See also Bryn Mawr (disambiguation) for other places with this name.
Brynmawr
(sometimes hyphenated to Bryn-mawr
in Welsh — meaning "big hill") is a market town in Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. The town, sometimes cited as the highest town in Wales, is situated at 1,250 to 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled at the head of the South Wales Valleys. It grew during the arrival of the coal mining and iron industries in the early 1800s.
It was originally a small village settlement called Gwaen Helygen, and lay in the former county of Brecknockshire. With the expansion of the Nantyglo (meaning stream of coal) Ironworks housing was required for the workers and Brynmawr turned into a prosperous town. Although coal mining has declined, a large mining museum is nearby at Big Pit.
Today Brynmawr has an estimated population of over 6,000 people. At the 2001 Census 5.75% of the 16-65 age group spoke Welsh, but the proportion of children (3-15) able to speak Welsh was much higher at 30.54%. [1] The town has the only Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Brynmawr, in Blaenau Gwent with 310 pupils ranging from nursery to year 6.
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BRYNMAWR TICKETS
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Commerce and local economy
Although the traditional Saturday market itself has diminished somewhat, the focal point of the town still remains the Market Square and with its Market Hall, now a cinema and theatre presenting films and productions from the local amateur operatic society. Around the Market Square, the trading community offers traditional, family orientated shops with a friendly and personal service. It also now has a large
Asda supermarket on the old site of the
Semtex factory which boosted the town's name and reputation over the last 50 years. There is also a selection of units being built on the same site as the Asda store. The area has now been named as 'Lakeside Park'.
Brynmawr now has its own radio station. It launched on Thursday 18 October 2007. It broadcasts on 97.3 FM and BRfm has the boast "Best Radio for Miles".
Sport and leisure
Brynmawr RFC is the local rugby union club which is presently affiliated to the
Newport Gwent Dragons.
See also
- Brynmawr Furniture
- Brynmawr Experiment
- Brynmawr Rubber Factory