Bargoed

Bargoed (Welsh: Bargod) is a town in the Rhymney Valley, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly and straddles the border between the traditional counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. The literal English translation of the town's Welsh name, Bargod, is 'border'.

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Pronunciation of the town's name varies depending on street. There are many acceptable variations, from the 'official' Welsh Barr-god and English Bar-goid to the informal Baa-Gud and Baa-Go-Ed.

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Originally a rural market town, Bargoed grew into a substantial town following the opening of a colliery in 1903. The colliery closed during the 1980s, and its former site is now home to a country park.

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Nowdays however, most shops in the centre of Bargoed are closed down and boarded up, leaving the town looking shabby and run-down. Improvement programs were begun in 2000 however.

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'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council, consists of the towns of Bargoed, Aberbargoed and the village of Gilfach. The combined population of these settlements is approximately 13,000.

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Bargoed Grammar Technical School existed as the local Grammar School before Heolddu Comprehensive School was formed.

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Bargoed is regularly namechecked during televised snooker tournaments as Mark Williams, Embassy World Snooker Champion in 2000 and 2003, practices his sport at the town's Emporium Snooker Hall.

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Welsh: Welsh may refer to:...

Rhymney Valley: The Rhymney Valley is a valley in south Wales, formerly famous for its coal mining industry. The river Rhymney that flows through the valley is the border between the traditional counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire....

South Wales Valleys: The south Wales valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales. Many of them running roughly parallel to each other, they stretch from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east. Located in roughly the centre is the famous Rhondda valley....