Skewen
Encyclopedia
Skewen is a village within the county borough
of Neath Port Talbot
, in Wales
.
The village is served by Skewen railway station
.
around the village (see link below). The Crown and Mines Royal Copper Works and the Cheadle and Neath Abbey Ironworks were once important industrial sites which stood close by. Old top loading blast furnace
s can also be seen at Neath Abbey
. To the south of Skewen lies the village of Llandarcy
, the site of the country's first oil refinery
. The site of this former oil refinery is now being developed as an urban village called Coed Darcy
, a development supported by the Prince of Wales's Foundation for the Built Environment.
'Skewen Main 1925' is a folk song about the closure of the Skewen Main colliery at a time when the oil refinery was being built at Llandarcy, a mile from the village.The song was written by Huw Pudner and Chris Hastings.
, a former Cistercian monastery
, are now in the care of CADW
. On Mynydd Drumau
to the north of the village is an ancient standing stone known as the Carreg Bica (or 'Maen Bradwen' which translates into English as 'the white rock of betrayal').
(1859–1918), British judge and politician who was appointed Solicitor-General in 1908 and became the President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty division in 1910. Skewen is also the birthplace of internationally successful singer Bonnie Tyler
and Welsh composer David John de Lloyd
. Comedian Eddie Izzard
lived in the village for a short while in his boyhood. The grandparents of the legendary American entrepreneur Howard Hughes are believed to have lived in Skewen in the 1830s.
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...
of 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....
, 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...
.
The village is served by Skewen railway station
Skewen railway station
Skewen railway station is a railway station in Skewen, Wales. The station is located below street level at Station Road in Skewen. It is a stop on the South Wales Main Line, served by Arriva Trains Wales Swanline regional trains between Swansea and Cardiff....
.
History
Skewen was once an industrial village. There were a number of collieriesCoal 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,...
around the village (see link below). The Crown and Mines Royal Copper Works and the Cheadle and Neath Abbey Ironworks were once important industrial sites which stood close by. Old top loading blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
s can also be seen at Neath Abbey
Neath Abbey
Neath Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Neath in southern Wales, UK.It was once the largest abbey in Wales. Substantial ruins can still be seen, and are in the care of Cadw...
. To the south of Skewen lies the village of Llandarcy
Llandarcy
Llandarcy is a village near Neath in Neath Port Talbot county borough, southwest Wales, and formerly the site of the UK's first oil refinery. The village, which lies near the Junction 43 of the M4 Motorway, was originally designed as a garden village to house the workers for the refinery, built by...
, the site of the country's first oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
. The site of this former oil refinery is now being developed as an urban village called Coed Darcy
Coed Darcy
Coed Darcy is a new village currently being developed adjacent to Llandarcy in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.-Historical background:...
, a development supported by the Prince of Wales's Foundation for the Built Environment.
'Skewen Main 1925' is a folk song about the closure of the Skewen Main colliery at a time when the oil refinery was being built at Llandarcy, a mile from the village.The song was written by Huw Pudner and Chris Hastings.
Monuments of interest
The ruins of Neath AbbeyNeath Abbey
Neath Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Neath in southern Wales, UK.It was once the largest abbey in Wales. Substantial ruins can still be seen, and are in the care of Cadw...
, a former Cistercian monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, are now in the care of CADW
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
. On Mynydd Drumau
Mynydd Drumau
Mynydd Drumau is a mountain in south Wales lying on the border between Swansea and the county of Neath Port Talbot.It is 272m / 892ft high...
to the north of the village is an ancient standing stone known as the Carreg Bica (or 'Maen Bradwen' which translates into English as 'the white rock of betrayal').
Notable people
The village is the birthplace of Sir Samuel Thomas EvansSamuel Thomas Evans
Sir Samuel Thomas Evans GCB PC QC , was a Welsh barrister, judge and Liberal politician.-Background and education:...
(1859–1918), British judge and politician who was appointed Solicitor-General in 1908 and became the President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty division in 1910. Skewen is also the birthplace of internationally successful singer Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
and Welsh composer David John de Lloyd
David John de Lloyd
Dr David John de Lloyd was a Welsh musician and composer.Born in Skewen, de Lloyd grew up in Aberystwyth, where he attended both school and university. In 1905, he became the college's first B.Mus. graduate. He also studied in Leipzig and Dublin. In 1926, he replaced Sir Walford Davies as...
. Comedian Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
lived in the village for a short while in his boyhood. The grandparents of the legendary American entrepreneur Howard Hughes are believed to have lived in Skewen in the 1830s.