| Abersychan | |
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Abersychan
Abersychan shown within Torfaen |
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| Community | Abersychan |
|---|---|
| Principal area | Torfaen |
| Ceremonial county | Gwent |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PONTYPOOL |
| Postcode district | NP4 |
| Dialling code | 01495 |
| Police | Gwent |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Torfaen |
| Welsh Assembly | Torfaen |
| List of places: UK • Wales • Torfaen | |
Abersychan is a settlement and community north of Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It has a population of 6,826.[1]
It lies in the narrow northern section of the Afon Lwyd valley. The town includes three schools, Abersychan Comprehensive School and Victoria Primary School along with various shops and other amenities.
Abersychan was the birthplace of the politicians Roy Jenkins, Don Touhig and Paul Murphy (MP for Torfaen), and of the rugby footballers Wilfred Hodder, Candy Evans and Bryn Meredith.
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Abersychan was a thriving industrial centre in the 19th century and early 20th century, particularly for iron production. The principal ironworks was built by the British Iron Company in 1825; it passed to the New British Iron Company in 1843 and to the Ebbw Vale Company in 1852 but closed in 1889.
On 6 February 1890, an underground explosion at Llanerch Colliery killed 176.[2]
Abersychan now constitutes a community and electoral division of the county borough of Torfaen. The area was anciently part of the parish of Trevethin, in Monmouthshire. On June 3, 1864 Abersychan was constituted a local government district, governed by a local board.[3] In 1894 Abersychan became an urban district and civil parish. The urban district was abolished in 1935, with most of its area passing to Pontypool urban district, and a small area going to Abercarn UD.
In 1974 the area became part of the borough of Torfaen, in the new local government county of Gwent. A community of Abersychan was formed in 1985, but to date no community council has been formed.[4] In 1996 Torfaen became a unitary authority.
The Abersychan community includes Abersychan, Cwmavon, Garndiffaith, Pentwyn, Talywain, Varteg, and Victoria Village.
Pentwyn, Torfaen is a small village located in the district of Abersychan. It contains a post office, a chapel, several houses and a small play park. The village has a cricket team (Pentwyn CC) and is located right next to the old railway line. The cricket club celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2006 with a successful tour to Cork, Ireland. The village has superb views over the River Severn and Newport to the south.
Victoria Village is a small hamlet located in the district of Abersychan. It comprises a small village school and a number of houses. A small group of houses on Incline Road mark the beginning of the village and the village boundary is near Cwmavon. Victoria Primary School is also in this area on a large grounds. Many homes are built around the school's boundaries.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Abersychan". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.