Clydach, Swansea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clydach |
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 Clydach nickel refinery |
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 Clydach
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| Population | 7,503 |
| OS grid reference | SN689013 |
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| Principal area | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWANSEA |
| Postcode district | SA6 |
| Dialling code | 01792 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament |
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| Welsh Assembly |
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Clydach is a village and a community located in Swansea, Wales. It's about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Swansea city centre. In 2011, around 7,500 people lived here. About 24% of the people in Clydach speak Welsh as their first language. Both Welsh and English schools are available. The village is close to the M4 motorway, making it easy to travel to and from. Part of the nearby village of Glais is also included in the Clydach community.
Contents
History of Clydach
In the 1800s, Clydach was a very small place. Old maps show it had a few small areas like 'Mount Pleasant' and 'Faerdre'. The first school, 'St John's School', was built around 1878. It taught girls, boys, and infants. Another school was built where Clydach Infants School is today.
By 1899, Clydach had grown a lot. The school on Twyn-y-Bedw Road got bigger, and a second school was built nearby. St John's School became a Sunday school. There was also a woollen factory on 'Factory Road'.
In the early 1800s, Clydach was a small village in the Swansea Valley. During the Industrial Revolution, coal from the South Wales Valleys became very important. Clydach grew as a route for moving goods between Swansea and the many mines.
The Swansea Canal was built through Clydach between 1794 and 1798. It was used to transport huge amounts of coal from Ystalyfera to Swansea port. The canal was busy until 1902, when it started losing money. This was because the Swansea Vale Railway offered a faster way to move goods. The last time coal was carried on the canal was in 1931. Today, only about 5 miles (8 km) of the original 16-mile (26 km) canal remain.
Population Growth
The late 1800s and early 1900s saw a big increase in Clydach's population. When the Mond nickel refinery opened in 1902, it became the main employer. This led to many more people moving to the village. The table below shows how the population of the Rhyndwyglydach parish grew over time:
| Year | Population |
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| 1801 | 722 |
| 1811 | 884 |
| 1821 | 948 |
| 1831 | 1,137 |
| 1841 | 1,438 |
| 1851 | 1,578 |
| 1861 | 1,720 |
| 1871 | 2,208 |
| 1881 | 3,529 |
| 1891 | 4,018 |
| 1901 | 4,462 |
| 1911 | 6,994 |
| 1921 | 8,789 |
| 1931 | 9,444 |
| 1951 | 9,214 |
| 1961 | 8,566 |
After a drop in population in the early 1980s, when mining and heavy metal industries declined, the village's population has grown again. In 2011, the population was about 7,500.
Shopping and Services
High Street Improvements
Clydach High Street is the main shopping area. It has seen big improvements recently. The road has been reshaped and resurfaced. Old tarmac pavements were replaced with new flagstones. New trees, seats, and bike racks were also added. These changes were made by the Cwmni Clydach Development Trust, with money from the Welsh Development Agency and Swansea City Council. Local shops also received grants to improve their storefronts.
Local Industries
Clydach Refinery
The Clydach refinery, often called 'the Mond', was built by Ludwig Mond at the start of the 20th century. It began making products in 1902. This refinery is Europe’s largest nickel refinery. It is owned by Vale and makes nickel powder, pellets, and other nickel-coated materials. It also used to make nickel foam for the Toyota Prius car batteries.
The refinery was very important to Clydach and was one of the biggest employers in the Swansea Valley for many years. By 1910, over 40% of the village's population worked there. Today, with new technologies, the refinery employs about 240 people.
The refinery has worked hard to reduce pollution. The River Tawe, which flows next to the refinery, now has breeding salmon and trout again. However, because of the materials it uses, the refinery is a top-tier site under the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations (COMAH), meaning it has very strict safety rules.
Places of Worship
Clydach has several churches and chapels for both English and Welsh speakers. St. Mary's on High Street is the main Church in Wales parish church. Other English-speaking churches include Lighthouse Church, Bethel Evangelical Church, and St. Benedicts (Roman Catholic).
Two Welsh-speaking chapels are still active: Calfaria (Welsh Baptist) and Capel y Nant (Welsh Independents). Capel y Nant was formed in 2008 by joining two older chapels.
Some Welsh-speaking churches have closed, but their buildings remain. For example, Hebron Chapel is now being turned into a house. Bethania English Baptist Church is in Graig-felin. The Reverend Valentine Evans, who wrote a History of Clydach, is buried in its cemetery. There is also a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Capel Road, which is one of the oldest in Wales.
Notable People from Clydach
- Harold Elgan Rees (born 1954) - a famous rugby union player.
- Sir Ludwig Mond (1839–1907) - a chemist and industrialist who built the nickel refinery.
- Derek Bevan MBE (born 1947) - a rugby world cup final referee.
Fun and Learning
Mond Valley Golf Club
This golf course started in the 1960s as a nine-hole course just for employees of the Clydach Refinery. Now, it's called Mond Valley Golf Club and welcomes golfers of all ages and skill levels throughout the year. The club is located in the beautiful Swansea Valley, next to the River Tawe and the Swansea Canal.
Forge Fach Community Resource Centre
After the old Clydach swimming pool was taken down, a new community centre was built at Forge Fach. It cost about £1.8 million and opened in 2006. Forge Fach is next to the Forge Fach Waterfalls, which are part of the Lower Clydach River. The word "Clydach" means "sandy bend" or "strand" in Irish.
The centre has many facilities, including a community café, a nursery (Forge Fach Day Nursery), a large hall, a computer room, and training rooms. There's also an outdoor sports area. Local businesses rent offices there. Swansea University and the City & County of Swansea also use the centre for adult education classes.
In 2013, the trust that ran Forge Fach had problems, and Swansea Council took over temporarily. A local group wanted it to become a health, leisure, and swimming centre. In 2015, Walsingham Support, a charity for people with disabilities, took over the centre.
Dynamic Rock
In 2006, the old Public Hall was turned into an indoor climbing centre called 'Dynamic Rock'. It is now known as the Swansea Indoor Climbing Centre. The climbing walls are 12 meters high and have different features like overhangs and arches, making climbing fun and challenging.
Cwm Clydach Nature Reserve
The Cwm Clydach RSPB Reserve is a nature reserve located just outside the village. It used to be the site of a coal mine called Nixon and Bell Drift mine, or "Nixon's." This mine was a major employer until the early 1960s. Now, little remains of the mine, but there are walking paths through the valley where you can see signs of other old mines.
Cycling Routes
Clydach is part of National Cycle Route 43. A lot of work has been done recently on the cycle path between Clydach and Glais. A new tarmac path for walkers and cyclists was built by Sustrans, starting behind the Vardre Rugby Club and ending in Glais. This path was mostly built on old railway tracks.
Education in Clydach
Clydach Primary School and Graigfelen Primary School are the main primary schools for local children. There is also a Welsh-language primary school, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Gellionnen, and a Roman Catholic primary school, St Joseph's. Since September 2012, Clydach Infants and Clydach Juniors schools have combined to form Clydach Primary School.
In the past, Clydach had Cwmtawe Lower Comprehensive School for 11- to 13-year-olds. Older students would go to Cwmtawe Upper School in Pontardawe. Today, most students from Clydach attend Birchgrove Comprehensive School or Cwmtawe Community School in Pontardawe.
Sports in Clydach
Football
Clydach has several football teams, including Inco, Clydach Sports, and Sunnybank WMC. Most of these teams play in the Neath & District League. Clydach is also a member of the West Wales Premier League.
Rugby
Vardre RFC is a popular rugby club in Clydach. Younger players train on the pitches behind the club, across the canal. The club has teams for adults and juniors. The main team currently plays in Division 1 of the WRU West Central League.
