Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent County Borough

Details

Accessibility

Brief description

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abertillery

The Pontlottyn - JD Wetherspoon, 14-20 Somerset Street, Abertillery NP13 1DJ

2025; "Abertillery (/ˌæbərtɪˈlɛəri/; Welsh: Abertyleri) is a town and community in Blaenau Gwent County Borough, Wales. It is located in the Ebbw Fach valley, and the historic county of Monmouthshire.

The surrounding landscape borders the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Blaenavon World heritage Site.[2] Formerly a major coal mining centre the Abertillery area was transformed in the 1990s using EU and other funding to return to a greener environment.

Situated on the A467 the town is 15 miles (24 km) north of the M4 and 5 miles (8 km) south of the A465 "Heads of the Valleys" trunk road. It is about 25 miles (40 km) by road from Cardiff and 47 miles (76 km) from Bristol.

According to the 2011 Census, 4.8% of the ward's 4,416 (212 residents) resident-population can speak, read, and write Welsh.[3] This is below the county's figure of 5.5% of 67,348 (3,705 residents) who can speak, read, and write Welsh.[3]

The name of the community means "the mouth of the River Tyleri", which flows into the town. The name Tyleri is probably derived from a personal name.[4]   

Abertillery's traditional-style town centre mainly developed in the late 19th century and as such has some interesting Victorian architecture. Spread over 4 main streets the town in its heyday had two department stores and a covered Victorian arcade linking two of the main shopping areas. These were all included in a Blaenau Gwent Borough Council remodelling and modernisation project using European Union funding in a £13 million programme spread over a 5-year period ending in 2015.[5]

The project included a new multi-storey car park, a revamp of public areas and the town's Metropole Theatre.[6] This building provides production, exhibition, conference and meeting facilities as well as housing Abertillery museum. In March 2014 Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, officiated at the launch of Jubilee Square, a public facility in the town centre next to St Michael's Church.[7]

Major industry came to the area in 1843 when the locality's first deep coal mine was sunk at Tir Nicholas Farm, Cwmtillery. The town developed rapidly thereafter and played a major part in the South Wales coalfield. Its population rose steeply, being 10,846 in the 1891 census and 21,945 ten years later. The population peaked just short of 40,000[8] around the beginning of the 1930s. Eventually there were six deep coal mines, numerous small coal levels, a tin works, brick works, iron foundry and light engineering businesses in the area. Just one of the coal mines, Cwmtillery, produced over 32 million tons of coal in its lifetime and at its height employed 2760 men and boys.[9]

In 1960 an underground explosion at Six Bells Colliery resulted in the loss of life of 45 local miners. Fifty years later the archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams officiated at the launch of the Guardian mining memorial. This artistically acclaimed monument standing at 20m tall overlooks Parc Arael Griffin, the now reclaimed and landscaped former colliery site. The adjoining Ty Ebbw Fach visitor centre provides conference facilities, a restaurant and a "mining valley" experience room. Not long after the disaster the renowned artist L. S. Lowry visited the area and recorded the scene. The resultant landscape painting now hangs in National Museum Cardiff.[10]

The coal mines remained the predominant economic emphasis until the general run down of the industry in the 1980s.

Away from the town centre, the often steep sided nature of the landscape, imposes its own demands on development. Whilst this sounds limiting it has helped provide the almost amphitheatre nature of Abertillery Park, often described as one of the most attractive rugby grounds in world rugby.[11]

The street plan and housing stock flow uninterrupted from Cwmtillery in the north to Six Bells in the south, forming the town that is Abertillery. Prior to 1974 local government was provided by Abertillery Urban District Council (AUDC).[12] Its area included the small neighbouring villages of Aberbeeg, Llanhilleth and Brynithel. Historical data relating to Abertillery occasionally refers to this AUDC area meaning that it can be difficult to compare like with like. For example, the 2014 population for the wider conurbation area is around 20,000 rather than the 11,000 often quoted for Abertillery itself.

Whilst in the main the area has an older housing stock there are several developments of modern, often large homes, generally found on the outskirts of the town with views out over the surrounding area. These apart, terraced council tax band A and B properties predominate, meaning that average house prices are among the most affordable in the UK."

Address

Tesco Superstore

Tesco Stores Ltd

Castle St

Abertillery NP13 1UR

Email

Phone

Website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abertillery

https://www.visitmidwales.co.uk/showmewales/information/product-catch-all/abertillery-p1723221

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66994795

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wqjen1veqo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clynpywddr1o

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg434py9e3go

https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=6631199

Directions

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

Transport

Amenities

Tesco Superstore

Tesco Stores Ltd

Castle St

Abertillery NP13 1UR

+ Tesco Petrol Station

Tesco Stores Ltd

Castle St

Abertillery NP13 1UR

+ Greggs

13 Church St

Abertillery

NP13 1DA

+ The Pontlottyn - JD Wetherspoon

14-20 Somerset Street

Abertillery

NP13 1DJ

+Wyndam Vowles Community Centre

Crown St

Abertillery

NP13 1PJ

+ Abertillery RFC

Abertillery

NP13 1TU

+ Abertillery Park

Abertillery

NP13 1TP