Abersychan
Encyclopedia
Abersychan is a settlement and community
north of Pontypool
in Torfaen
, Wales
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
. It has a population of 6,826.
It lies in the narrow northern section of the Afon Lwyd valley. The town includes three schools, Abersychan Comprehensive School
and Victoria Primary School along with various shops and other amenities.
Abersychan was the birthplace of the politician
s Roy Jenkins
, Don Touhig
and Paul Murphy (MP for Torfaen), and of the rugby football
ers Wilfred Hodder
, Candy Evans
and Bryn Meredith
.
production. The principal ironworks was built by the British Iron Company
in 1825; it passed to the New British Iron Company in 1843 and to the Ebbw Vale
Company in 1852 but closed in 1889.
On 6 February 1890, an underground explosion
at Llanerch Colliery killed 176.
of Torfaen
. The area was anciently part of the parish
of Trevethin
, in Monmouthshire
. On June 3, 1864 Abersychan was constituted a local government district, governed by a local board
. In 1894 Abersychan became an urban district
and civil parish. The urban district was abolished in 1935, with most of its area passing to Pontypool urban district, and a small area going to Abercarn
UD.
In 1974 the area became part of the borough of Torfaen, in the new local government county of Gwent
. A community of Abersychan was formed in 1985, but to date no community council
has been formed. In 1996 Torfaen became a unitary authority.
The Abersychan community includes Abersychan, Cwmavon
, Garndiffaith
, Pentwyn, Talywain
, Varteg
, and Victoria Village.
is a small village
located in the district of Abersychan. It contains a post office
, a chapel, several houses and a small play park. The village has a cricket
team (Pentwyn CC) and is located right next to the old railway line. The cricket club celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2006 with a successful tour to Cork
, Ireland
. The village has superb views over the River Severn
and Newport
to the south.
located in the district of Abersychan. It comprises a small village school and a number of houses. A small group of houses on Incline Road mark the beginning of the village and the village boundary is near Cwmavon
. Victoria Primary School is also in this area on a large grounds. Many homes are built around the school's boundaries.
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....
north of Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
in Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
, 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...
, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
. It has a population of 6,826.
It lies in the narrow northern section of the Afon Lwyd valley. The town includes three schools, Abersychan Comprehensive School
Abersychan Comprehensive School
Abersychan Comprehensive School is a state-funded and non-selective comprehensive school in the Pontypool suburb of Abersychan, Wales.-Admissions:Abersychan School has over 930 pupils on roll...
and Victoria Primary School along with various shops and other amenities.
Abersychan was the birthplace of the politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
, Don Touhig
Don Touhig
James Donnelly Touhig, Baron Touhig, PC, KSS is a British Labour Co-operative politician from Wales. He was the Member of Parliament for Islwyn from 1995 until his retirement in 2010.-Early life:...
and Paul Murphy (MP for Torfaen), and of the rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
ers Wilfred Hodder
Wilfred Hodder
Wilfred "Wilf" Hodder was a Welsh miner, hotelier, served in the Royal Field Artillery in World War I, a member of the Board of directors at Wigan RLFC, and was a dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s and '20s who at representative level played...
, Candy Evans
Candy Evans
Arthur 'Candy' Evans was a Welsh miner, boxer, dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Pontypool RFC, playing at Lock, i.e...
and Bryn Meredith
Bryn Meredith
Brinley "Bryn" Victor Meredith was a rugby union international. Meredith was a mobile hooker, he was selected 34 times for Wales between 1954 and 1962, but missed 2 matches for health and family bereavement reasons....
.
History
Abersychan was a thriving industrial centre in the 19th century and early 20th century, particularly for ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
production. The principal ironworks was built by the British Iron Company
British Iron Company
The British Iron Company was formed in 1824 to smelt and manufacture iron and to mine ironstone, coal, etc. It was re-formed as the New British Iron Company in 1843 and wound up in 1892.-British Iron Company :...
in 1825; it passed to the New British Iron Company in 1843 and to the Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
Company in 1852 but closed in 1889.
On 6 February 1890, an underground explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
at Llanerch Colliery killed 176.
Local government
Abersychan now constitutes a community and electoral division of the county boroughCounty 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 Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
. The area was anciently part of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Trevethin
Trevethin
Trevethin is a community of Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales.-History and amenities:It is a modern suburb, built around a small village in the 1960s and '70s and is all but merged with nearby Penygarn. In 2005 it was announced that the district's local school, Trevethin Community School, was to close....
, in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
. On June 3, 1864 Abersychan was constituted a local government district, governed by a local board
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
. In 1894 Abersychan became an 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....
and civil parish. The urban district was abolished in 1935, with most of its area passing to Pontypool urban district, and a small area going to Abercarn
Abercarn
Abercarn is a small town community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales, 10 miles north-west of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-History:...
UD.
In 1974 the area became part of the borough of Torfaen, in the new local government county of Gwent
Gwent (county)
Gwent is a preserved county and a former local government county in south-east Wales. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent....
. A community of Abersychan was formed in 1985, but to date no community council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
has been formed. In 1996 Torfaen became a unitary authority.
The Abersychan community includes Abersychan, Cwmavon
Cwmavon, Torfaen
Cwmavon is a small village located near the towns of Abersychan and Blaenavon in the county borough of Torfaen, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.- Rural setting :...
, Garndiffaith
Garndiffaith
Garndiffaith is a village located in Torfaen, south east Wales. It is a small rural area situated between Talywain and Varteg, three miles north of the town of Pontypool and 3.5 miles south of the town of Blaenavon...
, Pentwyn, Talywain
Talywain
Talywain is situated between Garndiffaith, Abersychan and Pentwyn in Torfaen in south east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-Old mining area:...
, Varteg
Varteg
- Location :It lies near Abersychan on the hills above the valley of the Afon Llwyd, between Pontypool and Blaenavon.- History & Amenities :Varteg has one of the two Welsh language medium primary school in Torfaen, namely Ysgol Bryn Onnen. The other is Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân, in Cwmbrân.It also has...
, and Victoria Village.
Pentwyn
Pentwyn, TorfaenTorfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
is a small village
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...
located in the district of Abersychan. It contains a 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...
, a chapel, several houses and a small play park. The village has a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team (Pentwyn CC) and is located right next to the old railway line. The cricket club celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2006 with a successful tour to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, 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...
. The village has superb views over the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
and Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
to the south.
Victoria Village
Victoria Village is a small hamletHamlet (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...
located in the district of Abersychan. It comprises a small village school and a number of houses. A small group of houses on Incline Road mark the beginning of the village and the village boundary is near Cwmavon
Cwmavon, Torfaen
Cwmavon is a small village located near the towns of Abersychan and Blaenavon in the county borough of Torfaen, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.- Rural setting :...
. Victoria Primary School is also in this area on a large grounds. Many homes are built around the school's boundaries.