Caerphilly (Welsh: Caerffili) is a county borough in the south Wales valleys, immediately north of Cardiff. It covers 107 square miles (277 km2), had a population of 175,952 at the 2021 census, and is run from Tredomen Park at Ystrad Mynach.
It is the fifth most populous principal area in Wales. Caerphilly town, at the southern end, is the largest settlement and holds the biggest castle in Wales.
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Welsh name | Caerffili |
| Area | 107 sq mi (277 km2) |
| Population (2021) | 175,952 |
| Density | 635 people per km2 (1,645 per sq mi) |
| Welsh speakers | 10.5% (2021 census) |
| Largest town | Caerphilly |
| Administrative centre | Ystrad Mynach |
| Valleys | Rhymney, Sirhowy and lower Ebbw |
| Council | Caerphilly County Borough Council |
Towns and Villages in Caerphilly
The borough has 107 named towns, villages and communities, listed alphabetically below. Caerphilly, Bargoed, Blackwood, Risca, Newbridge, Rhymney, Ystrad Mynach and Nelson are the main towns; the rest are valley villages, most of them former colliery settlements.
- Aberbargoed
- Abercarn
- Abertridwr
- Abertysswg
- Bargoed
- Bedwas
- Bedwellty
- Berllan-gollen
- Blackwood
- Brithdir
- Bryn
- Brynawel
- Bryngwyn
- Bute Town
- Caerphilly
- Cefn Fforest
- Cefn Hengoed
- Celynen
- Croespenmaen
- Crosskeys
- Crumlin
- Cwm-corrwg
- Cwm-dows
- Cwm-nant-gwynt
- Cwmcarn
- Cwmfelinfach
- Cwmsyfiog
- Danygraig
- Deri
- Draethen
- Elliot’s Town
- Energlyn
- Fleur-de-lis
- Fochriw
- Gelligaer
- Gelligroes
- Gilfach
- Glan-y-nant
- Glenside
- Groes-wen
- Gwrhay
- Gwyddon
- Hafodyrynys
- Hendredenny
- Hengoed
- Hollybush
- Kendon
- Llanbradach
- Llanfabon
- Llanfach
- Llechryd
- Machen
- Maesycwmmer
- Manmoel
- Markham
- Millbrook
- Mynyddislwyn
- Nelson
- New Tredegar
- Newbridge
- Oakdale
- Old Treowen
- Pantside
- Pen-pedair-heol
- Pen-tลตyn
- Pengam
- Penllwyn
- Penrhiw
- Pentrapeod
- Pentwyn Crumlin
- Pentwyn-mawr
- Penybryn
- Penyrheol
- Persondy
- Phillip’s Town
- Pontllanfraith
- Pontlottyn
- Pontymister
- Pontywaun
- Princetown
- Pwllypant
- Rhiw
- Rhymney
- Risca
- Rock
- Rudry
- Senghenydd
- St Martins
- Tai’r-heol
- Tir-y-berth
- Tirphil
- Ton-y-pistyll
- Trecceln
- Trecenydd
- Tredomen
- Treowen
- Trethomas
- Trinant
- Ty-Sign
- Upper Ochrwyth
- Waterloo
- Wattsville
- Woodfieldside
- Wyllie
- Y Coed Duon
- Ynysddu
- Ystrad Mynach
Geography
Three rivers run north to south. The Rhymney rises above Rhymney town and flows past Pontlottyn, Bargoed, Hengoed and Llanbradach; the Sirhowy passes Blackwood and Ynysddu; the Ebbw comes down through Crumlin, Newbridge and Risca to leave the borough near Rogerstone.
Between them are high open ridges — Mynydd Eglwysilan, Mynydd Machen and Cefn Manmoel — that separate the valleys far more effectively than the roads connect them.
Cardiff lies south, Newport south-east, Torfaen east, Blaenau Gwent north-east, Merthyr Tydfil north-west and Rhondda Cynon Taf west.
Demographics
The 2021 census counted 175,952 residents. Growth has concentrated in the south, around Caerphilly town and the commuter belt within reach of Cardiff, while the upper Rhymney valley has continued to lose people.
Welsh is spoken by 10.5% of residents aged three and over. Welsh-medium primary and secondary provision has expanded across the borough since the 1990s, and the upper valley wards report higher shares than the Cardiff-facing south.
After Caerphilly the largest towns are Risca, Bargoed, Blackwood, Newbridge and Rhymney.
Economy and Local Life
Coal and iron once employed most of the borough; the last deep mine, Penallta at Hengoed, closed in 1991. Public services, retail, distribution and light manufacturing now dominate, and a large share of southern residents commute to Cardiff.
Ystrad Mynach holds the council headquarters and a further education college. Blackwood’s high street and Bargoed’s town centre serve the middle and upper valleys, and the Bedwas and Trethomas industrial estates carry manufacturing.
Caerphilly cheese takes its name from the town’s market, where farmers from the Vale sold it to colliers. The Caerphilly Big Cheese festival each summer is the borough’s largest public event. Manic Street Preachers formed in Blackwood.
History
Caerphilly Castle was begun in 1268 by Gilbert de Clare and covers about 30 acres, making it the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Britain. Its water defences were the most elaborate in the country, and its leaning south-east tower is the town’s emblem.
The Rhymney River was the historic boundary between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, so the borough straddles two historic counties: Caerphilly, Gelligaer and Rhymney lie on the Glamorgan side, Risca, Newbridge and Blackwood on the Monmouthshire side.
Ironworks at Rhymney and collieries throughout the valleys drove nineteenth-century growth. The present county borough dates from 1996, replacing the Rhymney Valley and Islwyn districts of Mid Glamorgan and Gwent.
Getting There
The A470 runs along the western edge, the A469 up the Rhymney valley, the A4048 up the Sirhowy and the A467 up the Ebbw. The A468 links Caerphilly to Newport, and the M4 is a short drive south.
The Rhymney line carries trains from Cardiff through Caerphilly, Llanbradach, Hengoed and Bargoed to Rhymney; the Coryton and Cardiff services run through the Caerphilly tunnel, one of the longest in Wales. Ebbw Valley trains call at Risca, Crosskeys and Newbridge. Cardiff Airport is about 20 miles south-west.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Caerphilly county borough?
175,952 at the 2021 census, across 107 square miles.
What is the largest town in Caerphilly county borough?
Caerphilly. Risca, Bargoed and Blackwood are the next largest.
How many villages are there in Caerphilly county borough?
This directory lists 107 named towns, villages and communities.
Where is the council based?
At Tredomen Park in Ystrad Mynach, in the middle of the Rhymney valley, not in Caerphilly town.
Which historic county is Caerphilly in?
Both. The Rhymney River divided Glamorgan from Monmouthshire, and the modern borough covers land on either side of it.