Cynon Valley
Encyclopedia
The Cynon Valley is a famous former coal mining valley within the South Wales Valleys
of Wales. The Cynon Valley lies between the other mining Valley of Rhondda
and the iron industrial Valley of the Merthyr Valley
. Its main towns are Aberdare
(Welsh
: Aberdâr) located North of the Valley and Mountain Ash
(Welsh
: Aberpennar) located in the South of the Valley. Also known as Snake or Scab Valley.
According to the 2001 Census, the Cynon Valley has a population of 63,512. In 2001 12.1% of the inhabitants were recorded as Welsh
speakers. In common with the other South Wales Valleys
, the Cynon Valley had a high number of Welsh speakers until the early 20th century.
of Cynon Valley was one of thirty-seven districts of Wales
, this borough was the Cynon Valley Borough Council (Welsh
:Cyngor Bwrdeistref Cwm Cynon), this formed from the Aberdare and Mountain Ash urban district
s, the parish of Rhigos
from Neath Rural District and the parish of Penderyn from Brecknockshire
. It was one of six districts in the county of Mid Glamorgan
, and in 1996 was merged into the larger unitary authority
of Rhondda Cynon Taf.
a parliamentary constituency of Cynon Valley
was formed for the election of a member of parliament
to the United Kingdom House of Commons. The constituency had identical boundaries to the local government district. In 1999 a Welsh Assembly constituency with the same boundaries was formed. In 2010 the constituency was redefined as consisting of 15 electoral divisions of the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff: Aberaman North, Aberaman South, Abercynon, Aberdare East, Aberdare West/Llwydcoed, Cilfynydd, Cwmbach, Glyncoch, Hirwaun, Mountain Ash East, Mountain Ash West, Penrhiwceiber, Pen-y-waun, Rhigos, Ynysybwl.
has four campuses within Rhondda Cynon Taf, one in the Cynon Valley, one in the Rhondda
Valley, and two in the Taf-Ely Valley. Coleg Morgannwg Aberdâr is the Cynon Valley campus which is situated in Cwmdâr
near the town of Aberdare. Other campuses include Coleg Morgannwg Rhondda
in Llwynapia in the Rhondda Valley, and Coleg Morgannwg Pontypridd
and Coleg Morgannwg Nantgarw
in the Taf-Ely Valley.
and Mountain Ash, Aberdare is the main town of the valley which had a population of around 31,619 in 1991.
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
of Wales. The Cynon Valley lies between the other mining Valley of Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
and the iron industrial Valley of the Merthyr Valley
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...
. Its main towns are Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
(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...
: Aberdâr) located North of the Valley and Mountain Ash
Mountain Ash
Mountain Ash is a name used for several trees, none of immediate relation. It may refer to:* Eucalyptus regnans, the tallest of all flowering plants and other floral species* Fraxinus texensis, an ash tree species in Texas...
(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...
: Aberpennar) located in the South of the Valley. Also known as Snake or Scab Valley.
According to the 2001 Census, the Cynon Valley has a population of 63,512. In 2001 12.1% of the inhabitants were recorded as 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...
speakers. In common with the other South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
, the Cynon Valley had a high number of Welsh speakers until the early 20th century.
Former district
From 1974 to 1996 the BoroughBorough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
of Cynon Valley was one of thirty-seven districts of Wales
Districts of Wales
In 1974, Wales was re-divided for local government purposes into thirty-seven districts. Districts were the second tier of local government introduced by the Local Government Act 1972, being subdivisions of the eight counties introduced at the same time...
, this borough was the Cynon Valley Borough Council (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...
:Cyngor Bwrdeistref Cwm Cynon), this formed from the Aberdare and Mountain Ash urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
s, the parish of Rhigos
Rhigos
Rhigos is a village in the north of the Cynon Valley, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. For postal purposes it comes under the town of Aberdare, although it is some from Aberdare town centre....
from Neath Rural District and the parish of Penderyn from Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
. It was one of six districts in the county of Mid Glamorgan
Mid Glamorgan
Mid Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales. From 1974 until 1996, it was also an administrative county, with a county council.Mid Glamorgan was formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
, and in 1996 was merged into the larger unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Parliamentary and assembly constituency
In 1983United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
a parliamentary constituency of Cynon Valley
Cynon Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Cynon Valley is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
was formed for the election of a member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to the United Kingdom House of Commons. The constituency had identical boundaries to the local government district. In 1999 a Welsh Assembly constituency with the same boundaries was formed. In 2010 the constituency was redefined as consisting of 15 electoral divisions of the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff: Aberaman North, Aberaman South, Abercynon, Aberdare East, Aberdare West/Llwydcoed, Cilfynydd, Cwmbach, Glyncoch, Hirwaun, Mountain Ash East, Mountain Ash West, Penrhiwceiber, Pen-y-waun, Rhigos, Ynysybwl.
College
Coleg MorgannwgColeg Morgannwg
Coleg Morgannwg is a further education college located at four main campuses across Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.The college's main campuses are located in Aberdare Nantgarw Pontypridd and Llwynypia The college also operates a number of outreach centres within local communities...
has four campuses within Rhondda Cynon Taf, one in the Cynon Valley, one in the Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
Valley, and two in the Taf-Ely Valley. Coleg Morgannwg Aberdâr is the Cynon Valley campus which is situated in Cwmdâr
Cwmdare
Cwmdare is a village near Aberdare, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The village's history is intertwined with coal-mining, and since the decline of the industry in the 1980s, it has become primarily a commuter base for the larger surrounding towns of Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd, as...
near the town of Aberdare. Other campuses include Coleg Morgannwg Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
in Llwynapia in the Rhondda Valley, and Coleg Morgannwg Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
and Coleg Morgannwg Nantgarw
Nantgarw
Nantgarw is a village in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Cardiff.From an electoral and administrative perspective Nantgarw falls within the ward of Taffs Well, a village some 2.5 miles south, but historically fell within the boundaries of Caerphilly, which is a major town...
in the Taf-Ely Valley.
Comprehensive Schools
Within the Cynon Valley there are six Comprehensive Schools of which one is a Welsh-Medium School. These School are:- Ysgol Gyfun RhydywaunYsgol Gyfun RhydywaunYsgol Gyfun Rhydywaun is a Welsh Medium comprehensive school in the Cynon Valley in the village of Penywaun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.The school was established in 1995...
- Welsh-Medium School - Ysgol Gyfun AberpennarMountain Ash Comprehensive SchoolMountain Ash Comprehensive School is a comprehensive school that is situated in the town of Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales...
- Mountain Ash Comprehensive School - English-Medium School - Ysgol Gyfun Blaengwawr - Blaengwawr Comprehensive School - English-Medium School
- Ysgol Aberdâr y Merched - Aberdare Girls School - English-Medium School
- Ysgol Uwchradd AberdârAberdare High SchoolAberdare High School is a comprehensive school in Aberdare, Wales.The school is situated between the villages of Trecynon and Cwmdare and sited opposite the Coleg Morgannwg site ....
- Aberdare High School - English-Medium School - Ysgol Uwchradd Ioan Fedyddiwr yr Eglwys yng NghymruSt. John the Baptist School (Aberdare)St. John Baptist Church in Wales High School, in Welsh Ysgol Uwchradd Ioan Feddydiwr, is a church secondary school close to Aberdare Park, Wales-Selected Alumni:*Rhys Shellard - Welsh Rugby Union player.*Owen Williams - Welsh [U20] Rugby Union player....
- St. John the Baptist High School Church in Wales - English-Medium School
Places within the Cynon Valley
The Cynon Valley consists of two towns which are AberdareAberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
and Mountain Ash, Aberdare is the main town of the valley which had a population of around 31,619 in 1991.
Villages around the town of Aberdare
- AberamanAberamanAberaman is a village near Aberdare in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales.-Schools:*Blaengwawr Comprehensive School *Blaengwawr Primary *Oaklands Primary -Sport:...
- AberdârAberdareAberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
- AbercwmboiAbercwmboiAbercwmboi is a village in the Welsh county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales, United Kingdom.- Location :Abercwmboi is one of the last remaining villages in the Cynon Valley. It has retained its identity and not been developed as many other Cynon Valley villages. As a result is a very close...
- Abernant
- Croesbychan
- CwmamanCwmamanCwmaman is a former coal mining pit village near Aberdare, South Wales. The name Cwmaman is Welsh language for "Aman Valley" . For postal purposes, it comes under Aberdare....
- CwmbachCwmbachCwmbach is a village and community near Aberdare, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, United Kingdom. Cwmbach has a population of 4,283. Cwmbach means 'Little Valley' in Welsh...
- CwmdârCwmdareCwmdare is a village near Aberdare, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The village's history is intertwined with coal-mining, and since the decline of the industry in the 1980s, it has become primarily a commuter base for the larger surrounding towns of Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd, as...
- Gadlys
- Godreaman
- HirwaunHirwaunHirwaun is the name of a village at the northwest end of the Cynon Valley in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The village of Hirwaun is from the town of Aberdare, and comes under Aberdare for postal reasons...
- LlwydcoedLlwydcoedLlwydcoed is a village in the Northern end of the Cynon Valley near the town Aberdare, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales.-History:Initial development of the village was based around the Tregibbon area, where in 1801 workers' housing was built by Thomas ap Shencin ap Gibbon of Fforchaman Farm....
- TrecynonTrecynonTrecynon is a village near Aberdare situated in the Cynon Valley, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.-Background and History:Trecynon is home to Hen Dy Cwrdd Chapel the oldest Nonconformist chapel in the Cynon Valley. Hen Dy Cwrdd Chapel was founded in 1751 and rebuilt in 1862...
- PenderynPenderynPenderyn may refer to:*Penderyn, Rhondda Cynon Taf, a village in Wales*Penderyn , a whisky produced by Penderyn Distillery...
- PenywaunPenywaunPenywaun is a village in the Cynon Valley situated between Aberdare and Hirwaun, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.-Background:The population of Penywaun is approximately 3,300....
- RhigosRhigosRhigos is a village in the north of the Cynon Valley, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. For postal purposes it comes under the town of Aberdare, although it is some from Aberdare town centre....
Villages around the Town of Mountain Ash
- AbercynonAbercynonAbercynon is a small village in the Cynon Valley in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. The unitary authority is now known as Rhondda Cynon Taff. It is composed of the village of Abercynon itself,Carnetown,Glancynon,Park View and Pontcynon. However, in recent years the sign to show motorists they are entering...
- Mountain Ash/Aberpennar
- Bryntirion
- CaegarwCaegarwCaegarw is a large village situated in Mountain Ash, in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales.- Location :It is close to Cefnpennar and Cwmpennar. It is about a 2 minute walk from Mountain Ash town centre.- Facilities :...
- Carntown
- CefnpennarCefnpennarCefnpennar is a small rural village north of the coal mining town of Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taff, in Wales. It is approximately 1 mile from Mountain Ash town centre and a bus runs daily...
- CwmpennarCwmpennarCwmpennar is a small village in Mountain Ash which is situated in the Cynon Valley, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales.It lies opposite an ex coal mining pit. Cwmpennar is part of the CDWA Cefnpennar District Welfare Association....
- FernhillFernhill, WalesFernhill is a village near Mountain Ash in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.The village is served by Fernhill railway station on the Merthyr Line - Aberdare branch.The Welsh translation for 'Fernhill' is 'Brynrhedyn' but is never in use.-External links:*...
- Maes y Ffynnon
- Miskin
- Nant-y-Fedw
- Newtown
- PenrhiwceiberPenrhiwceiberPenrhiwceiber is a former Welsh coal mining village and community deep in the South Wales Valleys of Wales. Penrhiwceiber is situated in the Cynon Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, it lies 1 mile south of the town of Mountain Ash...
- Perthcelyn
- Pontcynon
- Tyntetown
- Ynysboeth