Clydach, Monmouthshire

Village in Monmouthshire, Wales

Human settlement in Wales

Clydach

Clydach

Location within Monmouthshire

Population| <2000
OS grid reference| SO225128
Principal area|

* Monmouthshire

Preserved county|

* Gwent

Country| Wales
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Post town| Abergavenny
Postcode district| NP7
Dialling code| 01873
Police| Gwent
Fire| South Wales
Ambulance| Welsh
UK Parliament|

* Monmouth

Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament|

* Monmouth

List of places

Wales
Monmouthshire

51°48′31″N 3°07′32″W﻿ / ﻿51.8086°N 3.1255°W﻿ / 51.8086; -3.1255

Clydach is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales. Its nearest neighbours are the village of Gilwern and town of Abergavenny.

## Heads of the Valleys

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It is split by the A465 road (the 'Heads of the Valleys') into North Clydach and South Clydach.

## Industrial heritage

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Historically its main industry was based around the ironworks on the south side of the valley which have long since closed.

## Primary school closure

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Clydach County primary school was closed in July 2006 by Monmouthshire County Council because of there were less than 30 pupils and none in years 5 and 6. The children now attend schools in Gilwern and Brynmawr and the school buildings are unused.

## Local walks

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The area around the village is popular for hillwalking with many routes tracing the beauty of the nearby Clydach Gorge [1] or Cwm Clydach, and the old trackbed of the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway is a cycleway and walkway and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal can be walked or travelled by narrow boat.

There is a picnic site and caravan park alongside the River Clydach, easily reached from the A465 Heads of the Valleys road. The ironworks are some 300 metres away, across the river. The ironworks were built during the late 18th century and are a scheduled monument. There are also limeworks.

The area is within the Brecon Beacons National Park close to the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a World Heritage Site, and not far from Big Pit National Coal Museum. Clydach Gorge or Cwm Clydach has been designated a SSSI.

## Notable people

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* Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, (1815–1884), a British colonial administrator, was born at Clydach House the son of Edward Frere, manager of Clydach Ironworks.

## External links

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* Caves in the Clydach Gorge area
* Walks in the Clydach Gorge area
* Monmouthshire Council Clydach Site
* Clydach-Gilwern-Llanelly Hill community website excellent photos
* Old photos of Clydach
* Photograph of Clydach Gorge
* Photograph of the ironworks
* Photograph of the ironworks
* Photograph of the ironworks
* Photograph of the limeworks