Nantyglo

For the borough in the USA with a similar name, see Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania.

Coordinates: 51°46′58″N 3°10′11″W / 51.78283°N 3.16980°W / 51.78283; -3.16980

Nantyglo
Welsh: Nantyglo
Nantyglo  Nantyglo shown within Blaenau Gwent
OS grid reference	SO195105
Principal area	Blaenau Gwent
Ceremonial county	Gwent
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ABERTILLERY
Postcode district	NP13
Dialling code	01495
Police	Gwent
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Blaenau Gwent
Welsh Assembly	Blaenau Gwent
List of places: UK • Wales • Blaenau Gwent

Nantyglo (from Welsh: Nantyglo meaning "brook of coal") is a village in the ancient parish of Aberystruth and county of Monmouth situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Blaina and Brynmawr in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent.

Places of interest in Nantyglo

Parc Nant y Waun is a nature reserve incorporating 22 hectares of grassland, mires and reservoirs which was officially opened in 2007.^[1] Home to many wildlife species, it includes a picnic area, outdoor classroom and an angling club.

Notable people

• David Keith Brookman, Baron Brookman
• Tom Clapp
• William Evans
• William Gore
• Keith Jones
• Patricia Law, née Bolter
• David Nash
• Nick Smith, MP for Blaenau Gwent now lives in the area but was raised in nearby Tredegar and then moved to London until his election as the MP for the area.
• Jack Williams VC, John Henry Williams, the most decorated Welsh non-commissioned officer of all time

Nantyglo & Blaina Town Council

Nantyglo & Blaina Town Council is made up of 16 elected members representing the coummunities of Nantyglo and Blaina, elected for 4 years. The next set of elections will take place in May 2012

The current political makeup of the Council for 2008-2012 is as follows:

Affiliation		Members
	Labour	12
	Independent	4 (3 Independents + 1 former Blaenau Gwent People's Voice Group)
Total		16
Majority		7

The town council owns and operates Salem Chapel on High Street, Blaina. The council are currently undertaking the renovation of the chapel to convert it into a museum and tourist attraction to display the religious, industrial and political history of the communities. Even though the main focus is on the Chartist movement, where many of its leaders came from and was from where the march on Newport began the chapel will still be used as a place of worship for the community.

History

Pond Road Nantyglo Sheep graze on the side of an old spoil heap

Nantyglo Ironworks 1820 "The immense iron-works of Nant y Glo, which present so extraordinary an appearance,and seem to the distant spectator as if the whole surrounding country were in flames, were originally commenced by Hill, Hertford, and Co., and were held under lease from the owners of Blaenavon works.

They were finished, at a vast expense, in 1795; and after being wrought a year, were discontinued for a time, on account of a dispute among the proprietors. They then consisted of two furnaces, several forges, a steam engine, and the necessary buildings and machinery for smelting and forging, but have since become of vast extent and importance."^[2]

Nantyglo Ironworks

During the middle of the 19th century, Nantyglo was one of the most important iron producing centres in the world.

In March 1811 Matthew Wayne (1780–1853) furnace manager at Cyfarthfa and Joseph Bailey, nephew of Richard Crawshay of Cyfarthfa, together purchased the lease of the existing but long stopped ironworks at Nantyglo.

They were so successful in reviving the works that by 1820 Matthew Wayne was able to sell-out and set up his own business at the Gadlys, Aberdare and Joseph's brother, Crawshay Bailey, took Wayne's place in the Nantyglo ironworks partnership.

Turning Nantyglo into one of the great ironworks of the kingdom the two brothers, by 1827, had seven blast furnaces operating at Nantyglo and added the nearby Beaufort Ironworks to their business in 1833 putting their sister's son, William Partridge (1800–1862) in charge.

Joseph Bailey, whose wife had died in 1827, remarried in 1830 and retired from personal direction of Nantyglo to live at Glanusk Park Crickhowell and manage his very extensive landed estates.

Crawshay Bailey continued to live at Ty Mawr, Nantyglo, and ran the iron-works. In the 1840s he retired to Llanfoist House, Abergavenny, leaving direction to his nephew, Joseph's son, Richard Bailey (1816–1853) who died in Dijon France and was succeeded by his younger brother Henry, described in 1868 as managing partner.

At their height c.1844 the Baileys employed 3,000 men and 500 women and children in their ironworks and coal mining operation.

The Bailey interests disposed of the Nantyglo works by 1869-70.

Round towers

After the Battle of Waterloo and the final defeat of Napoleon there was a general slump in iron manufacture, although Nantyglo was the only ironworks which actually increased its exports, and the high cost of wheat caused acute unrest throughout the country. Fearful of unrest (which did not eventuate) Matthew Wayne and Joseph Bailey had built two fortified towers, the Nantyglo Round Towers in 1816.

Link with Chartism 1839

Zephaniah Williams (1795–1874) a Master Collier and innkeeper, keeping the Royal Oak Inn at Nantyglo, from where he used to pay his colliers, was a free thinking man in religious matters and the local Working Men's Association met at his home. Williams emerged as a natural leader during the Chartist movement in south east Wales. Along with John Frost and William Jones, he led a large column of men from the Nantyglo area to march south on the Westgate Hotel, Newport, site of what is sometimes regarded as the greatest armed rebellion in 19th century Britain.

For his part in the 1839 Chartist Newport Rising at Newport, Monmouthshire he was convicted and deported to Australia. He died there a prosperous man in 1874.

International Links

Nantyglo has close links with its twinned sister city of Nanty Glo in Pennsylvania.

References

1. ^ Opening of Parc Nant y Waun
2. ^ Wales illustrated, in a series of views, comprising the picturesque scenery, towns, castles, seats of the nobility & gentry, antiquities, &c. Gastineau, Henry, 1791-1876; Jones & Co., London, pub 1830

External links

• Map sources for Nantyglo
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Nantyglo and surrounding area