Rhymney Valley () was one of six

local government district The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...

s in

Mid Glamorgan , Government= Mid Glamorgan County Council , Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–) , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Mid ...

from 1974 to 1996.

History

The district was formed in 1974 under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

. It covered parts of six former districts which were abolished at the same time, and was initially arranged into nine

communities A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place (geography), place, Norm (social), norms, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Identity (social science), identity. Communiti ...

based on the former districts: *

Bedwas and Machen Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen is a community and an electoral ward in the county borough of Caerphilly, constituting the villages of Machen, Trethomas, Bedwas, and Upper and Lower Graig-y-Rhacca. It lies in the Caerphilly Basin in the shadow of ...

, covering Bedwas and Machen

Urban District Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...

Caerphilly Caerphilly (, ; cy, Caerffili, ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley. It is north of Cardiff and northwest of Newport. It is the largest town in Caerphilly County Borough, and lies wit ...

, covering Caerphilly Urban District less

Taff's Well Taff's Well () is a semi-rural village, community and electoral ward located at the south easterly tip of Rhondda Cynon Taf, to the north of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Known locally as the 'Gates to the Valleys', it is separated from Gwa ...

ward (which went to

Taff-Ely Taff-Ely ( cy, Taf-Elái) was a local government district with borough status in Wales from 1974 to 1996. History The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Mid Glamorgan. It covered parts of five former districts which were ...

) *

Gelligaer Gelligaer ( cy, Gelli-gaer ) is a community in the County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales, in the Rhymney River valley. As well as the village of Gelligaer, the community also includes the small towns of Hengoed and Ystrad Mynach. The population ...

, covering Gelligaer Urban District less

Bedlinog Bedlinog is a small village (and larger community) located in The Taff Bargoed valley (Cwm Bargoed), north of Pontypridd, north west of Caerphilly and south east of Merthyr Tydfil in south-east Wales. It is currently in the south of Merthyr Ty ...

ward (which went to

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 ...

) *Llanfedw‡ *

New Tredegar New Tredegar ( cy, Tredegar Newydd) is a former mining town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly county borough, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. New Tredegar is now home to 'The Winding House', a county museum ...

, covering the

Aberbargoed Aberbargoed is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough, County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales. Aberbargoed once contained the largest ever colliery waste tip in Europe, although this has now been reclaimed and turned into a country park. The town i ...

, Cwmsyfiog, New Tredegar, and Phillipstown wards from

Bedwellty Bedwellty is a small village in Caerphilly County Borough in south Wales. The village stands on a ridge of high ground between the Rhymney and Sirhowy valleys. The village comprises a parish church, public house and a few houses. The ancient pa ...

Urban District (the rest of which went to

Islwyn The Borough of Islwyn was one of five local government districts of Gwent from 1974 to 1996. History The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Gwent. It covered the whole area of three former districts and part of a four ...

) *Rhydygwern‡ *

Rhymney Rhymney (; cy, Rhymni ) is a town and a community in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. With the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is ...

, being the former Rhymney Urban District *

Rudry Rudry ( cy, Rhydri) is a small village and community (Wales), community located to the east of Caerphilly in Wales. As a community Rudry contains not only the village of Rudry, but also the villages of Draethen, Garth and Waterloo, Caerphilly, Wat ...

‡ * Van‡ ‡Formerly a parish in

Cardiff Rural District Cardiff Rural District was a second tier local government district of Glamorgan, Wales until 1974. It covered the more rural areas to the west and north of the city of Cardiff. Background Cardiff Rural District was preceded by the Llandaff and ...

Bedwas and Machen, New Tredegar, and Rhymney had been in the

administrative county An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until either 1973 (in Northern Ireland) or 2002 (in the Republic of Ireland). They are now abolished, although mos ...

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 ...

prior to the reforms, whilst the other communities had all been in

Glamorgan , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

. 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, t ...

was the historic boundary between the two counties.

Mid Glamorgan County Council Mid Glamorgan County Council () was the upper-tier authority for the Welsh county of Mid Glamorgan between its creation in 1974 and its abolition in 1996. History Local government in England and Wales was reorganised in 1974 under the Local Govern ...

provided county-level services to the district. The communities within the district were reorganised in 1985, which saw the small communities of Llanfedw and Rhydygwern abolished (both being absorbed into Rudry), and the creation of new communities of

Aber Valley Aber Valley is a valley community in Caerphilly county borough, South Wales. It has two main communities, Abertridwr and Senghenydd, which grew around the mining industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Senghenydd has a longer histor ...

Bargoed Bargoed ( cy, Bargod) is a town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly. It straddles the ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, with ...

Darran Valley Darran Valley ( cy, Cwm Darran) is a community in the County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales. The Darran Valley consists of the valley of the Bargod Rhymni and contains the villages of Deri, Pentwyn and Fochriw. These settlements grew around the I ...

Llanbradach Llanbradach is a village within the historic boundaries of Glamorgan, South Wales less than north of the town of Caerphilly. It is part of the community of Llanbradach and Pwll-y-Pant. It is mostly residential, and contains three pubs, a primar ...

Maesycwmmer Maesycwmmer ( cy, Maesycwmer) is a village and community in the centre of Caerphilly County Borough in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Location Maesycwmmer is located north of Caerphilly, on the east bank of the ...

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, and Penyrheol. In 1996 the district was abolished, merging with neighbouring

to become the new unitary

Caerphilly County Borough Caerphilly County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It is governed by Caerphilly County Borough Council. Its main and largest town is Caerphilly. Other towns in the county borough are Bed ...

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 1996 was held by the following parties:

Bus operations

The district council inherited the municipal bus fleets of Bedwas and Machen, Caerphilly and Gelligaer urban district councils. The united operation was given a dark brown, cream and gold livery, and ran operations throughout the valley and into

and Newport. With

bus deregulation Bus deregulation in Great Britain was the abolition of Road Service Licensing outside of Greater London for bus services. This began in 1980 with the abolition of Road Service Licensing for long-distance bus services and was extended into local ...

in 1986 the buses passed to Inter Valley Link Limited, owned by the district council at "arms length". Competition was very strong in the South Wales Valleys, and Inter Valley Link was sold to

National Welsh Omnibus Services National Welsh Omnibus Services was a bus company which operated in south-east Wales and in the Forest of Dean area of Gloucestershire from 1978 to 1992. It used the trading name ''National Welsh'' and its Welsh equivalent ''Cymru Cenedlaethol''. ...

on 21 March 1989. National Welsh subsequently went into receivership in 1991.

Premises

The council inherited various offices from its predecessor authorities. It consolidated its premises in 1983 at Ystrad Fawr House at

Ystrad Mynach Ystrad Mynach is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough, within the ancient county of Glamorgan, Wales, and is north of the town of Caerphilly. The urban area has a population of 19,204, and stands in the Rhymney Valley. Before the Industrial ...

, a Victorian house which had previously served as offices for the

National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "v ...

.Planning application 5/5/83/0129: Council chamber at Ystrad Fawr Offices, Caerphilly Road, Ystrad Mynach, granted 25 April 1983 Ystrad Fawr continued to be used by the successor

Caerphilly County Borough Council Caerphilly County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili) is the governing body for Caerphilly County Borough, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The last full council elections took place 5 May 2022. Political control The ...

until 2008 when it was demolished to make way for the

Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr ( en, Large Vale Hospital) is a community hospital at Ystrad Mynach in Caerphilly County Borough in Wales. It is managed by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. History The hospital was commissioned to replace Aberbargoed Ho ...

hospital.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhymney Valley (District) Districts of Wales abolished in 1996 1974 establishments in Wales Mid Glamorgan