Onllwyn
Encyclopedia
Onllwyn is a small village
in Neath Port Talbot
, Wales
, near Seven Sisters
.
is confined to the Roman Road
of Sarn Helen
. There are two Roman
forts and the remains of a Roman Road
within the community.
Legend has it that St Patrick was born here and taken to Ireland
after the area was raided by Irish raiders. A celebration and a march is held on March 17 to mark the event.
With over 200 years of coal mining
behind it, the parish was once home to five pits that employed hundreds of men. Now all that remains is a coal processing and coal washery. On the route of the former Vale of Neath Railway
, a freight only routes exists to the coal washery from the South Wales mainline at Neath
.
, the now semi-rural
location is a popular area for retired people to live. With a Community College "Dove Workshops" and village shop, Post office
, Pub and Rugby union
team, it offers a sense of community.
The area's residents often refer to the environs under the generic of Banwen, as it is easier to pronounce for non-Welsh language
speakers.
, Dyffryn Cellwen
and Onllwyn in the parliamentary constituency of Neath
.
Onllwyn is bounded by the wards of Aber-craf
and Tawe Uchaf
(both in Powys
) to the north; Glynneath
to the southeast; and Seven Sisters
to the south west. The Onllwyn ward consists of open moorland and a band of woodland to the south. Mine workings are prominent in the north of the ward. There are only two A roads crossing the ward: the A4109 and the A4221. All of the settled areas in the ward lie around the A4109.
In the 2008 local council elections
, the electorate turnout was 52.1%. The results were:
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 Neath Port Talbot
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....
, 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...
, near Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters, Wales
Seven Sisters Dulais) is a village in the Dulais Valley, Wales, UK. It lies north-east of Neath. Seven Sisters falls within the Seven Sisters ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough.-History:...
.
History
First developed by the Romans, local village BanwenBanwen
Banwen is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough in Wales. Banwen is part of the community of Onllwyn along with the village of Onllwyn itself and the adjacent parish of Dyffryn Cellwen...
is confined to the Roman Road
Roman 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...
. There are two Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
forts and the remains of a Roman Road
Roman 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...
within the community.
Legend has it that St Patrick was born here and taken to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
after the area was raided by Irish raiders. A celebration and a march is held on March 17 to mark the event.
With over 200 years of coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
behind it, the parish was once home to five pits that employed hundreds of men. Now all that remains is a coal processing and coal washery. On the route of the former Vale of Neath Railway
Vale of Neath Railway
The Vale of Neath Railway was a broad gauge railway line from Neath to Merthyr Tydfil, in Glamorgan, Wales, and also operated the Swansea and Neath Railway which gave it access to the docks at Swansea...
, a freight only routes exists to the coal washery from the South Wales mainline at Neath
Neath railway station
Neath railway station is a mainline railway station, serving Neath, Wales. The station is located at street level on Windsor Road in Neath town centre...
.
Present
Commanding views of the Brecon BeaconsBrecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
, the now semi-rural
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...
location is a popular area for retired people to live. With a Community College "Dove Workshops" and village shop, Post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, Pub and 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...
team, it offers a sense of community.
The area's residents often refer to the environs under the generic of Banwen, as it is easier to pronounce for non-Welsh language
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.
Government and politics
The electoral ward of Onllwyn consists of some or all of the following settlements: BanwenBanwen
Banwen is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough in Wales. Banwen is part of the community of Onllwyn along with the village of Onllwyn itself and the adjacent parish of Dyffryn Cellwen...
, Dyffryn Cellwen
Dyffryn Cellwen
Dyffryn Cellwen is a village in the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot, South Wales. It is situated in the upper Dulais Valley near the junction of the A4109 and A4221 roads, northwest of the smaller settlement of Banwen...
and Onllwyn in the parliamentary constituency of Neath
Neath (UK Parliament constituency)
Neath is a constituency represented in 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 and one Assembly Member by the first past the post system of election.- The Constituency of Neath :The constituency...
.
Onllwyn is bounded by the wards of Aber-craf
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...
and Tawe Uchaf
Tawe Uchaf
Tawe Uchaf is a community in the Brecknockshire district of Powys, Wales. Situated north-east of Ystradgynlais in the upper valley of the River Tawe , it includes the villages of Caehopkin, Coelbren, Glyntawe, Pen-y-cae, and Ynyswen...
(both 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...
) to the north; Glynneath
Glynneath (electoral ward)
Glynneath is the name of an electoral ward and a parish in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.The electoral ward of Glynneath consists of some or all of the following settlements: Glynneath, Morfa Glas, Rheola, Crugau, Pont-walby, Bryn-awel, Pentreclwydau and Aber-pergwym in the parliamentary...
to the southeast; and Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters (electoral ward)
Seven Sisters is an electoral ward coterminous with a parish in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.The electoral ward of Seven Sisters consists of some or all of the following settlements: Seven Sisters, Bryndulais and Nant-y-cafn in the parliamentary constituency of Neath...
to the south west. The Onllwyn ward consists of open moorland and a band of woodland to the south. Mine workings are prominent in the north of the ward. There are only two A roads crossing the ward: the A4109 and the A4221. All of the settled areas in the ward lie around the A4109.
In the 2008 local council elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2008
The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
, the electorate turnout was 52.1%. The results were:
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alun Thomas | Labour | 341 | Labour hold |
| Marion Morgan | Plaid Cymru | 166 |
Residents of note
- Dai FrancisDai Francis (trade union leader)Dai Francis was a Welsh trade unionist, best remembered for his leadership of the South Wales Miners' Union during the 1970s. As a member of the Gorsedd of the National Eisteddfod of Wales, he took the bardic name Dai o'r Onllwyn. He was the father of MP Hywel Francis.Francis was born at...
, NUM trade unionist and father of MP David Hywel Francis, was born in Onllwyn, and took as his bardic name "Dai o'r Onllwyn"