Maerdy is at the very end of the Rhondda Fach valley where Maerdy Mountain overlooks the old proud industrial village that shares its name, in Wales, but locals are now feeling forgotten
Perched at the top of the Rhondda Valley, beneath the commanding Maerdy Mountain in Wales, lies a village steeped in industrial heritage but wrestling with a sense of lost purpose.
At the intersection of Maerdy Road and Ceridwen Street, observers are met with a grand mural that celebrates the mining past: a miner stands prominent, pitheads of Rhondda framing him, as testament to the village’s heyday. A handful of shops, a chippy, and the local pub, the Maerdy Hotel, where you’ll find a few locals nursing cans of Carling and Strongbow, punctuate the sparse street.
Local tradesman Christopher Matthews, linked to the commissioning of the mural by his family’s electrical business, reflects with pride on their choice of art: “We are a mining community. If you had to put anything up about us it would have to be about the mines. A lot of my family were down the mines. Hopefully it will remind youngsters about where their grandfathers worked and how we are here. If it wasn’t for the mines it would all probably be farmland now.”
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This poignant night-time-illuminated mural delivers a much-needed breath of life into the long-overlooked neighbourhood. The deserted streets, described as “barren” by one resident, stand as raw reminders of the shadow cast over such communities across the south Wales valleys since their once lifeblood mines ceased operation.
While some speak of a resilient community, others lament the loss of the village’s spirit when major industries departed. They describe a bygone era where doors were left unlocked at night and children played outside until late, a stark contrast to the present-day village that they say is a shadow of its former self, with limited amenities and a high proportion of residents claiming benefits, reports Wales Online.
Maerdy sits at the very end of the Rhondda Fach valley. Follow Station Road and you’ll find yourself in Aberdare in the Cynon Valley, which is where Paul Comey is heading on the 172 bus for Merthyr.
“I went down the mine when I was 18 hoping I’d be down there until I retired,” shared the 63-year-old, who worked at Maerdy Colliery until its closure in 1990, five years after the strikes. “It was heartbreaking. I’m born and bred Maerdy. The colliery meant everything to the people here. When it closed I went to Tower Colliery (the last colliery to close in Wales in 2008). Those were great days, absolutely brilliant. Maerdy was a proper village. Everyone knew everyone, you could leave your front door open. Now you can’t.
“All the shops have closed down other than a couple and the fish shop. If you can imagine, there used to be loads of shops here and the pubs and clubs were thriving. Now you have to move out of the village or be able to drive every day for work. It’s been neglected.”
Seventy-six year old pensioner Tony Evans casually makes his way back from the local Spar. Adjusting his flat cap, he pauses for a photo with his grandson Taylor. “Life has changed immeasurably here,” he shared, reflecting on his town’s lost vibrancy as once-thriving workplaces vanished one by one.
Our chat gets interrupted by two teens speeding past on electric bikes, balaclavas on, their engines drowning our words. Tony’s face registers annoyance yet soon softens as he voices his concern for the youth in the valley, particularly his grandkids.
“I do worry for my grandchildren – very much so. What will they do? When I was growing up we’d walk the mountain and we’d be happy. Now it’s a harsher world for kids. It doesn’t seem as safe. There are a lot of people struggling around here – a lot of people with depression too. Unemployed people and people struggling health-wise.”
Wales grapples with a stark reality, as over 700,000 residents live in relative poverty, and Rhondda Cynon Taf stands out with a worrying statistic of 552 people per 10,000 existing in poverty. Old coalfield communities bear the brunt, disproportionately feeling poverty’s sting.
The area is further burdened with 22,000 individuals on universal credit and 6,000 on out-of-work benefits. A troubling 10.4 per cent of adults of working age lack qualifications, overshadowing the 8.2 per cent national average. A significant segment, a quarter of Wales’ population, resides in these former coalfield zones.
“And yet the only time I ever see a politician here is when they’re back up for re-election,” Paul remarked. The local folks are far from enthused about recent changes to benefits driven by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Adding to this political drama, First Minister Eluned Morgan provided no clear stance on Friday regarding her support or lack thereof for the UK Government’s welfare cuts — her silence following Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens’ claim that Morgan backed the cuts spoke as loud as words would have.
Next year is set to be a pivotal one for Welsh politics, as the first Senedd election adopting proportional representation takes place. Current polls show a slight lead for Plaid Cymru with Labour and Reform UK nipping at their heels.
The likelihood of any party securing a majority looks slim based on these projections.
In what used to be strong Labour territories, Reform will target communities feeling neglected, pushing narratives centred on immigration. While reducing immigration isn’t the panacea for local woes, it remains a hot topic that bubbles up in political discourse.
Maerdy finds itself within the Afan Ogwr Rhondda constituency which is gearing up to elect six members to the newly reconstituted Senedd come next May.
In terms of deprivation, more than 19 per cent of the county lands in the top 10 per cent of Wales’ most deprived areas, and Maerdy is at the sharp end of this statistic. Within this community, the southern area of Maerdy falls into the lowest two per cent for employment across Wales and also scrapes the bottom for income and health, ranking in the worst 2.5 per cent and topmost three per cent respectively.
Maerdy’s position is reflective of wider trends in the region, shown through its rank as third-worst in the borough out of 154 places for job opportunities, fifth from the bottom for income, and sixth-lowest for health. In a broader perspective, Wales is grappling with poverty – the Bevan Foundation reports that 31 per cent of children and 16 per cent of pensioners are presently living below the poverty line.
“If I have to predict at this point I would say that Labour will not be voted back in in the Rhondda next May,” local Tony added. “I do think Reform will rise here to be honest. From what I’m hearing they do seem to be popular. What I do wish is that these parties would be able to work together a little bit more for the sake of all of us.”
