Seven Sisters, Neath Port Talbot

infobox UK place
country = Wales
welsh_name=Blaendulais
constituency_welsh_assembly=
latitude= 51.76541
longitude= -3.71134
map_type=
official_name= Seven Sisters
unitary_wales= Neath Port Talbot
lieutenancy_wales= West Glamorgan
constituency_westminster= Neath
post_town= NEATH
postcode_district = SA10
postcode_area= SA
dial_code= 01639
os_grid_reference= SN820088
population= 2,032 [ [http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=6079197&c=Seven+Sisters&d=14&e=16&g=418110&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1217094047020&enc=1 Office for National Statistics, 2001] ]

Seven Sisters ( _cy. Blaendulais: source of the (river) Dulais) is a village in the Dulais Valley, Wales, UK. It lies 10 miles northeast of Neath. Seven Sisters falls within the Seven Sisters ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough.

History

The village of Seven Sisters had always been recognised historically for its coal mining pit that was located in the middle of what was once one of the richest sources of coal in Britain, if not the world in the heart of the South Wales Coalfield. The sinking of the pit began when Miss Isobella Bevan, one of seven daughters of local coal-owner Evan Evans-Bevan cut the first sod of the colliery on Monday, March 11 1872, leading to its completion in 1875. Initially, Evans-Bevan had wanted to name the pit after his first daughter, Isobella, but reconsidered and named it after all his seven daughters, hence the name of Seven Sisters Colliery. In turn as the community grew around the colliery, it also adopted its name, Seven Sisters village. At its peak in 1945 the colliery employed over 759 men from the surrounding area.

The first dwellings erected in the village were single storey buildings for the coal miners, named Brick Row. These buildings are still in place today. More collieries were opened in the surrounding area, such as the demand for coal increased. Nant-y-Cafn or Dillwyn colliery was opened in 1884, Henllan colliery 1911 and Brynteg colliery and brickworks in 1885. All housing in the village prior to the 1930’s was for coal miners, brick workers and railway employees.

However, during the 1950s geological problems and changing economic conditions took their toll on the colliery and in 1963 the pit closed. The men who had been employed at the Seven Sisters were transferred to the nearby Blaenant Colliery, which closed in 1990. After the closure of the Seven Sisters Colliery in 1963 the site was demolished and filled in. Today the site is home to playing fields but the history of what existed in the village still remains, with the pit head winding gear sunk in the ground next to the site of the old colliery.

port

Seven Sisters is the home to Seven Sisters RFC a WRU affiliated rugby union club.

External links

* [http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/ Welsh mining history]
* [http://www.sevensistersrfc.co.uk Seven Sisters RFC]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2737530 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Seven Sisters and surrounding area]

References