Cwmafan
Encyclopedia
Cwmafan is a large village
and community
in the Afan valley
in Wales
, lying within Neath Port Talbot County Borough
. It has a population of 5,603. In many ways it is a suburb of the nearby town
of Port Talbot
which is less than 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south, but it is separated from the town by the local geography. The literal translation
of Cwmafan from Welsh
to English
is 'Valley of the River Afan', Cwm meaning valley and Afan being the name of the river.
s, the biggest being Foel Fynyddau which stands 370m (1200ft) high and lies on the northern edge of the village. The River Afan
runs through the village from North East to South West. The area of Ynysygwas lies to the east of the village, Brynbryddan to the West and Pwllyglaw to the North.
There were large copper, iron and tin works as well as many coal mines close by. The metal ores, from as far away as Chile, were off-loaded in Port Talbot or Swansea docks and brought by rail to Cwmavon.
who are currently playing in the Welsh Rugby Union leagues. A second rugby union
pitch along with a football pitch, tennis court
s and bowling green
are located at Parc-y-Llyn, which is administered by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
.
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...
and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in the Afan valley
River Afan
The River Afan is a river in southwest Wales whose river valley formed the territory of the medieval Lords of Afan. The town of Aberavon grew up on the banks of the river, and was later subsumed by the larger centre of population known as Port Talbot...
in 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...
, lying within Neath Port Talbot County Borough
Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
. It has a population of 5,603. In many ways it is a suburb of the nearby town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
which is less than 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south, but it is separated from the town by the local geography. The literal translation
Literal translation
Literal translation, or direct translation, is the rendering of text from one language to another "word-for-word" rather than conveying the sense of the original...
of Cwmafan from Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is 'Valley of the River Afan', Cwm meaning valley and Afan being the name of the river.
Geography
The village is surrounded by hillHill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
s, the biggest being Foel Fynyddau which stands 370m (1200ft) high and lies on the northern edge of the village. The River Afan
River Afan
The River Afan is a river in southwest Wales whose river valley formed the territory of the medieval Lords of Afan. The town of Aberavon grew up on the banks of the river, and was later subsumed by the larger centre of population known as Port Talbot...
runs through the village from North East to South West. The area of Ynysygwas lies to the east of the village, Brynbryddan to the West and Pwllyglaw to the North.
History
The village has an industrial history with metalworking being particularly significant.There were large copper, iron and tin works as well as many coal mines close by. The metal ores, from as far away as Chile, were off-loaded in Port Talbot or Swansea docks and brought by rail to Cwmavon.
Sports teams
The village is also home to several sporting grounds, the most prominent of these being the Welfare Ground, home to Cwmafan RFCCwmavon RFC
Cwmavon Rugby Football Club also known as Cwmafan Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cwmafan, Wales. Cwmavon RFC is a member club of the Welsh Rugby Union, and is a feeder club for the Ospreys....
who are currently playing in the Welsh Rugby Union leagues. A second rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
pitch along with a football pitch, tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s and bowling green
Bowling green
A bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
are located at Parc-y-Llyn, which is administered by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is the local governing body for Neath Port Talbot. It is currently controlled by the Labour party, under the leadership of Councillor Alun Thomas, who succeeded Derek Vaughan when he became an MEP in May 2009....
.
Residents of note
- William Abraham, trade unionist and MP.
- Chris NeedsChris NeedsChristopher Needs MBE is a radio broadcaster, currently working with BBC Radio Wales. He has been broadcasting for several years, and started his radio career with the Touch AM radio station before moving on to co-present the mid-morning magazine show Live Time on Radio Wales while also appearing...
is a BBC Radio WalesBBC Radio WalesBBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
presenter who grew up in Cwmafan. - George Thomas, Viscount Tonypandy, was living at 62 Gower Street, Cwmafan, age 3, in the 1911 census.
- Lyn JonesLyn JonesRichard Lyn Jones is a former Wales international rugby union player. A flanker, he played his club rugby for Neath RFC. He was appointed Head Coach of the Ospreys when the regional team was created in 2003 but left by mutual agreement on 16 May 2008 and joined Newport Gwent Dragons in November 2008...
, former Wales international rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, later coach of the Ospreys. - D.'Afan' Thomas (1881-1928) composer, conductor and organist.