Cwmaman

For the village in Carmarthenshire, see Cwmamman.

Coordinates: 51°41′00″N 3°26′00″W / 51.6833°N 3.4333°W / 51.6833; -3.4333

Cwmaman
Welsh: Cwmaman
Cwmaman  Cwmaman shown within Rhondda Cynon Taf
Principal area	Rhondda Cynon Taf
Ceremonial county	Mid Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Cynon Valley
List of places: UK • Wales • Rhondda Cynon Taf

Cwmaman is a former coal mining pit village near Aberdare, South Wales. The name Cwmaman is Welsh language for "Aman Valley" (the River Aman being the main river flowing through the village). For postal purposes, it comes under Aberdare.

There is an array of parallel roads in the east part of the village. Burns Street and Spencer Street (along with the other streets collectively known as 'Poet's Corner') are amongst the steepest in the United Kingdom.

Culture

Cwmaman Public Hall & Institute

The band Stereophonics comes from Cwmaman.

The village is also home to the war poet, Alun Lewis, and a plaque in what is now Llanwonno Road marks the house where he once lived.

Cwmaman Public Hall & Institute is a community-owned enterprise: it consists of a concert room, theatre / cinema and fitness suite.

The local St. Joseph's Church was renovated in 2007. This work included the installation of solar panels on one side of its roof with the aim to sell back energy to the National Grid.

On 14 December 2007, in association with Jo Whiley and her BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Tour, the Stereophonics returned to their home village of Cwmaman to play an exclusive acoustic gig in the Cwmaman Working Men's Club, the venue where the band first performed.

An annual music festival is held in Cwmaman, namely The Cwmaman Music Festival, at the last weekend of September every year. The festival, which started in 2008, has attracted such artists as Alabama 3, Mike Peters, Killing for Company as well as many unsigned artists of all genres.

Regeneration and the community

Fragile Earth by Paul Clarke

Cwmaman is a Communities First area and thus it is officially recognised as needing Welsh Assembly support ^[1] to assist the community solve problems of social disadvantage.

The Cwmaman Communities First Partnership was established in October 2001 aiming to bring individuals, voluntary groups, and public and private sector organisations in the community together to help create a better future for the area.^[2]

Many innovative environmental projects have taken place including the hosting of an environmental festival centred around St Joseph's Church, holding a sculpture exhibition, the development of a community woodland walk, and establishing a Cwmaman Sculpture Trail.^[3]

A range of sculptors have contributed to projects in the village, including Robert Koenig, Dai Edwards, Tom Harvey, Godfrey Phillips, Paul Clarke, Dave Lloyd, Dominic Claire and Peter Boyd.

Community Archives Wales

The St Joseph's Heritage Group, based in St Joseph's Church, Cwmaman, joined the Community Archives Wales project in 2007. Cwmaman Institute is at the heart of its community, which is demonstrated by the sheer range of groups and societies that it accommodates, housing over 40 societies in total. The history and culture of Cwmaman is unique and the community is desperate to share their stories with the world online. With a brand new digi-lab at St Joseph's Church, which will also employ a part-time IT worker, it is training and expertise that the group urgently needs, and will attain through participating in the Community Archives Wales project.

Politics

Cwmaman forms part of the Aberaman South electoral ward. It is currently represented by Councillor Howard Davies (Plaid Cymru).

Notable people

• Kelly Jones - Stereophonics lead singer
• Stuart Cable - Broadcaster and musician
• Richard Jones - Stereophonics bassist (no relation to Kelly of same band)
• Alun Lewis - Poet
• Tyrone O'Sullivan - Chairman of Tower Colliery lived in Cwmaman for many years

References

1. ^ http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/publications/wimd08la/
2. ^ http://cwmaman-regeneration.org.uk/partnership/Communities_First_Intro.php
3. ^ http://www.myspace.com/cwmamansculpturetrail

External links

• Community Archives Wales
• Cwmaman Public Hall & Institute
• St Joseph's Church (Church in Wales) Cwmaman
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Cwmaman and surrounding area
• Cwmaman Music Festival