Risca

infobox UK place
static_

country = Wales
welsh_name=Rhisga
constituency_welsh_assembly=
map_type=
official_name= Risca
unitary_wales= Caerphilly
lieutenancy_wales= Gwent
constituency_westminster= Islwyn
post_town= NEWPORT
postcode_district = NP11
postcode_area= NP
dial_code= 01633
os_grid_reference= ST245905
population= 11,455 [ [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5939081&c=risca&d=14&e=16&g=420346&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1212232974178&enc=1 Office for National Statistics 2001 - Risca East Ward (population 6384)] ] [ [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5939080&c=risca&d=14&e=16&g=420367&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1212233023786&enc=1 Office for National Statistics 2001 - Risca West Ward (population 5071)] ] "Alternate meanings: see Risca (disambiguation)."

Risca [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/221804] ( _cy. Rhisga) is a town of approximately 11,500 people in Gwent, South Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is today part of the Newport conurbation (which as a whole has a population of 160,000).

The town lies at the south-eastern edge of the South Wales Coalfield, and a coal mine used to operate in the town with terraced housing [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/351904] nearby for workers. It is home to Ty-Sign [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/351206] , which is a large housing estate [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/351919] which has a leisure centre, shops and skate park. It has a rural aspect, and is surrounded to the east and west by several extensively wooded hills [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/422761] including Mynydd Machen [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/221811] (1,188ft/362m) and Twmbarlwm [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/90876] (1,375ft/419m) which attract tourists for the hillwalking and mountain bikers to Cwmcarn Forest Drive.

Twmbarlwm has the remains of an Iron Age hill fort near its summit, ["The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales". John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pg761 ISBN 9780708319536] and this is believed to have been built by the Silures, the Celtic tribe that inhabited the area before and during Roman times.

Notable landmarks and buildings

The Welsh Oak, a pub on the outskirts of Pontymister, was the meeting place for the Chartists before they marched on Newport during the Newport Rising of 1839.

The local Church in Wales church is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/351908] .

The Monmouthshire canal passes through the town [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/351898] .

The park 'Tredegar Grounds' was donated to the people of Risca in 1897 by Lord Tredegar to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and in return the 'Jubilee' statue was erected by public subscription 'in recognition of Lord Tredegar's generosity to the neighbourhood.'

A small bronze statuette of Samson, a bearded figure dressed in a loincloth, stands on a circular stone plinth on a square stepped base.

Culture

Risca has an award-winning male voice choir (male voice choirs are traditional in the South Wales Valleys).

port and lesiure

Risca United AFC play in the Third Division of the Welsh League. They are managed by ex Cardiff City player Jeff Eckhardt. The club play their home games at Ty-Isaf Park.

Risca RFC (The Cuckoos) play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division 4 East, at Stores Field, Risca. An active mini-rugby & junior section with age groups from 6 to 16, provide a steady stream of players, some of them having progressed to the early stages of professional rugby with the Newport Gwent Dragons.

There are some extensive mountain bike trails on the wooded hills just to the north of the town, at Cwmcarn, which are receiving increasing popularity.

External links

* [http://www.reallycuckoo.com The Really Cuckoo Company (Musical Theatre Company based in Risca)]
* [http://www.riscachoir.net Risca Choir]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/risca_male_choir/ BBC Wales profile of Risca Choir]
* [http://www.riscarfc.com Risca Rugby Football Club]
* [http://www.riscaminiandjunior.co.uk Risca Mini & Junior Rugby Football Club]
* [http://www.riscamuseum.org.uk Risca Industrial History Museum]
* [http://www.francisfrith.com/search/wales/gwent/risca/photos/risca_photos.htm 12 old photos of Risca]
* [http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/ Welsh Coal Mines website - check out Risca area's pits history]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/MON/Risca/index.html Risca on Genuki website]
* [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~familyalbum/krisca.htm Kelly's 1901 Directory of Risca and area]
* [http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/AH/CAER001.htm The Jubilee Statue]

References