Rhiwfawr
Encyclopedia
Rhiwfawr is a hamlet
of 40 houses in the Swansea Valley
, in Neath Port Talbot
county borough
, Wales
.
and most of the houses are over 900 feet above sea level
. The majority of the houses date from the 1930s and were built by the local authority, then Glamorgan
, now Neath Port Talbot
council to house coal miners for a local colliery that has since been closed and returned to countryside. The village has been described as "a giant family".
, and a small Nonconformist chapel
. The road is now used to get to Cwmllynfell
or the Gwrhyd mountain which leads to Rhyd-y-fro on the outskirts of Pontardawe
.
Rhiwfawr is home to many Welsh language
-speakers, mainly due to the Welsh-speaking school in its heart - Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Draddodiadol Rhiwfawr (English: Rhiwfawr Traditional Welsh Primary School). The school is attended by 30 - 40 children. The school celebrated its centenary in 2006.
The village also houses a garage and a sweet shop.
A BMX
track can be found alongside a wide, grassy rugby union
field and a small park
. There is a scenic walkway in a field behind the park.
Overlooking the village is the Gwrhyd, which are picturesque mountains housing a road leading as far as Pontardawe
.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of 40 houses in the Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
, 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....
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...
, 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...
.
Location
Most of the hamlet is high upon a ridge overlooking CwmtwrchCwmtwrch
Cwmtwrch is a village in the Swansea Valley, Wales, some 15 miles north of Swansea.- History and origins :The name Cwmtwrch derives from the “Twrch Trwyth” a mythical wild boar of King Arthur’s legends and the ancient Welsh folklore tales of the Mabinogion in early Welsh literature...
and most of the houses are over 900 feet above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The majority of the houses date from the 1930s and were built by the local authority, then 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...
, now 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....
council to house coal miners for a local colliery that has since been closed and returned to countryside. The village has been described as "a giant family".
Amenities
The hamlet has a primary school, a community or village hallVillage hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, and a small Nonconformist chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. The road is now used to get to Cwmllynfell
Cwmllynfell
Cwmllynfell is the name of a village, community and electoral ward in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.- Amenities :Cwmllynfell has its own local rugby union team - Cwmllynfell RFC. Also, a Welsh Primary School, CK's Supermarket, Post Office, village hall, church, chapel and a grooming parlour...
or the Gwrhyd mountain which leads to Rhyd-y-fro on the outskirts of Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
.
Rhiwfawr is home to many 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, mainly due to the Welsh-speaking school in its heart - Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Draddodiadol Rhiwfawr (English: Rhiwfawr Traditional Welsh Primary School). The school is attended by 30 - 40 children. The school celebrated its centenary in 2006.
The village also houses a garage and a sweet shop.
A BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
track can be found alongside a wide, grassy 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...
field and a small park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
. There is a scenic walkway in a field behind the park.
Overlooking the village is the Gwrhyd, which are picturesque mountains housing a road leading as far as Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
.