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Aberdulais (Welsh: Aberdulais Aber confluence (with the River Neath) or mouth (of the river) & Dulais) is a village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, lying on the River Neath.
History, amenities & attractions
The village grew around the Aberdulais Falls, the site of successive industries and now a hydro-electric station. Other local attractions include a canal and the Cefn Coed Colliery Museum. Peter Hain MP is a resident of the village.
More famously, Aberdulais is the birthplace of Welsh champion triathlete, Aled Thomas. Aled has now retired and currently supports local events.
Aberdulais has been the heart of many businesses for a number of years. However, it has never proved a good spot, because each business there has failed, apart from the National Trust, who now run the site as a tourist and historical venue. The water wheel at Aberdulais falls produces £20,000 worth of electricity that powers the site, and the surplus is sold back to the national grid.
The first business there was a copper smelting industry; that failed because it received only sporadic copper delivered via boat from Cornwall. The site was then chosen again by an ironworks forge. This, too, failed, but not much is known, so nobody knows why. It was chosen twice to be the site for an ironworks. Between the works, Aberdulais was used as a corn watermill; that failed because it was too small scale, and the high price of corn at the time of the Corn Laws. It was then used as a
Government and politics
| Ordnance Survey | |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference: | Maps for SS773995 |
| Geography | |
| Total population | 1,941 (2001 census) |
| Administration | |
| Local council: | Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council |
| Number of councillors: | 1 |
| Nation: | Wales |
| Post office and telephone | |
| PostCode(s): | SA10 |
| Dialling code: | +44-1639 |
| Politics | |
| Welsh Assembly: | Neath |
| UK Parliament: | Neath |
| European Parliament: | Wales |
Aberdulais is also the name of an electoral ward covering the village. It is a constituent of the parish of Blaenhonddan. The electoral ward of Aberdulais includes some or all of the settlements of Aberdulais and Cilfrew in the parliamentary constituency of Neath. Most of the ward consists of woodland and farmland with a small residential area to the far south. Aberdulais is bounded by the wards of Crynant to the north; Resolven to the east; Tonna to the south; and Cadoxton and Bryncoch North to the west.
In the 2008 local council elections, the electorate turnout was 48.8%. The results were:
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doreen Jones | Labour | 457 | Labour hold |
| Linda Ware | Plaid | 408 |
External links
- grid reference SS775995
- Cwmdulais Historical Society
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Aberdulais and surrounding area
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Coordinates: 51°40′51″N 3°46′24″W / 51.68086°N 3.77324°W
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