Blaengarw

Blaengarw is the uppermost village in the river valley (Cwm Garw) of the River Garw, in the county borough of Bridgend, Wales.

Blaengarw
Blaengarw
Location within Bridgend
Population1,789 (2011)
OS grid referenceSS902928
Principal area
Ceremonial county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRIDGEND
Postcode districtCF32
Dialling code01656
PoliceSouth Wales
FireSouth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament

In the English language Blaengarw means the rugged 'front' or 'head' of the valley. The population of Blaengarw ward according to the 2001 census was 1,895, falling to 1,789 at the 2011 census.[1]

History
Blaengarw had a Great Western Railway station. This view is from 1962

During the 19th and 20th centuries the village served as a mining town for the coal miners of the Garw Valley section of the South Wales coalfield. Built in 1893, the Blaengarw Workmen's Hall is a testament to this history and is still used today as a community and entertainment centre. The Welsh poet Daniel James (Gwyrosydd) composed the popular Welsh hymn Calon Lân while working as a coal miner at the Blaengarw pit.[2] The town was a flashpoint of public disorder during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985). [3]

Time banking
Top of the Garw Valley

Blaengarw is home to the largest Time Bank in Europe the Blaengarw Time Centre, hosted by Creation Group.[4]

The Blaengarw Time Centre is based in Blaengarw Workmen's Hall which was bought by the community in 2000. For every hour spent on community work citizens receive one "Time Credit" which can be used to attend one hour of a social, educational or cultural event. Community assets in the village include a food shop, a community café, a heritage café, a digital inclusion centre, a community library and a sculpture studio. Activities organised by the centre include coffee mornings, arts classes, information technology classes, a youth club, dance and drama workshops, sugar craft and after-school clubs.[5]

Film

The 2001 comedy Very Annie Mary, starring Rachel Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce and Ioan Gruffudd was filmed in the village.[6]

Notable people
See Category:People from Blaengarw

References
  1. "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  2. "Garw". thevalleys.co.uk. thevalleys.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  3. "End of the Miners Strike in 1985". BBC Two. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  4. Margrit Kennedy; Bernard Lietaer; John Rogers (2012). People Money: The Promise of Regional Currencies. Triarchy Press Limited. ISBN 1908009764.
  5. "Blaengarw Time Centre". Summer Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  6. "Very Annie Mary (2001)". Filming locations. IMDb. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  7. "Porn in the USA". WalesOnline. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 8 January 2017.


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