IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Christchurch Road, BLACKWOOD, NP12 0UX

On a rainy November night in 1839 hundreds of men from Blackwood walked south to face troops armed with muskets in the Westgate Hotel in Newport and of course some paid with their lives. This figure stands for the fallen, the fallen away, who failed to fulfil promises made, and all the men from neighbouring valleys who struggled through the darkness and elements to make their world and ours a better place.

The burning heart of the Chartist as he heads off into a very uncertain future. Ordinary men left their families and homes on a dark, wet winter night to march on Newport - this simply would not have been possible unless their hearts burned with a desperate yearning undeterred by the might of the Establishment, military might, risk of death, disability, imprisonment, transportation or even hanging drawing and quartering - a medieval torture that the State actually wanted to carry out on Chartist leaders.

The boot of the Chartist statue at Blackwood - each washer or ring represents one man - singly weak / insignificant but together undefeatable.

At the roundabout on the eastern end of the Chartist Bridge stands a statue to honour the Chartist Movement of the 1830's and their ill-fated march south to Newport. The statue is impressive and imposing, depicting a chartist striding forward, home-made pike in hand, looking south towards his destiny. The figure (dressed somewhat lightly for a rainy November night uprising - a small point) is made up of thousands of brass rings and represents strength in unity. It is through brave men like him, combining in unity with his hard-pressed fellows that we owe in part our democracy today (votes for all, secret ballots, salaried elected representatives, reasonable parliamentary terms, the freedom to organise and lobby employers for better conditions).

This 26ft high statue is at one end of the Chartist Bridge http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/601707 . It depicts one of the chartists striding towards Newport. http://www.sirhowy.com/chartists.html

Look carefully and you will see that this is a see-through man. The sculpture was created by Sebastien Boyesen http://www.boyesen.co.uk/Boyesen/CV.html For another view of the statue see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/871117

Reflecting the importance of the 19th century reformists' action in the South Wales coal-mining valleys.

Residential road on housing estate.