy) is the governing body for the Monmouthshire principal area – one of the unitary authorities of Wales. The current unitary authority was created in 1996 an ...

Notable persons

* Sir Henry Bartle Frere (1815–1884), Governor-General of South Africa at the outbreak of the Anglo-Zulu War * Thomas Phillips (1801–1867), Mayor of Newport during the Newport Rising

References

External links

* {{authority control Villages in Monmouthshire Communities in Monmouthshire