Brynmawr: Difference between revisions

See also Bryn Mawr (disambiguation) for other places with this name.

Brynmawr (pronounced /brɪnˈmaʊə/, brin-mowr, Welsh: [brɨnˈmaur], sometimes hyphenated to Bryn-mawr, from Welsh Brynmawr 'big hill') is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys. It grew during the arrival of the coal mining and iron industries in the early 19th century.

It was originally a small village settlement called Gwaen Helygen, and lay in the former county of Brecknockshire. With the expansion of the Nantyglo (meaning stream of coal) Ironworks housing was required for the workers and Brynmawr turned into a prosperous town. Although coal mining has declined, a large mining museum is nearby at Big Pit.

Today Brynmawr has an estimated population of over 6,000 people. At the 2001 Census 5.75% of the 16-65 age group spoke Welsh, but the proportion of children (ages 3–15) able to speak Welsh was much higher at 30.54%.^[2] The town had the only Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Brynmawr, in Blaenau Gwent with 310 pupils ranging from nursery to year 6 until 2010, when the school re-located to Blaina and moving into a brand new, purpose built school.

Although the traditional Saturday market itself has diminished somewhat, the focal point of the town still remains the Market Square [1][2] and with its Market Hall, now a cinema and theatre presenting films and productions from the local amateur operatic society. Around the Market Square, the trading community offers traditional, family orientated shops with a friendly and personal service. It also now has a large Asda supermarket on the old site of the Semtex factory [3] which boosted the town's name and reputation over the last 50 years. There is also a selection of units being built on the same site as the Asda store. The area has now been named as 'Lakeside Park'.

Parc Nant y Waun is a nature reserve incorporating 22 hectares of grassland, mires and reservoirs which was officially opened in 2007.^[3] Home to a many wildlife species, it includes a picnic area, an outdoor classroom, and an angling club.^[4]

Brynmawr RFC is the local rugby union club which is presently affiliated to the Newport Gwent Dragons.

• Brynmawr Furniture
• Brynmawr Experiment
• Brynmawr Foundation School

• Brynmawr Radio
• Old photos of Brynmawr
• Aerial photograph of Brynmawr
• Photos of Brynmawr and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Brynmawr".