Abercynon

Abercynon

Thorn Hotel, Abercynon
Abercynon
 Abercynon shown within Rhondda Cynon Taf
Population 6,390 (2011)[1]
Principal areaRhondda Cynon Taf
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Mountain Ash
Postcode district CF45
Police South Wales
Fire South Wales
Ambulance Welsh
EU Parliament Wales
UK ParliamentCynon Valley
Welsh AssemblyCynon Valley
List of places
UK
Wales
Rhondda Cynon Taf

Coordinates: 51°38′40″N 3°19′36″W / 51.64449°N 3.32666°W / 51.64449; -3.32666

Abercynon (Welsh pronunciation: [abɛrˈkənɔn]), is a village and community in the Cynon Valley within the unitary authority of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The community comprises the village itself, as well as the districts of Carnetown[2] and Grovers Field to the south, Navigation Park to the east, and Glancynon to the north.

The population of Abercynon was recorded as 6,428 in the 2001 Census,[3] decreasing to 6,390 at the 2011 Census, despite more than a hundred additional households built over this period (from 2,582 in 2011 to 2,694 by 2011). The electoral ward of Abercynon includes both the community of Abercynon, but also takes into account the nearby villages of Pontcynon, Ynysboeth and Tyntetown further north.

Abercynon is approximately sixteen miles north of Cardiff and approximately forty miles from Swansea. The rivers Taff and Cynon converge at Watersmeet near Martin's Terrace. Abercynon used to have many churches, chapels and pubs. There are now only five public houses left - The Thorn Hotel, The Royal Oak, The Navigation, Brownies Bar and the Carne Park Hotel. The only churches still left are St. Donat's Church in Wales, its daughter church, St. Gwynno's, St. Thomas' Roman Catholic Church and the Methodist church in Martin's Lane.

Religion

Abercynon had a number of nonconformist chapels in the twentieth century, including Bethania (Independent), Calfaria (Baptist) and Tabernacle (Calvinistic Methodist).

Historic transport links

The village was the terminus of the world's first steam railway journey when on 21 February 1804 the inventor Richard Trevithick drove a steam locomotive hauling both iron and passengers travelled from the Penydarren ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil to the basin of the Glamorganshire Canal at Abercynon.[3] There are memorials to Trevithick's journey at Penydarren and outside the fire station at Abercynon.

Abercynon Colliery was sunk by the Dowlais Ironworks in 1889 to supply a steel works in Cardiff. Employing nearly 3000 men and part of the Powell Duffryn empire pre-World War II, it was in 1973 joined with the Lady Windsor Colliery at Ynysybwl. Known as the Abercynon Lady Windsor Colliery, it closed in 1988.

The village developed as a transport interchange being at the junction of the Merthyr and Aberdare branches of the Glamorganshire Canal and the Merthyr and Aberdare branches of the Taff Vale Railway. For a time it was known as "Navigation" and the Navigation Hotel, which was originally the headquarters of the Glamorganshire Canal, still bears this name.

Unusually for a village, until early 2008, it had two railway stations. One was on the line from Cardiff to Aberdare, namely Abercynon North. The other, Abercynon South, was on the Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil line. Following major work, the North station was closed and its services moved to the South station, now named simply Abercynon. Trains are operated by Arriva Trains Wales as part of the Merthyr Line service.

Sport

Abercynon's rugby league side are called the Valley Cougars and play in the Welsh Conference Premier.

The local rugby union team is Abercynon RFC and during the 1970s the team won the Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy on two occasions.

Buildings and locations of note

Llancaiach Fawr Manor, a Tudor manor house, lies nearby.

The village of Abercynon is also home to the Thorn Hotel, which was once used by Tom Jones to practice his performances.

Abercynon Workingmen's Hall was once the largest in the South Wales coalfield, but was demolished in 1995.[4] Being built on a steep hillside the height of the pine end wall was over 70 feet from base to roof apex, whilst the front wall was just 35 feet.

Notable people

See also Category:People from Abercynon

Gallery of Abercynon Photos

References

  1. ↑ "Community population 2011". Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Geograph:: Photos of carnetown". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  3. 1 2 Davies (2008), p.4
  4. ↑ Davies (2008), p.751
  5. ↑ BoxRec.com Profile

Bibliography

External links

Location Grid

 Ynysboeth & Tyntetown

^

Pontcynon
Carnetown Glancynon

^

Navigation Park

   Abercynon  
Grovers Field
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