Aberdulais

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. The village grew around the Aberdulais Falls, the site of successive industries and now a hydro-electric station.

Industrial history

Aberdulais has been the heart of many businesses for a number of years. 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 tinplate site; that failed because tinplate was made redundant after the Bessemer Process.

Amenities and attractions

Local attractions include a canal and the Cefn Coed Colliery Museum. Aberdulais Falls and the associated industrial infrastructure are in the care of the National Trust in recognition of the site's value as a key part of the region's industrial heritage. 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.

People

Peter Hain MP is a resident of the village and Aberdulais is the birthplace of Welsh champion triathlete, Aled Thomas. Aled has now retired and currently supports local events.

Government and politics

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 2012 local council elections, the electorate turnout was 40.81%. The results were:

External links

• grid reference SS775995
• Cwmdulais Historical Society
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Aberdulais and surrounding area
• Aberdulais Sion Calvinistic Methodist Chapel monumental inscriptions and images

v t e Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Communities Aberavon Baglan Bay Blaengwrach Blaenhonddan Briton Ferry Bryn Cilybebyll Clyne Coedffranc Crynant Cwmavon Cwmllynfell Dyffryn Clydach Glyncorrwg Glynneath Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Margam Margam Moors Neath Onllwyn Pelenna Pontardawe Port Talbot Resolven Sandfields East Sandfields West Seven Sisters Tai Bach Tonna Ystalyfera Towns and villages Aberavon Aberdulais Abergarwed Alltwen Baglan Blaengwrach Blaenhoddan Cadoxton Cilfrew Cilybebyll Clyne Cwmgors Cwmllynfell Crynant Glynneath Godre'r Graig Goytre Groes Llangiwg Lonlas Lower Brynamman Margam Melincourt Falls Morfa Glas Neath Pontardawe Port Talbot Resolven Rhiwfawr Rhydyfro Seven Sisters Skewen Tairgwaith Tonna Ystalyfera Castles Neath Castle Rivers River Afan River Neath

Coordinates: 51°40′51″N 3°46′24″W / 51.68086°N 3.77324°W / 51.68086; -3.77324

This Neath Port Talbot location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e