Glyncorrwg

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Glyncorrwg
Glamorgan
Glyncorrwg village - geograph.org.uk - 362006.jpg
Location
Grid reference: SS874989
Location: 51°40’39"N, 3°37’45"W
Data
Population: 5,283  (2011)
Post town: Port Talbot
Dialling code: 01639
Local Government
Council: Neath Port Talbot
Parliamentary
constituency:
Aberavon

Glyncorrwg is a village and parish in the Afan Valley in Glamorgan. For civil purposes it contains the villages of Abergwynfi, Blaengwynfi, Croeserw, Cymmer, Abercregan, Duffryn and Glyncorwg itself. The population of Glyncorrwg as a community, was recorded as 5,544 in the 2001 census,[1] reducing to 5,283 at the 2011 census.[2] The population of the electoral ward mentioned above was 1,096 only at the 2011 census.[3]

History

Glyncorrwg was once an important coal mining centre, typical of the South Wales Valleys. With the end of the coal mining industry during the 1970s, buildings were cleared away, factories closed and people left the area to find new employment.

In 1990 the local community decided to take advantage of the local scenery and complemented it with a series of ponds along the narrow valley. Trout fishing, coarse fishing, and canoeing are now popular sports in the area, plus miles of old flat railway trackbed lines and steep mountain slopes providing opportunities for cycling, hillwalking and mountain biking.

Glyncorrwg Coal Company

The South Wales Mineral Railway reached Glyncorrwg in 1863. It was always short of funds so was leased to the Glyncorrwg Coal Company, which became the Glyncorrwg Colliery Company Limited in 1870. This company operated a local coal mine and needed the railway to cheaply transport coal down to Briton Ferry.

Pen y Cymoedd

In May 2012 it was announced that the Pen y Cymoedd windfarm, the highest-generating onshore wind farm in Wales, had received government backing, and that the 76 turbines would be operational by 2016. This was developed by Swedish-based Vattenfall - www.vattenfall.co.uk.[4]

References

  • MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway. 
  • Neath and Port Talbot Planning Application P / 2007 / 607 Available at npt.gov.uk/downloads/planning/pa_20070514.rtf

Notes

Outside links