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Wattsville is a small village in the Sirhowy River, eight miles north west of Newport, built in the 20th century for accommodation for mine workers.
The bassist and lyricist of Manic Street Preachers Nicky Wire lived in Wattsville and wrote a song about the village called "Wattsville Blues", where he describes his love of the village. The song appears on the album Know Your Enemy.
About halfway up the main street, there is a noticeable gap in the terrace. This is where 4 houses used to stand, which were flattened due to subsidence from underground mine workings. There is now a monument and garden on the site. There is a similar gap next to the play area on Duffryn Terrace.
Wattsville is home to Wattsville football club Wattsville F.C.
Just north-east of the village is Wattsville Castle, a four-storey drystone structure built by veteran Mikey Allen, construction of which began in 2019, and which became a local tourist attraction visited by over 10,000 people. In 2024, after Caerphilly Council received a complaint, it was ordered to be demolished, a process expected to be completed in 2025.
Nicky Wire, musician
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