Tredegar

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Tredegar is a town in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, traditional county of Monmouthshire, lying on the Sirhowy River in south east Wales, United Kingdom. The town is believed to have come into being with the establishment of the Sirhowy Ironworks and later the Tredegar Ironworks. The historic Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia, United States was named in honour of the town.

Tredegar's name is thought to have been derived from 'Tegyr (the Great). Next to nothing seems to be known about Sir Tegyr, yet he seems to have been thought important enough to be included - as Sir Degore - amongst the twenty-five Knights listed on King Arthur's Round Table. He appears as King Arthur's cup-bearer in the tale of Culhwch & Olwen.

There exists a myth that Camelot is north of Tredegar, in the Trefil region.

In 1778 the first documents were generated of a substantial population, supporting a furnace built in the Sirhowy area by Thomas Atkinson and William Barrow.

One of Tredegar's main attributes is the 'Town Clock' - dominating the southern part of the town centre.

"The clock tower is seventy-two feet high. The foundation is of masonry, on which is surmounted the cast-iron base which has four arms from each corner to a distance of sixty feet at a depth of five feet and six inches below ground level. The pillar is wholly composed of cast-iron, upon a square pediment which in turn, receives a rectangular plinth, and upon this stands a cylindrical column of smooth surface and symmetrical diameter, ornamented with suitable coping on which rests the clock surrounded with a weather vane. The plinth is inscribed on the four aspects, on the south side - Presented to the town of Tredegar from the proceeds of a bazaar promoted by the late Mrs R.P.Davis. Erected in the year 1858. On the West side is effigy of Wellington, with the legend - Wellington, England's Hero. On the North, the Royal Arms of England; and on the east, the name and description of the founder with his crest, - Charles Jordan, Iron Founder, Newport, Mon."

The clock is provided with four transparent faces or dials, each five feet three inches diameter, and was illuminated originally by gas, but this was latter changed to Electricity. The minute hand hands are each two feet two inches long, and the hour hand one foot seven inches long. The clocks mechanism is a fifteen inch mainwheel strike, with a single four-legged Gravity Escapement driving the four dials. It has a 1 1/4 second pendulum and the bob weighs two hundredweight.

(Tredegar Urban District Council's "Centenary Souvenir", 1958)

It is home to Bryn Bach Pond, a country park and the Grand Lodge of Moose in Great Britain was founded in the town by James J. Davis. Tredegar is also well known for its clock in the centre of the town. A colliery winding house is located in nearby New Tredegar.

Tredegar has strong links with prominent Labour MPs. It was the birthplace of Aneurin Bevan, who was responsible for the introduction of the British National Health Service (NHS). It was also the birthplace of former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock and his predecessor Michael Foot was MP for the local constituency - Blaenau Gwent - during his time as party leader.

Snooker star Ray Reardon and the fraternalist Bryan D. White (a former Mayor) were also born in Tredegar. Novelist and Gay Rights activist Ryan Carl Davies now lives in Sirhowy, Tredegar.

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