Coelbren, Powys
Encyclopedia
Coelbren is a small rural
village
just south of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys
, Wales
. It lies some six miles north-east of Ystradgynlais
, close to Sgwd Henrhyd
, a high waterfall
on the Nant Llech
. To the east of the village flows the Afon Pyrddin
which plunges over two more spectacular falls.
of Sarn Helen
runs close to the village on its eastern side. Its remains and that of a Roman fort are now much degraded. The Brecon Forest Tramroad
was constructed through the village in the 1820's. Of note to the east of Coelbren is the site of Banwen Ironworks, whose partial survival is owed to its early failure. It was constructed in the 1840's by speculators from London but may have produced only 80 tons of pig iron
, the whole exercise being enveloped in a financial scandal.
Coelbren was later served by the Neath and Brecon Railway
constructed by contractor John Dickson in the 1860's. He had a terrace of houses constructed quite possibly for navvies working on the line and known originally as Dickson's Row though now known as Price's Row. The line closed to passenger traffic in 1962 after about a century of operation though the trackbed can still be seen almost encircling the eastern part of the village. To the southwest, this route has now been converted into a cycleway and forms a part of the National Cycle Network
linking the village with Ystradgynlais
. The A4109 Inter Valley Road
between Glynneath
and Abercraf
passes to the immediate south of the village, its construction in the early 20th century rendering the village less isolated than it had been hitherto.
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
village
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...
just south of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, 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...
. It lies some six miles north-east of Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
, close to Sgwd Henrhyd
Sgwd Henrhyd
Sgwd Henrhyd in Powys, Wales, is the tallest waterfall in South Wales with a drop of . It lies on National Trust land on the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park....
, a high waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
on the Nant Llech
Nant Llech
The Nant Llech is a minor river in Powys, Wales and which lies wholly within the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name means 'slab stream', presumably in reference to the sandstones across which it runs...
. To the east of the village flows the Afon Pyrddin
Afon Pyrddin
The Afon Pyrddin is a river forming the boundary between the county of Powys and the county borough of Neath Port Talbot in south Wales, Great Britain. It also forms a part of the boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
which plunges over two more spectacular falls.
History
The Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
of Sarn Helen
Sarn Helen
right|thumb|250px|A section of Sarn Helen near Betws-y-coed.Sarn Helen was a Roman road in Wales, running from Aberconwy in the north to Carmarthen in the south.It was some 160 miles in length...
runs close to the village on its eastern side. Its remains and that of a Roman fort are now much degraded. The Brecon Forest Tramroad
Brecon Forest Tramroad
The Brecon Forest Tramroad is an early nineteenth century tramway, or rather a network of connecting tramways or waggonways, which stretched across the hills of Fforest Fawr in the historic county of Brecknockshire in south Wales, UK...
was constructed through the village in the 1820's. Of note to the east of Coelbren is the site of Banwen Ironworks, whose partial survival is owed to its early failure. It was constructed in the 1840's by speculators from London but may have produced only 80 tons of pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
, the whole exercise being enveloped in a financial scandal.
Coelbren was later served by the Neath and Brecon Railway
Neath and Brecon Railway
The Neath and Brecon Railway linked the Vale of Neath Railway at Neath with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at Brecon and also via a connection from Colbren Junction, it linked to the Swansea Vale Railway at Ynysygeinon Junction ....
constructed by contractor John Dickson in the 1860's. He had a terrace of houses constructed quite possibly for navvies working on the line and known originally as Dickson's Row though now known as Price's Row. The line closed to passenger traffic in 1962 after about a century of operation though the trackbed can still be seen almost encircling the eastern part of the village. To the southwest, this route has now been converted into a cycleway and forms a part of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
linking the village with Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
. The A4109 Inter Valley Road
A4109 road
The A4109 road links Aberdulais with Glynneath in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.The route begins in Aberdulais at the junction with the A4230 and A465 roads; it diverges northwards away from the A465 up the Dulais Valley and crosses through the settlements of Crynant, Ynysfforch, Seven...
between Glynneath
Glynneath
Glynneath , also spelt Glyn Neath, is a small town, community and electoral ward lying on the River Neath in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It was formerly in the historic county of Glamorgan...
and Abercraf
Abercraf
Abercraf is a village within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, Powys, mid Wales.- Location :Abercraf lies in the extreme south of the county, in the Upper Swansea Valley 2.5 miles northeast of the small town of Ystradgynlais...
passes to the immediate south of the village, its construction in the early 20th century rendering the village less isolated than it had been hitherto.