Abercanaid
Encyclopedia
Abercanaid is a small village
in the Welsh
county borough
of Merthyr Tydfil
, Glamorgan
, Wales
, United Kingdom
with a population of about 5,060. It is situated 2.5 miles south of Merthyr town centre and is west of Pentrebach
, across the River Taff
and north of Troedyrhiw. The Taff Trail
also runs through the village, adjacent to the path of the disused Glamorganshire Canal
, which was an important passage for the transport of iron and coal during the industrial boom in which the Valleys prospered.
It forms part of three villages in the Plymouth Electoral Ward, along with Pentrebach
and Troedyrhiw.
The village has three public house
s, The Colliers Arms, The Richards Arms and Llywnyreos Inn respectively. The Richards Arms boast the football side for the village, whereas The Colliers Arms and Llywnyreos are more notable for their involvement in local league darts. At one time, Abercanaid had a total of seven pubs: the aforementioned three, The Duffryn Arms, The White Hart, The Glamorgan Arms and The Gethin Inn.
The Glamorganshire Canal
passed along the edge of the Village. This was constructed around 1800 and fell into decline following the construction of the railways and eventual became disused. Abercanaid was one of the stations on the Quakers Yard and Merthyr Railway
. The line and the Station became disused in the 1960s and now the village is served by the nearby Pentrebach Train Station
.
Chapel Street was so named because of the three chapels that once stood in it, the only existing one left being the Zion Chapel on the corner of Cardiff Street. Graig Chapel was demolished in the late 1990s, being replaced by houses. The local church is St. Peters, which still functions for weddings, funerals, christenings and other events, it sits behind the now unused original Abercanaid Primary School building.
Work began on construction of a new, modern school, known as Abercanaid Community School in October 2001. The school is situated on the site of Abercanaid Park and is run by long-time headteacher Mike Sullivan. The school officially opened on January 22, 2003. The school acts as a feeder school to Afon Taf High School
, Cyfarthfa High School
and Bishop Hedley High School
.
A famous ex-pupil of the school is Petula Clark
, who spent sometime as a child in the village living with family. She returned to Abercanaid on 24 January 2007 as part of the BBC
series, 'Coming Home' and was greeted by the pupils who performed a selection of songs for her, including her own hit-song Downtown
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with a population of about 5,060. It is situated 2.5 miles south of Merthyr town centre and is west of Pentrebach
Pentrebach
Pentrebach is a village in the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. It lies on the east side of the River Taff opposite Abercanaid, South of Merthyr and North of Troedyrhiw. To the east of the village lies the Mynydd Cilfach-yr-Encil which rises up to 445 m...
, across the River Taff
River Taff
The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
and north of Troedyrhiw. The Taff Trail
Taff Trail
The Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is named so because it follows the course of the River Taff...
also runs through the village, adjacent to the path of the disused Glamorganshire Canal
Glamorganshire Canal
The Glamorganshire Canal was a canal in south Wales, UK, running from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Construction started in 1790, and the 25 miles of canal was fully opened by 1794. Its primary purpose was to enable the Merthyr iron industries to transport their goods, and it later served the coal...
, which was an important passage for the transport of iron and coal during the industrial boom in which the Valleys prospered.
It forms part of three villages in the Plymouth Electoral Ward, along with Pentrebach
Pentrebach
Pentrebach is a village in the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. It lies on the east side of the River Taff opposite Abercanaid, South of Merthyr and North of Troedyrhiw. To the east of the village lies the Mynydd Cilfach-yr-Encil which rises up to 445 m...
and Troedyrhiw.
History & Amenities
Most of the village was built in 1860 to sustain the collieries. The Waun Wilt colliery was opened as a level mine in 1824 and was later renamed the Abercanaid Colliery. Gethin Colliery was located close to the canal and was sunk in 1849. There were two serious accidents at the colliery where 47 men and boys died in 1862 and another 36 in 1865The village has three public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, The Colliers Arms, The Richards Arms and Llywnyreos Inn respectively. The Richards Arms boast the football side for the village, whereas The Colliers Arms and Llywnyreos are more notable for their involvement in local league darts. At one time, Abercanaid had a total of seven pubs: the aforementioned three, The Duffryn Arms, The White Hart, The Glamorgan Arms and The Gethin Inn.
The Glamorganshire Canal
Glamorganshire Canal
The Glamorganshire Canal was a canal in south Wales, UK, running from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff. Construction started in 1790, and the 25 miles of canal was fully opened by 1794. Its primary purpose was to enable the Merthyr iron industries to transport their goods, and it later served the coal...
passed along the edge of the Village. This was constructed around 1800 and fell into decline following the construction of the railways and eventual became disused. Abercanaid was one of the stations on the Quakers Yard and Merthyr Railway
Quakers Yard and Merthyr Railway
The Quakers Yard and Merthyr Railway was a railway company in South Wales. It was owned jointly by the Great Western Railway and the Rhymney Railway.-History:...
. The line and the Station became disused in the 1960s and now the village is served by the nearby Pentrebach Train Station
Pentre-bach railway station
Pentrebach railway station is a railway station serving the villages of Pentrebach and Abercanaid in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. It is located on the Merthyr branch of the Merthyr Line. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales....
.
Chapel Street was so named because of the three chapels that once stood in it, the only existing one left being the Zion Chapel on the corner of Cardiff Street. Graig Chapel was demolished in the late 1990s, being replaced by houses. The local church is St. Peters, which still functions for weddings, funerals, christenings and other events, it sits behind the now unused original Abercanaid Primary School building.
Work began on construction of a new, modern school, known as Abercanaid Community School in October 2001. The school is situated on the site of Abercanaid Park and is run by long-time headteacher Mike Sullivan. The school officially opened on January 22, 2003. The school acts as a feeder school to Afon Taf High School
Afon Taf High School
Afon Taf High School is a comprehensive high school for pupils aged 11 to 18 , based in the village of Troed-y-rhiw in the borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales...
, Cyfarthfa High School
Cyfarthfa High School
Cyfarthfa High School is a comprehensive school, based in the town and borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, that was established in 1970. Cyfarthfa means "Place of the barking " in Welsh and the school crest reflects this.- Origins :...
and Bishop Hedley High School
Bishop hedley high school
Bishop Hedley High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school, established in 1967, and located in Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. The vast majority of the pupils of the school stem from the Heads of the Valleys, serving parishes from Aberdare, Hirwaun, Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr Vale,...
.
A famous ex-pupil of the school is Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
, who spent sometime as a child in the village living with family. She returned to Abercanaid on 24 January 2007 as part of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series, 'Coming Home' and was greeted by the pupils who performed a selection of songs for her, including her own hit-song Downtown
Downtown (Petula Clark song)
"Downtown" is a pop song composed by Tony Hatch which, as recorded by Petula Clark, became an international hit – No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK – at the end of 1964.-Original recording:...
.
External links
- Old Merthyr Tydfil: Abercanaid - Historical Photographs of Abercanaid.
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Abercanaid and surrounding area