Ogmore Vale (Welsh: Cwm Ogwr) is a village in the county of Bridgend, Wales on the River Ogmore. The village's main source of income came from mining. Up until the year 1865, the Ogmore Valley was a quiet, isolated, hill farming community of less than ten farms and a few cottages. In 1851 the total population of the valley was probably less than one hundred.
On the 1st August 1865 the Ogmore Valley Railway was opened for mineral, goods and passenger traffic from Porthcawl to Nantymoel. The completion of the railway connections with Bridgend through Tondu, and Porthcawl Dock, enabled the development to begin of the vast reserves of high quality house coals and dry steam coals of the valley.
The No. 2 and No. 3 Rhondda house and bituminous coals which outcrop along the valley were quickly proved and the Aber, Caedu and Tynewydd collieries were opened by drifts driven into the seams from the mountain sides. In the latter part of 1865, John Brogden and Sons commenced the sinking of the two shafts at the Wyndham Colliery to prove and work the high quality smokeless dry steam coals of the Lower Coal Measures.
From 1865 to 1984, when the last colliery (Wyndham/Western Mine) closed, the coal industry provided employment for the communities of the valley and much wealth was produced for the nation. Sadly the cost in terms of human sacrifice and suffering was high.
The village's Gwalia Stores, built in 1880 was moved, brick by brick, and rebuilt in the National Museum of Welsh Life St Fagan's.
It has a rugby club, prize winning brass band, active Local History Society, community centre, Wyndham Boys & Girls Club, Ladies Choir and a Male Voice Choir.
There is one Primary School, opened in 2003, taking pupils from 4 original schools which were closed in Sept 2002. They were, with opening dates in brackets; Tynewydd Junior (1875), Aber Infants (1876), Fronwen Primary (1914), Ogmore Vale Nursery (1947).
The village lies in the parliamentary constituency of Ogmore, in Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taff County Boroughs. |
01656 840383
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