Maesycwmmer

Maesycwmmer (Welsh: Maesycwmer) is a village and community in the centre of Caerphilly County Borough in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.

Maesycwmmer
Wheel o Drams by Andy Hazell
Maesycwmmer is located in Caerphilly
Maesycwmmer
Maesycwmmer
Location within Caerphilly
Population2,242 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceST156948
Community
  • Maesycwmmer
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHENGOED
Postcode districtCF82
Post townBLACKWOOD
Postcode districtNP12
Dialling code01443
PoliceGwent
FireSouth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
Viaduct

Location

Maesycwmmer is located 5 miles (8 km) north of Caerphilly, on the east bank of the Rhymney River, opposite Hengoed, which is within the historic boundaries of Glamorgan. It is a community in Caerphilly County Borough.

History & amenities
Centre section of the Maesycwmmer Viaduct.

Maesycwmmer is still overshadowed by the vast Maesycwmmer (or Hengoed) Viaduct,[2] which dates from 1853 and which carried the Taff Vale Extension of the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway over the Rhymney valley. In 2000 the viaduct was re-opened for public pedestrian access.

Today the village features the "Wheel o Drams" (locally known as "The Stargate") sculpture by Andy Hazell, an unusual piece of modern art formed from a circle of coalmining dram trucks to commemorate the industrial heritage of this locality within the history of the South Wales Valleys. The village shared three railway stations with neighbouring Hengoed over the years (see Hengoed railway station).

There are two pubs in Maesycwmmer: The Maesycwmmer Inn and The Angel (a third, The Butchers Arms, became an Indian restaurant called The Spice Tree).

Maesycwmmer was a creation of the Industrial Revolution in the South Wales Coalfield. The houses built along the main road were purpose built for the workers that built the Maesycwmmer to Hengoed Viaduct. There is also a disused quarry in a field behind the houses of St Annes Gardens.

Maesycwmmer has both a junior and a senior football team. The senior team, Maesycwmmer FC, was founded in 2010 and plays in the North Gwent Football League. Matches are played at The Bryn, just outside Maesycwmmer. The Angel pub, which the team used for its post match entertainment, is the main club sponsor.

Filming location

Maesycwmmer is actor-director Craig Roberts's hometown. Roberts finished filming locally in August 2014 for the movie Just Jim, which is inspired by his early life in Maesycwmmer and was released in 2015.[3]

The first series of the S4C drama 35 Diwrnod (2014) was filmed in Maesycwmmer.[4]

Notable people

As well as Craig Roberts, Maesycwmmer was the birthplace of educationalist Mary Bridges-Adams (née Daltry) in 1854.

Sports

References
  1. "Community population 2011". Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  2. Maesycwmmer Viaduct at geograph.org.uk
  3. Kathryn Williams (30 July 2014). "Submarine's Craig Roberts brings a touch of Hollywood home". Wales Online.
  4. "New S4C drama 35 Diwrnod brings murder mystery to Maesycwmmer". Caerphilly Observer. 7 March 2014.
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