Gelligaer facts for kids
Gelligaer (which is Gelli-gaer in Welsh) is a community in Wales. It's found in the Caerphilly County Borough, right in the Rhymney River valley. This community includes the village of Gelligaer, plus the small towns of Hengoed and Ystrad Mynach. In 2011, about 18,408 people lived here.
Gelligaer's History
Gelligaer is well-known for its ancient stone Roman fort. This fort was part of a group of Roman forts across Roman Wales. It was likely built between 103 and 111 A.D. People dug up and studied the fort in the early 1900s.
The local church, St. Catwg, is very old. However, it was greatly updated during the Victorian era. You can also find an old standing stone just north of the village.
How Gelligaer is Governed
Gelligaer has two main levels of local government. These are the Gelligaer Community Council and the Caerphilly County Borough Council. The Community Council has its office in the Penpedairheol area. The Caerphilly County Borough Council also has its main offices in the Gelligaer community. These are at Penallta House in the Tredomen area of Ystrad Mynach.
Past Local Government Changes
Gelligaer used to be an old parish in Glamorgan county. In 1894, Gelligaer got its own parish council. It became part of a larger rural district. This district was ended in 1908.
On September 11, 1908, Gelligaer became an urban district. This change happened because many more people moved to the area. The coal mining industry was growing fast, bringing new jobs.
The Gelligaer Urban District Council had 21 councillors. They were in charge of things like keeping the area clean and managing housing. They also looked after streets, cemeteries, libraries, and parks. The council had its offices on Park Road, near Hengoed railway station.
Gelligaer Urban District stopped existing in 1974. Most of the area became a community called Gelligaer. This was part of the Rhymney Valley District. In 1985, the community was divided again. New communities were made for Bargoed and Darran Valley. The Pontlottyn area moved to the Rhymney community. Also, Ystrad Mynach became fully part of Gelligaer.
In 1996, there were more changes to local government. The Rhymney Valley area joined with Islwyn borough. Together, they formed the Caerphilly County Borough.
