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Aberdare
Welsh: Aberdâr
Caradog statue in Victoria Square
OS grid reference	SO005025
Principal area	Rhondda Cynon Taff
Ceremonial county	Mid Glamorgan
Constituent country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ABERDARE
Postcode district	CF44
Dialling code	01685
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Cynon Valley
European Parliament	Wales
List of places: UK • Wales • Rhondda Cynon Taff

Coordinates: 51°42′48″N 3°26′43″W / 51.7132, -3.4452

Aberdare (Welsh: Aberdâr) is an industrial town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff in the traditional county of Glamorgan, in south Wales, situated (as the name implies) at the confluence of the Dar and Cynon rivers. The population at the (1991) census was 31,619. It is 4 miles S.W. of Merthyr Tydfil and 24 miles N.W. of Cardiff. From being, at the beginning of the 19th century, a mere village in an agricultural district, the place grew rapidly in population owing to the abundance of its coal and iron ore, and the population of the whole parish (which was only 1486 in 1801) increased tenfold during the first half of the century. It has since declined, owing to the loss of most of the heavy industry.

Ironworks were established at Llwydcoed and Abernant in 1799 and 1800 respectively, followed by others at Gadlys and Aberaman in 1827 and 1847. These have not been worked since about 1875. After this, the iron industry was represented only by a small tinplate works, but by this stage the economy of the town was dominated by the coal industry. There were also several brickworks and breweries. During the latter half of the 19th century, considerable public improvements were made to the town, which became, despite its neighbouring collieries, a pleasant place to live. Its institutions included a post-graduate theological college (opened in connection with the Church of England in 1892, until 1907, when it was removed to Llandaff).

Aberdare, with the ecclesiastical parishes of St Fagan's (Trecynon) and Aberaman carved out of the ancient parish, had twelve Anglican churches, one Roman Catholic church (built in 1866 in Monk Street near the site of a cell attached to Penrhys Abbey) and at one time had over fifty Nonconformist chapels. The services in the majority of the chapels were in Welsh. The urban district includes what were once the separate villages of Aberaman, Abernant, Cwmaman, Cwmbach, Cwmdare, Llwydcoed, Penywaun and Trecynon. There are several cairns and the remains of a circular British encampment on the mountain between Aberdare and Merthyr. Hirwaun moor, 4 miles to the N.W. of Aberdare, was according to tradition the scene of a battle at which Rhys ap Tewdwr, prince of Dyfed, was defeated by the allied forces of the Norman Robert Fitzhamon and Iestyn ap Gwrgant, the last prince of Glamorgan.

The town is served by Aberdare railway station, the terminus of the Merthyr Line - Aberdare branch.

Contents 1 The Coal Industry 2 Culture 3 Schools and colleges 3.1 Universities 3.2 Colleges 3.3 Secondary Schools 4 Notable people from Aberdare and district 5 Twin cities/towns 6 References 7 External links

In the early years of Aberdare's development , most of the coal worked in the parish was coking coal, and was consumed locally, chiefly in the ironworks. In 1836, exploitation of the "Four-foot Seam" of high-calorific value steam coal began, and pits were sunk in rapid succession. This coal was valuable for railways and steam ships, and an export trade began, via the Taff Vale Railway and the port of Cardiff. The population of the parish rose from 6,471 in 1841 to 14,999 in 1851 and 32,299 in 1861 and John Davies^[1] described it as "the most dynamic place in Wales". In 1851, the Admiralty decided to use Welsh steam coal, and this decision boosted the reputation of Aberdare's product and launched a huge international export market^[2]. Coal mined in Aberdare parish rose from 177,000 tons in 1844 to 477,000 in 1850^[3], and the coal trade, which after 1875 was the chief support of the town, soon reached huge dimensions. Steam coal was subsequently found in the Rhondda and further west, but many of the great companies of the Welsh coal industry's Gilded Age started operation in Aberdare and the lower Cynon Valley, including those of Samuel Thomas, David Davies and Sons, Nixon's Navigation and Powell Duffryn^[4]. In common with the rest of the coalfield, Aberdare's coal industry commenced a long decline after World War I, and the last two deep mines still in operation in the 1960s were the small Aberaman and Fforchaman collieries, which closed in 1962 and 1965 respectively. In This Outstandingly amazing village home of thousands, lives one special boy. He is a friend to everyone and i class http://www.bebo.com/tha-CRIM-of-tha-CRIM this is his bebo page URL!

Aberdare, during its boom years, was considered a centre of Welsh culture: it hosted the first National Eisteddfod in 1861, and again in 1885 and 1956.

The Coliseum Theatre is Aberdare's main arts venue, containing a 600-seat auditorium and cinema. It is situated in nearby Trecynon and was built in 1938 using miners' subscriptions.

Aberdare was the birthplace of the Second World War poet Alun Lewis, and a plaque commemorating him is to be found, including a quotation from his poem, The Mountain over Aberdare.

Aberdare is the home of the rock band Stereophonics, who originated from the nearby village of Cwmaman. It is also the hometown of guitarist Mark Parry of Vancouver rock band The Manvils. Famed anarchist-punk band Crass played their last live show for striking miners in Aberdare.

• University of Glamorgan

• Coleg Morgannwg

• Aberdare Boys' Comprehensive School
• Aberdare Boys Grammar School (now closed)
• Aberdare Girls' School
• Blaengwawr Comprehensive School
• Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun
• St. John the Baptist School (Aberdare)

Notable current and former residents and natives of Aberdare include:

• Ioan Gruffudd - Actor born in Llwydcoed, Aberdare
• Patrick Hannan (presenter) - Welsh broadcaster
• Bethan Jenkins - Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the South Wales West Region
• Mihangel Morgan - a leading Welsh-language writer, born in Trecynon, some of his literary works feature Aberdare
• Roy Noble - popular Welsh broadcaster has lived near Aberdare for the past thirty years

• - Montelimar, France
• - Slagelse, Denmark

1. ^ Davies, John, A History of Wales, Penguin, 1994, ISBN 0-14-014581-8, p 400
2. ^ Davies, op cit, p 400
3. ^ Davies, op cit, p 384
4. ^ Davies, op cit, p 400

• Aberdare Blog
• Aberdare RFC
• BBC website on Aberdare

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.