Waun-Lwyd Explained

Label Position:bottom
Country:Wales
Coordinates:51.7558°N -3.1933°W
Official Name:Waun-Lwyd
Community Wales:Cwm
Unitary Wales:Blaenau Gwent
Lieutenancy Wales:Blaenau Gwent
Constituency Westminster:Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney
Constituency Welsh Assembly:Blaenau Gwent
Post Town:EBBW VALE
Postcode District:NP23
Postcode Area:NP
Dial Code:01495
Os Grid Reference:SO177069
Static Image:The_Ambala,_Waunlwyd.jpg
Static Image Caption:The former Park Hotel on Station Road, Waunlwyd
Population:1556
Population Ref:(2011)

Waun-Lwyd or Waunlwyd is a village in the Ebbw Valley in Blaenau Gwent. It belongs in the community of Cwm.[1]

It is located south of Ebbw Vale and north of Newport. The A4046 runs through the village. The population of the community is 1,556.

History

The Gwent Heritage voluntary group have extensively documented the history of the village as far back as its initial mining establishment. The Cwm and Waunlwyd branch of the group meets regularly to contribute to the collection of material about the region.[2]

The River Ebbw flows past the west of the village. To the east is Mynydd Carn-y-cefn (550m).[3]

Village today

Facilities in Waun-Lwyd include a public phone box, the Caersalem United Reformed Church (since 2018 a Baptist Church),[4] an Off Licence shop, a hair and beauty store, and a Smiling Valley Chinese restaurant.[5] Waunlwyd Methodist Chapel is a noted post medieval chapel building but its location has been unclear since 2002.

The town had an NHS Wales branch surgery until closure in 2014.[6]

Until 2013 Waunlwyd Primary School was based in the village, and was redeveloped in 2009,[7] but has since closed.[8]

11% of the population can communicate in Welsh.[9] 72% of the resident population was born in Wales, while 20.8% were born in England. The village is considerably less ethnically diverse than the UK average, with a 99% white population versus 89% nationally. 62.3% of residents were employed either full, part time, or self-employed.

It has a local football team, Waunlwyd F.C. established in 2023. The nearest rugby side is R.T.B. Ebbw Vale RFC.

The village is near to Festival Park, the home of the 1992 Ebbw Vale Garden Festival and now a shopping centre.[10] Owners GWM Capital purchased the site in 2019 and state they are redeveloping the site to become an activity and retail hub.

Transport

The village is a 9 minute walk, and 9miles from Ebbw Vale Parkway railway station.[11]

It is served by the A4046 Park View Street bus stop,[12] which is on the route to and from Ebbw Vale.

List of destinations!Operator!Number!Origin!Stop!Destination!Journey time!Frequency
Stagecoach South WalesE3Ebbw Vale bus stationPark View Street, WaunlwydBrynmawr via Cwm43 minutesHourly
Stagecoach South WalesE3Brynmawr via CwmPark View Street, WaunlwydEbbw Vale bus station24 minutesHourly
Stagecoach South Wales62Ebbw Vale bus stationPark View Street, WaunlwydCwmbran bus station41 minutesDaily
Stagecoach South Wales62Cwmbran bus stationPark View Street, WaunlwydEbbw Vale bus station45 minutesDaily
Stagecoach South Wales98Ebbw Vale bus stationPark View Street, WaunlwydAbertillery16 minutesTwice daily
Stagecoach South Wales98AbertilleryPark View Street, WaunlwydEbbw Vale bus station24 minutesDaily

Governance

The Cwm & Waunlwyd electoral ward serves the village. The ward is represented by Councillor Derrick Bevan on Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.[13]

The area is represented in the Senedd by Alun Davies (Labour)[14] and the Member of Parliament is Nick Smith (Labour).[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Blaenau Gwent CBC: Councillor Derrick Bevan. www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk. 2019-10-07.
  2. Web site: Cwm & Waunlwyd Community archive A group in the Gwent Heritage network of community archives. Cwm & Waunlwyd. en. 2019-10-07.
  3. Web site: Mynydd Carn-y-cefn. www.hill-bagging.co.uk. 2019-10-07.
  4. Web site: Minutes of the eighty-ninth meeting of the National Synod of Wales of the United Reformed Church held on Saturday 4th March 2017 at Libanus United Reformed Church. 4 March 2017. United Reformed Church of Wales. 7 October 2019.
  5. Web site: Smiling Valley Ebbw Vale Food Hygiene Ratings foodhygieneratings.org.uk. www.foodhygieneratings.org.uk. 2019-10-07.
  6. Web site: Aneurin Bevan Health Board - Closure of Waunlwyd Branch Surgery. 26 March 2014. Aneurin Bevan Health Board. 7 October 2019.
  7. Web site: Waunlwyd Primary gets a makeover. WalesOnline. 2009-07-22. walesonline. 2019-10-07.
  8. Web site: Waunlwyd Primary School Estyn. www.estyn.gov.wales. 2019-10-07.
  9. Web site: Interesting Information for Park View, Waunlwyd, Ebbw Vale, Wales, NP23 6UB Postcode. StreetCheck. StreetCheck. en. 2019-10-07.
  10. Web site: Plans to turn popular retail park into major leisure hub as site is sold. South Wales Argus. en. 2019-10-07.
  11. Web site: Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent (or Glyn Ebwy)(Glyn Ebwy) - area information, map, walks and more. Ordnance Survey Get Outside. en-gb. 2019-10-07.
  12. Web site: Ebbw Vale – Bus Times. bustimes.org. 2019-10-07.
  13. Web site: Blaenau Gwent CBC: Councillor Directory. www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk. 2019-10-07.
  14. Web site: Member Profile. National Assembly for Wales. en-GB. 2019-10-07.
  15. Web site: Nick Smith MP, Blaenau Gwent. TheyWorkForYou. en. 2019-10-07.