Abercarn

File:St Luke's Church, Abercarn 062.JPG

St Luke's Church, Abercarn

Abercarn is a town and community in Caerphilly county borough, South East Wales which until 1972 existed in the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Newport on the A467 between Duffryn in Newport and Brynmawr. The town lies in the middle portion of the valley of the Ebbw River and is situated on the south-eastern flank of the once great coal mining region of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.

History

Iron production

By 1783 Joshua Glover and Samuel Glover of Birmingham were operating Abercarne [sic] Iron Works. In that year they signed a contract with Anthony Bacon, Senior of Cyfarthfa Ironworks to supply him with 800 tons of pig iron a year. By 1808, only one member of the Glover family, Mr Glover, survived. In that year Ironmaster Richard Crawshay, who had taken over the Cyfarthfa Ironworks following the death of Bacon, bought the freehold of the Abercarn estate from him. Fraser (1962) documented:

Template:In5'Before the nineteen-fifties, when the Housing Estate was built, the whole valley was still thickly wooded, and the woods are still sufficiently beautiful to show how comparably lovely it must have been in the early years of the nineteenth century. The Abercarn estate covered nearly 3,000 acres, of which 700 acres were woodland, and the shooting was carefully preserved.

When the sale was completed, Crawshay immediately gave it to his son-in-law, Benjamin Hall, where he and his wife, Charlotte, Crawshay's second daughter, and their five-year old son Benjamin came to live. The estate included two properties which were close to the river, a manor-house beside it (which, according to became a doctor's house) and a small Georgian house on the wooded hill above it (which, also according to , gave 'its name to the Council Housing Estate by which it is surrounded.').

Benjamin Hall, Jr

Fraser (1962) documented about Hall's son in the estate: 'Here young Benjamin developed the brilliant markmanship, for which he was afterwards noted. Here, too, he became an accomplished horseman and whip, and learned to be a skilful angler, for there was salmon and trout fishing in the Ebbw, the Afon Gwyddon, the Afon Carn, and other tributory streams.

Hall attended a preparatory school (location unknown) and, at the age of 11, in Westminster School, London, in which life was 'unbelievably rough'. The pupils slept and worked in a long room which were heated by three open fires, which is where the disctinction between juniors and seniors came into play - the seniors sat closed to the fires, while excluding the juniors. Also 'a junior's life was one of domestic drudgery and even servitude.' After six years Hall left Westminster School and in 1820 entered Christ Church, Oxford, his father having died two years previously. However, his stay in Oxford was short: he left the following year. It is not known when Hall met Augusta Waddington of Llanover House. But the Hall and the Waddington families 'were on intimate terms at least as early as 1815.' Also, 'Benjamin looked upon Mrs. Waddington as a "second mother", in whom he could confide, and who could give him wise advice, and he was constantly at Llanover with his "kind and intimate friends".' However, the young couple needed to wait until Hall came of age before they could marry, which they did on 4 December 1822.

Initially the couple lived in rented accommodation in the area of Newport. But upon the death of his father-in-law in 1828, they moved to Llanover.

Coal mining

The district was traditionally associated with the collieries of the South Wales coalfield, although they have now closed. On 11 September 1878, an underground explosion in Abercarn Colliery killed 268 coal miners.

File:Abercarn, High Street.jpg

Abercarn High Street

Church

St Luke's Church by John Coates Carter, a striking stone and concrete church, is now redundant. St Luke's is a Grade II* listed building, described as "one of the most strikingly original churches built in Britain between the World Wars."

Local government

The area was part of the ancient Monmouthshire parish of Mynyddislwyn until the late 19th century. In 1892 a local board of health and local government district of Abercarn was formed. This became Abercarn urban district in 1894, governed by an urban district council of twelve members. Under the Local Government Act 1972 the urban district was abolished in 1974, becoming part of the borough of Islwyn, Gwent. Further local government organisation in 1996 placed the area in the county borough of Caerphilly. The former urban district corresponds to the three communities of Abercarn, Crumlin and Newbridge.

Sport

Abercarn is home to Abercarn Rugby Club which is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union, and to Abercarn United Football Club which plays in the Template:Welsh football updater.

Transport

Bus

The town is served by Stagecoach South Wales services including: the X15 (from Newport to Brynmawr) and the 151 gold (from Newport to Blackwood Interchange)

Rail

The town is lies between Newbridge railway station and Crosskeys railway station, with the latter slightly the closer of the two. Both are approximately a four-minute drive or thirty minute walk away. The town was formerly served by Abercarn railway station, which closed to passengers in April 1962.

Military

Following the formation of the Territorial Force in 1908, the Abercarn Territorial Cadet Company was formed within the wider Army Cadet Force. Following its formation the company was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment. In 1912 the company was affiliated with the new formed 1st Cadet Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment.

Notable people

The surgeon Sir Clement Price Thomas (1893–1973) was born in Abercarn. He was famous for his 1951 operation on King George VI.

Australian-based drag performer, compere of Les Girls, actor and comedian Stan Munro (born 1941) was brought up and educated in Abercarn. He migrated to Australia in 1963.

Education

• Abercarn Primary School
• Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Gwyddon (Welsh Medium Education School)