| Caerphilly | |
| Welsh: Caerffili | |
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Caerphilly
Caerphilly shown within Caerphilly |
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| Population | 31,060 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | ST1586 |
| Principal area | Caerphilly |
| Ceremonial county | Gwent |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CAERPHILLY |
| Postcode district | CF83 |
| Dialling code | 029 |
| Police | Gwent |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Caerphilly |
| Welsh Assembly | Caerphilly |
| List of places: UK • Wales • Caerphilly | |
Caerphilly (/kərˈfɪli/; Welsh: Caerffili, Welsh pronunciation: [ˌkɑːɨrˈfɪlɪ]) is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles (12 km) and 12 miles (19 km) away, respectively. It is separated from the Cardiff suburbs of Lisvane and Rhiwbina by Caerphilly mountain. It is traditionally within the county of Glamorgan, on the border with Monmouthshire and it is the largest town in the county borough of Caerphilly, which since 2003 has formed part of the lieutenancy area of Gwent. The town gives its name to Caerphilly cheese, which originated in the area.
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Caerphilly is the site of Caerphilly Castle,[1] built between 1268 and 1271, which is the largest castle in Wales, and second largest in Britain (after Windsor). The castle has been used for tv and movie film making including BBC productions of Doctor Who and Merlin. In 1899 the Rhymney Railway built their Caerphilly railway works maintenance facilities; however, the expansion of the population in the nineteenth century was more to do with the increasing market for coal. Caerphilly hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1950.
Caerphilly is featured in the Sex Pistols documentary The Filth and the Fury. Protests and a prayer meeting were held outside the Castle Cinema on the evening of 14 December 1976, when the Pistols were playing a concert there. However, at this point in time, Caerphilly was one of the few councils that would allow the group to perform (Leeds and Manchester being the others). Caerphilly is also referred to in a Monty Python Flying Circus sketch, episode #2, The Mouse Problem.
Caerphilly is the birthplace of Tommy Cooper,[2] Martyn Richard Jones, Bristol Rovers' fan favourite David Pipe and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey. It was also home to Cardiff City F. C. and Wales star Robert Earnshaw, following his family's move from Zambia.
The town has a rugby union club, Caerphilly RFC, who play in Division 1 EAST of the Welsh National League.
During the summer, the town hosts The Big Cheese[3] festival and a fundraising musical event called Megaday.[4] In the Winter there is also the Festival of Light, which involves the procession of hundreds of lanterns through the centre of the town.
Caerphilly has a bustling town centre with many high street brands such as Boots and WH Smiths. Caerphilly also has a number of business parks, such as the Caerphilly Business Park and Nantgarw Business Park.
The A469 trunk road runs through the town north to south, while the A468 skirts the northern boundary of the town. Caerphilly has two railway stations; Caerphilly at the southern end of the town near the shopping area, and Aber in the western part of the town, both on the Rhymney Line serving Cardiff.
Network Rail propose that a new station be built in Energlyn to support residential development in that part of the town.[5]
Tommy Cooper was born in Caerphilly and there is a statue of him in the Twyn area of the town to commemorate this fact.