Llanelly ( cy, Llanelli) is the name of a
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
and coterminous
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
principal area {{Short description, Formal legal term for a county in England and Wales
In England and Wales local government legislation, a principal area is one of the sub-national areas established for control by a principal council. They include most of the ar ...
of
Monmouthshire, within the
historic boundaries of
Brecknockshire, south-east Wales. It roughly covers the area of the
Clydach Gorge. The population of the parish and ward at the
2011 census was 3,899.
Location
The parish encompasses the area surrounding the
Clydach Gorge, west of
Abergavenny, east of
Brynmawr and south of
Crickhowell
Crickhowell (; cy, Crucywel , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire.
Location
The town lies on the River Usk, on the southern edge ...
. The
Church of St Ellibr>
has its own page.
Settlements
Llanelly Hill, Blackrock,
Clydach, Monmouthshire, Clydach, Maesygwartha and
Gilwern 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 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 and
Merthyr Tydfil. 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.
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 {{Short description, Formal legal term for a county in England and Wales
In England and Wales local government legislation, a principal area is one of the sub-national areas established for control by a principal council. They include most of the ar ...
of
Monmouthshire. Before local government reorganisation in 1996, it was in the district of
Blaenau Gwent, 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 of Llanelly Hill is coterminous with the Llanelly community and elects one county councillor to
Monmouthshire County Council.
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
See also
Llanelly, a former Welsh gold-mining town near
Tarnagulla, Australia
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Villages in Monmouthshire
Communities in Monmouthshire