Neath Valley
Encyclopedia
The Vale of Neath one of the South Wales Valleys
, encompasses the upper reaches of the River Neath
in southwest
Wales
. In addition to the River Neath, it is traversed by the Neath Canal and the A465 dual carriageway
.
Settlements in the valley include: Neath
, Cadoxton
, Tonna, Aberdulais
, Resolven
, Blaengwrach
, Glynneath
and Pontneddfechan.
Coal mining
is now a growing industry in the valley with mining operations being located at Aberpergwm
and Pentreclwydau near Glynneath.
, are the waterfalls of four or five rivers, the Afon Hepste
, Nedd Fechan
, Afon Pyrddin
, River Mellte
and Sychryd
. In the lower valley, waterfalls can be found at Melincourt
and Aberdulais
.
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...
, encompasses the upper reaches of the River Neath
River Neath
River Neath is a river in south Wales running south west from its source in the Brecon Beacons National Park to its mouth at Baglan Bay below Briton Ferry on the east side of Swansea Bay.Several minor rivers rise on the southern slopes of Fforest Fawr...
in southwest
South West Wales
South West Wales is a region of Wales. A definition consisting of the unitary authorities of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire is used by a number of government agencies and private organisations including:*BBC...
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...
. In addition to the River Neath, it is traversed by the Neath Canal and the A465 dual carriageway
A465 road
The A465 is a major road in south Wales. It is more commonly known as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it joins together the north ends of the South Wales Valleys...
.
Settlements in the valley include: Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
, Cadoxton
Cadoxton, Neath Port Talbot
Cadoxton , is a village situated in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. Cadoxton is located just outside the town of Neath and borders the villages of Cilfrew and Bryncoch. The village is home to just over 1,500 people and is located in the Cadoxton ward...
, Tonna, Aberdulais
Aberdulais
Aberdulais or mouth & Dulais) is a village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, lying on the River Neath.- History, amenities & attractions:...
, Resolven
Resolven
Resolven is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is located in the heart of the Vale of Neath.- Location :The village is situated in the Vale of Neath, next to the A465 Heads of Valleys Road, and is the main settlement in the community of Resolven...
, Blaengwrach
Blaengwrach
Blaengwrach is a village near Glynneath and Resolven in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It is also the name of a community and an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough. There are, however, some differences between the boundaries of the community and the ward...
, Glynneath
Glynneath
Glynneath , also spelt Glyn Neath, is a small town, community and electoral ward lying on the River Neath in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It was formerly in the historic county of Glamorgan...
and Pontneddfechan.
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,...
is now a growing industry in the valley with mining operations being located at Aberpergwm
Aberpergwm
Aberpergwm is the site of a colliery in the Vale of Neath near Glynneath in south Wales.The drift mine was reopened in 1996 after being closed by British Coal in 1985. It is owned and worked by Energybuild, a private company now wholly owned by Walter Energy of the USA...
and Pentreclwydau near Glynneath.
Waterfall Country
Waterfall Country is a nickname given to the Vale of Neath due to the diverse number of waterfalls in the valley. In the upper reaches of the valley, at the foothills 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...
, are the waterfalls of four or five rivers, the Afon Hepste
Afon Hepste
The Afon Hepste is a river in Powys, Wales and wholly within the Brecon Beacons National Park.Its headwaters, the Afon y Waun, Nant y Cwrier and Nant Hepste Fechan, rise on the Old Red Sandstone dip-slopes of Fforest Fawr and combine to form the Afon Hepste near the farmstead of Hepste Fechan...
, Nedd Fechan
Nedd Fechan
The Nedd Fechan or 'Little Neath' is a river in the county of Powys, south Wales, Great Britain. It rises on the eastern slopes of Fan Gyhirych in the Fforest Fawr section of the Brecon Beacons National Park and flows south for 12km / 7 mi to join with the Afon Mellte at Pontneddfechan, their...
, Afon Pyrddin
Afon Pyrddin
The Afon Pyrddin is a river forming the boundary between the county of Powys and the county borough of Neath Port Talbot in south Wales, Great Britain. It also forms a part of the boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
, River Mellte
River Mellte
The River Mellte is a river in Wales. It is formed by the confluence of the Afon Llia and the Afon Dringarth. It then flows south through the village of Ystradfellte to Pontneddfechan where it joins with the Nedd Fechan to become the River Neath...
and Sychryd
Sychryd
Sychryd or Afon Sychryd Starts just below Graig y Llyn and is know localy as the Nant Gwrangon it flows past the village of Rhigos and through Cwm Wyrfa on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park and Fforest Fawr Geopark in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in south Wales...
. In the lower valley, waterfalls can be found at Melincourt
Melincourt Falls
Melincourt Falls is a spectacular high waterfall on Melin Court Brook, a left-bank tributary of the Neath River, located south of Resolven in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, south Wales. It is formed where the brook plunges over a resistant band of 'Lower Pennant Sandstone' in a 13 acre...
and Aberdulais
Aberdulais Falls
The Aberdulais Falls are found on the River Dulais at Aberdulais, near Neath in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, South Wales. The falls are formed as the river plunges over beds of hard Lower Pennant Sandstone just before meeting the River Neath flowing down the Vale of Neath...
.