Beaufort (Welsh: Cendl) is a village located in the historic county of Brecknockshire and the preserved county of Gwent. It currently lies on the northern edge of the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in Wales.
The settlement arose on the boundary of two parishes, Llangattock in Brecknockshire and Aberystruth in Monmouthshire on the 1779 establishment of the Beaufort Iron Works by Edward and Jonathan Kendall (Cendl) after whom the new settlement was first named.
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The town's name derives from the fact that much of the local land was originally owned by the Duke of Beaufort. The border between Beaufort and Ebbw Vale itself is generally considered to be the Ebbw River which passes close to St David's Church (Church in Wales).
The western end of Beaufort is known as 'The Rassau'. 'Carmeltown', presumably so-called because of the presence of Carmel Chapel, lies between the Rassau and the rest of Beaufort. Confusingly, the 'rest of Beaufort' (i.e. geographically the eastern part of Beaufort) is frequently simply referred to as 'Beaufort' or 'Beaufort Hill'.
The eastern end of Beaufort is more densely populated than Carmeltown or the Rassau and borders on Brynmawr. Beaufort was administratively part of Brecknockshire, but was transferred to the administrative county of Monmouthshire as part of the urban district of Ebbw Vale in 1878. Subsequent local government changes incorporated it into the Blaenau Gwent district of Gwent in 1974 and the unitary authority of Blaenau Gwent in 1996.
Beaufort and parts of nearby Badminton and parts of Rassau are classed as the most affluent areas in the Blaenau Gwent area.
Up until 1958 the village was served by Beaufort railway station, a station on the LNWR railway line from Abergavenny - Merthyr.
Historically, the language of Beaufort was Welsh. Until the early 1900s, Beaufort was bilingual with both Welsh and English-language chapels. Elements of a Welsh service continued (e.g. in Carmel Chapel) until the 1970s. Amongst its Nonconformist chapels, the Welsh Independent Congregational Chapel 'Carmel' was pre-eminent, rising to national fame under the leadership of Thomas Rees DD (author of History of Protestant Nonconformity in Wales, whose second edition was printed in 1883). According to the 2001 census, 440 residents, or 11.7% of the village's population aged 3 and over can now speak Welsh.[1] This gives Beaufort the highest percentage of Welsh Speakers in Blaenau Gwent.
Parc Nant y Waun is a Nature reserve incorporating 22 hectares of grassland, mires and reservoirs which was officially opened in 2007.[2] Home to a many wildlife species, it includes a Picnic area, Outdoor Classroom and an Angling Club.[3]
The Beaufort Male Choir originally formed in 1897, are still going strong today with over sixty singers from all over Gwent. They have performed in many prestigious venues all around the world, and are one of the most famous choirs in Wales.[4]
The Beaufort Male Choir, one of the oldest in Wales , was founded at the end of the eighteenth century. Today’s choir was reformed after the Second World War in 1947 and this year we are celebrating sixty years of successful music making. Though times and circumstances have changed, we, like our predecessors still aspire to the highest ideals of male voice singing. However, whereas they placed great emphasis on competition in Eisteddfodau with significant success, we for the past forty years have concentrated exclusively on concert work This allows us greater musical freedom and affords us the opportunity of performing in the principal concert halls through the UK and Europe . One of the most noticeable changes in perspective has occurred in recent years with the introduction of an international dimension. For in those years the choir has undertaken tours to Germany , Malta , France , Holland and the Republic of Ireland . In addition, the choir has played host to choirs from Germany , Holland , the USA and Japan . Among the highlights in recent years was the accolade of singing before heads of state at Kensington Palace and also before His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Annual Concert 2009 with RHYDIAN. Also concerts at La Maison Blance in Oxford and St Mary's Chapel in Westminster. Under the musical direction of Craig James and Accompanist Margaret Davies, the choir has a much varied repertoire ranging from Welsh and English Hymns, spirituals and modern ballads as well as the more traditional male voice works. 2011 Annual concert features Hayley Westenra.
Edward (1750-1807) and Jonathan Kendall or Cendl of Dan-y-Parc Crickhowell established these works in 1779 on a 99 year lease. In 1833, by which time there were four furnaces, the works were taken over as an extension of their Nantyglo operations by the Bailey brothers, Joseph and Crawshay who put their sister’s son, William Partridge (1800-1862), in charge. Unmarried Agents (senior managers) of the local iron works companies lodged at the Rhyd-y-Blew, a drover’s inn, properly the hunting lodge of the Duke of Beaufort who carried out an annual rough-shoot of the area. The inn was at the end of the toll road from Merthyr Tydfil and for the rest of the year provided the drovers’ animals very good pasture and water in the Ebbw river. Suffolk-born Partridge married Charlotte Bevan, daughter of the Rhyd-y-Blew’s innkeeper, and remained in charge of the Beaufort iron works until his early death in 1862. The works soon closed. In conjunction with the then well-known Needham family of Beaufort mining engineers Partridge sons became involved in local collieries and established the substantial business later known as Partridge & Jones. The Beaufort works house eventually became a fever hospital in 1902 and has since been demolished.
The ground, just south of Beaufort Hill, once occupied by the iron works has long been cleared and covered with houses.