Banwen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Banwen is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough in South Wales.

[edit] History & Amenities

It has often been suggested as the birth-place of Saint Patrick who recorded that he was born in the similarly named banavem taburniae somewhere on the west coast of Britain. It was clearly occupied in Roman times, sitting on the Neath-Brecon Roman road and next to the two Roman forts in Coelbren.

Banwen is in the Upper Dulais Valley, with spectacular views over the southern slopes of the Brecon Beacons.

Copper, iron ore and tin were mined and crafted in early times, brickworks and opencast mining provided employment in later years. Now the big industries have gone but the village is slowly evolving. It has an excellent community resource at the [Dove Workshop] http://www.doveworkshop.org which runs courses from beginner to degree level.

Stages of the Wales Rally GB are held at Walters Arena.

The Banwen Miners Hunt was founded in the village in 1962. In the early days of the Hunt, the Duchess of Beaufort rode amongst the Banwen Miners.

If you have ever visited Banwen, with its almost 'stuck in the dark ages' feel to it, you would find it hard to disagre with a saying the locals have - "Banwen isn't just a village, it's a way of life"