The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales. South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales Many of them running roughly parallel to each other, they stretch from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east. Geography The county is bounded to the north by Ceredigion, to the east by Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, to the south by the This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. Ancient county See also Monmouthshire (historic The ancient county of Monmouthshire was formed from the Welsh Marches by the Laws in Wales The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST internal designation HT-7U is an experimental Superconducting Tokamak Magnetic fusion energy Located in roughly the centre is the famous Rhondda valley.
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History
Until the mid-nineteenth century, the south Wales valleys were lightly inhabited (as was most of Wales) and known for their natural beauty. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Industrial Revolution changed this as the valleys became important centres for both the coal mining and iron industries. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Merthyr Tydfil, at the northern end of the Taff valley became Wales's largest town thanks to its growing iron works at Dowlais and Cyfarthfa Ironworks. Merthyr Tydfil today Government The current Borough boundaries date back to 1974 when the former county borough of Merthyr Tydfil expanded slightly to cover The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 The Dowlais Ironworks was a major Ironworks and Steelworks located at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. The Cyfarthfa Ironworks was a major 18th century and 19th century Ironworks located in Cyfarthfa on the north-western edge of Merthyr Tydfil, in South Wales
Although iron was the first industry to develop, the valleys would become most famous for their coal mines. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. The South Wales coalfield attracted huge numbers of people from rural areas to the valleys. The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of South Wales that is rich with Coal deposits Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time This meant that many rows of terraced housing were built along the valley sides to accommodate the influx. In Architecture and City planning, a terrace(d or row house or townhouse (though the latter term can also refer to Patio houses The coal mined in the valleys was transported south along railways and canals to ports on the Bristol Channel, notably Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo The Bristol Channel ( Môr Hafren) is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. Newport (Casnewydd is a city and principal area in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Cardiff was soon among the most important coal ports in the world and Swansea among the most important steel ports. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. "The world " is a proper noun for the planet Earth envisioned from an Anthropocentric or Human Worldview, as a place Swansea ( Abertawe "mouth of the Tawe " is a city and county in Wales. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0
The heavy industries boomed here, as they did in the industrial heartlands all over Britain, but after World War I the 1926 United Kingdom general strike hit the coal industry hard, a legacy felt until well after World War II and indeed echoed in the UK miners' strike (1984-1985) by families who were often affected by all these events through several generations. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The UK General Strike of 1926 was a General strike that lasted nine days from 3 May 1926 to 12 May 1926. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The miners' strike of 1984 – 1985 was a major Industrial action affecting the British coal industry.
Decline
The Second World War marked the beginning of the end of these heavy industries in the Valleys. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to Light industry. Steel works and coal mines began to close, despite nationalisation by the UK government. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. In 1966, the village of Aberfan in the Taff valley suffered one of the worst disasters in Welsh history. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Aberfan (aˈbɛrvan is a small Village five miles (8 km south of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It is known as the Afon Taf in Welsh. A disaster is the impact of a natural or human-made hazard that negatively affects society or environment. The country of Wales, or Cymru in Welsh has been inhabited by modern humans for at least 29000 years though continuous human habitation A mine waste tip on the top of the mountain slid down the valley side and destroyed the village primary school, killing 144 people, 116 of them children. See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Her policies of free market economics soon clashed with the loss-making, government-owned National Coal Board. Thatcherism is the system of political thought attributed to the governments of Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers The National Coal Board (NCB was the Statutory Corporation created to run the nationalised Coal mining industry in Britain. In 1984 and 1985, after the government announced plans to close many mines across the UK, mineworkers went on strike. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) The miners' strike of 1984 – 1985 was a major Industrial action affecting the British coal industry. The ultimate failure of this strike led to the virtual destruction of the UK's coal industry. No deep coal mines are left in the valleys since the closure in 2008 of Tower Colliery in the Cynon Valley. Tower Colliery was the oldest continuously worked deep- coal mine in the United Kingdom, and possibly the world and the only mine of its kind remaining in the Cynon Valley is an ex- mining area near Rhondda in Wales, in the South Wales Valleys area This was bought by the workers in 1994, despite government attempts to close it. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) In the new millennium, the last of valleys the steel industry closed, as Corus Group (formerly British Steel) closed its plant in Ebbw Vale. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Corus is a subsidiary of Tata Steel, part of India 's Tata Group and world's fifth largest steel producer, headquartered in London, British Steel was a major British Steel producer It originated as a nationalised industry the British Steel Corporation (BSC formed in 1967 For the Ebbw Vale in Australia see Ebbw Vale Queensland. Ebbw Vale (Glyn Ebwy is a town at the head of the valley formed by the
The valleys today
The closure of the heavy industries led to very high unemployment in the valleys and whilst measured unemployment has fallen considerably since the early 1990s, high levels of economic inactivity remain, particularly in the upper sections of the Valleys. Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to Light industry. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. In the 1990s, the government attracted light industries to try and reduce the level of unemployment. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Light industry is usually less Capital intensive than Heavy industry, and is more Consumer -oriented than Business -oriented (i Many of these companies were from the Far East although these are increasingly being replaced by European and American owned operations. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. However, the economy remains weak and virtually the entire area is poor enough to qualify for European Union Objective 1 funding. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Regional policy of the European Union (EU is a policy with the stated aim of improving the Economic Well-being of certain regions Official statistics are somewhat misleading however in suggesting a rather uniform level of underperformance. The lower Valleys have typically performed more strongly economically, with the lower Taff and Ely Valleys in particular attracting inward investment and migration from firms and families priced out of Cardiff.
Culture
The South Wales valleys became a symbol of the whole of Wales for many foreign people (including those in the other parts of the United Kingdom). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Some visitors to other parts of Wales are surprised when they do not find coal mines and terraced housing. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. In Architecture and City planning, a terrace(d or row house or townhouse (though the latter term can also refer to Patio houses The valleys do, however, contain a large percentage of the Welsh population and remain an important centre of Welsh culture, despite the growing domination of Cardiff. This is a list of principal areas of Wales ordered by population. Wales has a distinctive Culture including its own language, customs Holidays and Music. Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. The UK parliament's first Labour Party (Socialist) MP, Keir Hardie was elected from the area and the Valleys remain a stronghold of Labour Party power. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. James Keir Hardie (15 August 1856 - 26 September 1915 was a Scottish Socialist and labour leader and was the first independent labour Member of Parliament The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Rugby union is very popular and rugby union pitches can be seen along the valley floors. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Football is also popular in the valleys, as in the rest of the British Isles. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The area was overwhelmingly Welsh speaking at the end of the nineteenth century, but today, English is the everyday language, except for the western valleys around Ammanford and the Upper Swansea valley, where Welsh is still widely spoken. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Ammanford ( Rhydaman) is the third largest Town in the County of Carmarthenshire, Wales, with a population 5299 according to
The geographical shape of the valleys have their effect on culture. Many roads stretch along valleys connecting the different settlements in the valley. Consequently the different towns in a valley are more closely associated with each other than they are with towns in the neighbouring valley, even when the towns in the neighbouring valley are closer on the map. The Heads of the Valleys road, the A465 road, is significant due to its connection of valleys with each other, and there are hopes that the upgrading of this road to dual carriageway will improve the economic performance of the region as the road becomes the main thoroughfare to Swansea and West Wales from the Midlands and North of England. The A465 is a major Road in south Wales. It is more commonly known as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it joins together the north ends
Transport
In terms of rail transport, many settlements in the Valleys are served by an extensive commuter metro network known as the Valley Lines, which link them to Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Central with connections onto the South Wales Main Line. Commuting is the process of Travelling between one's place of residence and regular place of work Valley Lines (also Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes) is the commonly-known name for the Cardiff and Valleys network of Suburban railway services within Cardiff Cardiff Queen Street railway station (Caerdydd Heol y Frenhines is Wales' second busiest railway station in Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff Central railway station (Caerdydd Canolog is a major British railway station on Central Square in Cardiff, Wales. History The original route of the Great Western Railway between London and South Wales left the Bristol-bound Great Western Main Line at Swindon proceeding via
Stagecoach Wales link many towns and villages directly to Cardiff central bus station. Stagecoach Group plc ( is a leading international transport group operating Bus, Train, Tram, express coach and Ferry operations List of bus stations in Wales|Transport in Wales Cardiff Central bus station is the main Bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the Capital city of
List of important valleys in South Wales
From west to east:
- Loughor Valley (forms border between Carmarthenshire in West Wales and Glamorgan in South Wales)
- Tawe Valley
- Swansea Valley
- Vale of Neath
- Afan Valley
- Llynfi Valley
- Garw Valley
- Ogmore Vale
- Ely Valley
- Rhondda Valleys
- Cynon Valley
- Taff Valley
- Rhymney Valley (forms border between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire)
- Sirhowy Valley
- Ebbw Valley
- Ebbw Fach Valley
- Llwyd Valley
- Vale of Usk
- Wye Valley (forms border between Monmouthshire in South Wales and Gloucestershire in South West England
See also
- A465 road The Heads of the Valleys Road
External links
- The industrialisation of the South Wales Valleys
- South Wales Valleys tourist site
- Aberdare Blog - Strong Views from the Valleys
- Welsh mining history
- Old and New Library Images from the Valleys
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