Senghenydd
| Senghenydd | |
| Welsh: Senghenydd | |
 Senghenydd
Senghenydd shown within Caerphilly |
|
| OS grid reference | ST115905 |
|---|---|
| Principal area | Caerphilly |
| Ceremonial county | Gwent |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAERPHILLY |
| Postcode district | CF83 |
| Dialling code | 029 |
| Police | Gwent |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Caerphilly |
|
|
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Senghenydd (Welsh: Senghennydd) is a village in the Aber valley, roughly four miles north-west of the town of Caerphilly. Traditionally within the county of Glamorgan it is in the community of Aber Valley in the county borough of Caerphilly, Wales. The population of the Aber Valley in the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 6,696.[1]
Contents
History
Senghenydd was originally a rural farming community, which became industrialised with the discovery of coal in the late 19th century. With the closure of the coal pits in the second half of the twentieth century, most people in the town now commute outside the Aber Valley for employment.
Coal mining
Senghenydd, along with its neighbouring town Abertridwr, make up the majority of the Aber Valley, and became urbanised in the 1890s, when the Universal (1891) and Windsor collieries were sunk in this region of the South Wales Coalfield.[2]
The Universal Colliery at Senghenydd suffered the first of two major gas and coal dust explosions on 24 May 1901. Damage was sustained to both shafts, resulting in a restricted rescue attempt, and 81 of the 82 men working in the mine were killed.[3]
On the 14 October 1913, Senghenydd suffered the worst mining disaster in Britain's history, when a second gas explosion occurred at the Universal Colliery, resulting in the loss of 439 lives, plus one rescuer. Many of the surviving miners went back to help their workmates who were either trapped or buried alive.[4]
Universal Colliery was finally closed on Friday 30 March 1928 (except for a ventilation shaft) with the loss of 2500 jobs.[5]
Health research
Men from Senghenydd participate in one of the world's longest running epidemiology studies - The Caerphilly Heart Disease Study. Since 1979, a representative sample of adult males born between 1918 and 1938, living in Caerphilly and the surrounding villages of Abertridwr, Bedwas, Machen, Senghenydd and Trethomas, have participated in the study. A wide range of health and lifestyle data have been collected throughout the study and have been the basis of over 400 publications in the medical press. A notable report was on the reductions in vascular disease, diabetes, cognitive impairment and dementia attributable to a healthy lifestyle.[6]
Transport
Senghenydd is served by the B4263 road to Caerphilly, and connects to Nelson via roads over Mynydd Eglwysilan to the north.
Sport
Senghenydd Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club affiliated to the Welsh Rugby Union who have played in the town since 1898.
Notable people
- Ifor Bach (fl. c. 1158), nobleman and progenitor of the minor Welsh royal house of Senghenydd.
- Martin Thomas, professional footballer, most notably with Newcastle United.
References
- ↑ Office of National Statistics
- ↑ The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) page2 ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6
- ↑ Welsh Coal Mines website
- ↑ The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) page809 ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The Caerphilly and Speedwell Collaborative Group. (1984 September). "Caerphilly and Speedwell collaborative heart disease studies.". Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health 38 (3): 259–262. PMID 6332166 PMC 1052363.
External links
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Senghenydd and surrounding area
- Welsh Coal Mines - research the local pit histories
- www.mw0gkx.co.uk : About the town growth, disasters and today
