Bedwas offers several distinct points of interest to consider when planning your trip: the history of Bedwas Navigation Colliery, Bedwas Workmen’s Hall as an entertainment venue, Riverside Park on the River Rhymney, and a cycling route through the town. Historical topics include both the colliery’s completion and its later closure, as well as the opening and funding of the hall. The park provides a scenic feature, while the Celtic Trail East gives the town a connection to cycling. Which of these aspects matters most to you will depend on whether you include Bedwas in your selection for its history, riverside green space, entertainment or cycling route.

Mining history and community funding

Bedwas Navigation Colliery was completed by 1913. It closed during the 1984–1985 miners’ strike and did not reopen. The two dates mark different phases: 1913 marks the colliery’s completion, while 1984–1985 marks its closure. If you are exploring Bedwas’s industrial history, it is worth distinguishing between the two: completion of construction and the end of operations were not the same event.

Bedwas Workmen’s Hall offers another perspective. It opened in 1923 and was built using weekly penny donations from local miners. While the colliery’s history spans its completion and later closure, the hall’s story focuses on its funding through regular contributions. Together, these stories show two different aspects of local heritage: the development of a mine and the community funding of an entertainment venue.

Entertainment venue and riverside green space

Bedwas Workmen’s Hall is a volunteer-run entertainment venue in the heart of Bedwas. Its programme of events may change. If your trip depends on a particular date, check the programme in advance. This allows you to consider the hall as a potential cultural highlight and plan around the events that matter to you.

Riverside Park is a large, informal green space in Bedwas on the River Rhymney. It adds a different aspect to your selection: the focus here is on riverside green space, rather than an entertainment venue. Those considering Bedwas for its varied features can therefore distinguish between the town’s history, the hall’s events programme and the park’s natural setting.

Cycling route and road connection

The Celtic Trail East, Route 4, passes through Bedwas. If you are planning a cycling trip around this route, you can consider the town as part of its course. This gives you a separate point of reference for choosing a trip, alongside the town’s history and Riverside Park.

A different, road-based connection runs over the bridge’s roadway: it links Bedwas with Caerphilly and Rudry. These are two distinct connections to bear in mind for orientation. Route 4 describes the cycling context; the roadway identifies Caerphilly and Rudry as places connected to Bedwas. If you include Bedwas in your trip selection, you can first consider whether the cycling route or this road connection is more relevant to you.

Discover more destinations: Oakdale, Caerphilly, Crosskeys, Blackwood, Cwmfelinfach, Rhymney

Go to the main travel overview: Caerphilly.