Aberfan

Aberfan
South entrance to Aberfan in November 2005
Aberfan Location withinMerthyr Tydfil
OS grid reference	SO070002
Community	Merthyr Vale
Principal area	Merthyr Tydfil
Preserved county	Mid Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Merthyr Tydfil
Postcode district	CF48
Dialling code	01443
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

Aberfan(Welsh pronunciation:[ˌabɛrˈvan]) is a former coal mining village in theTaff Valley4 mi (6 km) south of the town ofMerthyr Tydfil,Wales.

On 21 October 1966, it became known for theAberfan disaster,when acollieryspoil tipcollapsed into homes and a school, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

Geography

Aberfan is situated toward the bottom of the western valley slope of theRiver Taff,on the eastern slope ofMynydd Merthyrhill, about four mi (6 km) south of the townMerthyr Tydfil.The Taff runs north-to-south through the village; at the upper side of the settlement, on the western outskirts, a disusedGlamorganshire Canalbed and a railway embankment run parallel to the river.

History

Aberfan consisted of two cottages and an inn frequented by local farmers and bargemen until 23 August 1869, whenJohn Nixonand his partners started theMerthyr ValeColliery.

Between 1952 and 1965, with mountains denuded there was severe flooding in the Pantglas area of Aberfan on at least 11 occasions. By 1966 the population had grown to approximately 5,000, most of whom were employed in the coal industry.

Aberfan disaster, 1966

Main article:Aberfan disaster

For many years, millions of cubic metres of excavated mining debris from the colliery were deposited on the side ofMynydd Merthyr,directly above the village of Aberfan on the opposite side of the valley. Huge piles, or "tips", of loose rock and mining spoil had been built up over a layer of highly poroussandstonethat contained numerous undergroundsprings,and several tips had been built up directly over these springs. Although local authorities had raised specific concerns in 1963 about spoil being tipped on the mountain above the village primary school, these were largely ignored by theNational Coal Board's area management.

Early on the morning of Friday, 21 October 1966, after several days of heavy rain, a subsidence of about 3–6 metres occurred on the upper flank of colliery waste tip No. 7. At 9:15 a.m. more than 150,000 cubic metres of water-saturated debris broke away and flowed downhill at high speed. A mass of over 40,000 cubic metres of debris slid into the village in a slurry 12 m (39 ft) deep.

The slide destroyed a farm and 20 terraced houses along Moy Road, and struck the northern side of the Pantglas Junior School and part of the separate senior school, demolishing most of the structures and filling the classrooms with thick mud and rubble up to 10 m (33 ft) deep. Mud and water from the slide flooded many other houses in the vicinity, forcing many villagers to evacuate their homes.

In total, 116 children and 28 adults were killed.

Aberfan memorials

White arches in Bryntaf Cemetery, Aberfan, mark the graves of the children killed in the disaster

Aberfan Memorial Garden on the site of the children's school

QueenElizabeth IIandPrince Philip, the Duke of Edinburghvisited Aberfan on 29 October 1966.

After the disaster, the mayor ofMerthyrimmediately launched a disaster fund to aid the village and the bereaved. By the time the fund closed in January 1967, nearly 90,000 contributions had been received, totalling £1,606,929. The fund's final sum was approximately £1,750,000 (equivalent to £40 million in 2023). The concerns of the village and donors grew about how the money in the fund would be used: some felt it should be used to compensate the bereaved, whilst others felt it should benefit the wider community. The funds paid for the memorial garden and cemetery along with other facilities to aid the regeneration of Aberfan both physically and emotionally.

TheAberfan Cemeteryis where many of the victims are buried. The originalPortlandandAurisinalimestone memorials erected shortly after the disaster began to deteriorate, and in 2007 the Aberfan Memorial Charity refurbished the garden area, including all of the archways and memorials. The weathered masonry was replaced with polished pearl whitegranite,all inscriptions were re-engraved and additional archways were erected.In 2022 the cemetery, together with the memorial garden and the area of the tip and its slide path, were listed on theCadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.The record of the Grade II* listed site describes it as being "of great national importance and meaning."

The Coventry Playground was built in 1972 on the site of the old Merthyr Vale School, with money collected by the people ofCoventry.The playground was officially opened by the mayor of Coventry.

A memorial garden was opened on the site of Pantglas Primary School, which was destroyed during the disaster. The park was partly opened by the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, on her visit to Aberfan in 1974.

The Aberfan Memorial Charity was founded in 1989 and is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the cemetery and memorial garden.

Places of worship

BethaniaWelsh IndependentChapel was built in 1876 and rebuilt in 1885.At the time of the Aberfan disaster in 1966 the chapel was used as a temporary mortuary where victims were taken to be identified by relatives.The chapel was demolished in 1967 and a new chapel erected in 1970. By 2007 the chapel had fallen into disrepair and was closed; memorial items from the disaster were relocated toCardiff Bay.

AberfanCalvinistic Methodistchapel was built 1876, in anItalianatestyle.The foundation stone was laid by Sarah Griffiths, wife of the owner of the Aberfan Estate. It became aGrade II listed buildingin August 1999.After the Aberfan disaster, the chapel was furnished with a memorial organ by the Queen. The chapel was restored in the early 21st century but an outbreak ofdry rotsaw a condemnation order by a buildings inspector and a refusal by the insurers to renew the building's insurance. In 2012, the building was offered for sale.A subsequent arson attack in 2015 caused yet further damage.

Zion Methodist Church

The village has two smaller chapels:the former SmyrnaBaptistChapel, built in 1877, which is now closed and is used as a community centre,and the ZionMethodistChapel, originally EnglishPrimitive Methodist,located on Bridge Street and built in 1891.

Transport

Aberfan lies next to the mainA470road, but its nearest junction is 4 mi (6.4 km) north of the village. Aberfan is served byMerthyr Vale railway station,on theMerthyr line.TheTaff Trail,a long-distance cycle route and footpath, passes through Aberfan, partly following the route of the filled-inGlamorganshire Canal.

Education

Aberfan has two primary schools: Ynysowen Primary School adjacent to the Grove Field; and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Rhyd y Grug, which has moved to the previously occupied Ynysowen Primary School building.

Facilities

• Aberfan & Merthyr Vale Community Centre: opened in 1973 with a swimming pool, fitness room, weights room, café and a hall.
• Aberfan Cemetery and Aberfan Disaster Memorial

External links

Media related toAberfanat Wikimedia Commons

• Old Merthyr Tydfil: Aberfan– Historical Photographs of Aberfan.
• Aberfan & Merthyr Vale Community Centre