The name Bedwas means "grove, bank or place of birch trees", which is found in more modern Welsh as bedwos.

Transport of both passengers and coal was provided by a local station located on the Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway.

The Bridge Field is home to Bedwas RFC who are currently in the Welsh Championship and also has an active comprehensive school side.

There is also a longstanding Mini & Junior Football team BTM FC that has served the area since 1969,[6] the club runs girls & boys Mini and Junior teams and currently plays in the TERV (Taff Ely & Rhymney Valley) League.

Since 1979, a representative sample of adult males born between 1918 and 1938, living in Caerphilly and the surrounding villages of Abertridwr, Bedwas, Machen, Senghenydd and Trethomas, have participated in the study.

A wide range of health and lifestyle data have been collected throughout the study and have been the basis of over 400 publications in the medical press.

A notable report was on the reductions in vascular disease, diabetes, cognitive impairment and dementia attributable to a healthy lifestyle.