Description

Forming in September 2011, Ebbw Valley Brass was born following the merger of Cwm Town Band and Ebbw Vale Town Band.

Both of the former bands experienced low points in recent history following a decline in player numbers and general interest. With the two bands being in close proximity, the Committees openly expressed a desire to work together in order to ensure a sustainable future for brass banding in the Ebbw Valley and ensure that the heritage of music is maintained and developed. Ebbw Valley Brass was born and a new logo commissioned and designed to reflect the band’s new thinking and identity.

Under the leadership of the band’s Musical Director, Gareth Ritter, the band has built strong foundations on which to build a robust organisation that caters for everyone. The primary focus is to work with the community and develop these links in order to deliver a wide range of concerts and increase the image of brass banding.

The band has experienced considerable development in a short space of time. The band won over 35 trophies in its first year of competing, and continued the high levels of success with Welsh League Section 2 Champions (2015) and Welsh Regional Section 2 Champions (2015) being added to the list of achievements.

Ebbw Valley Brass completed a historic triple of National Final titles by winning Section 4 in 2013, Section 3 in 2014 and Section 2 in 2015.

The band is the first Welsh outfit to complete the triple in progressive sections in consecutive years.

In addition to this, the band won the Best Instrumentalist Prize at each of the three finals during the same timescale - an incredible feat for any band.

Description

Bedwellty House is a regency Villa situated in 26 acres of beautiful park land, we have a wonderful tearoom and we cater for all functions including weddings.

The present Bedwellty House was first built in 1822 by Samuel Homfray, who along with Richard Fothergill and Matthew Monkhouse owned the Tredegar Iron Company.

In 1826 Samuel Homfray Junior succeeded his father as shareholder and began a series of ambitious developments to the house and its surrounding 26 acre park, and by 1839 the house and park had its appearance much as we know it today.

Following the retirement of Samuel Homfray Jr in 1853, the iconic building became the residence of the managers of Tredegar Iron Works, the first of which was Richard Powell Davis, whose wife was responsible for the fundraising to build the cast iron town clock situated in the Circle in 1858.

As a result of the decline in the iron industry, the Tredegar Iron & Coal Company relinquished their tenancy of Bedwellty House in 1899, and the following year Lord Tredegar made a free gift of both the Park and House to the Council for it to be utilised as a public park. For the first time in its history, members of the public were able to visit the house and park whenever they wanted, inspiring many community groups to raise funds to develop additional features such as the bowls green, Long shelter and open air swimming pool, which was excavated by unemployed men during the 1930’s depression.

The house is open 9am - 5pm daily.

Morgan Street,

Tredegar,

Monmouthshire,

Wales,

NP22 3XN.