Aberdulais

Aberdulais (Welsh Aberdulais "Aber" confluence (with the River Neath) or mouth (of the river) & Dulais is a village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, lying on the River Neath.

History, Amenities & Attractions

The village grew around the Aberdulais Falls, the site of successive industries and now a hydro-electric station. Other local attractions include a canal and the Cefn Coed Colliery Museum. Peter Hain MP is a resident of the village.

More famously, Aberdulais is the birthplace of Welsh champion triathlete, Aled Thomas. Aled has now retired and currently supports local events.

Aberdulais has been the heart of many businesses for a number of years. However, it has never proved a good spot, because each business there has failed, apart from the National Trust, who now run the site as a tourist and historical venue. The water wheel at Aberdulais falls produces £20,000 worth of electricity that powers the site, and the surplus is sold back to the national grid.

The first business there was a copper smelting industry; that failed because it received only sporadic copper delivered via boat from Cornwall. The site was then chosen again by an ironworks forge. This, too, failed, but not much is known, so nobody knows why. It was chosen twice to be the site for an ironworks. Between the works, Aberdulais was used as a corn watermill; that failed because it was too small scale, and the high price of corn at the time of the Corn Laws. It was then used as a tinplate site; that failed because tinplate was made redundant after the Bessemer Process.

Government and politics

Infobox Neath Port Talbot electoral ward
Electoral Ward = Aberdulais
Ward

GridReference = SS773995
Largest Settlement=
Total Population = 1,941 (2001 census)
Land Area =
NoofCouncillors = 1
PostCodes = SA10
DiallingCode = +44-1639
AssemblyConstituency = Neath
Constituency = Neath Aberdulais is also the name of an electoral ward covering the village. It is a constituent of the parish of Blaenhonddan. The electoral ward of Aberdulais includes some or all of the settlements of Aberdulais and Cilfrew in the parliamentary constituency of Neath. Most of the ward consists of woodland and farmland with a small residential area to the far south. Aberdulais is bounded by the wards of Crynant to the north; Resolven to the east; Tonna to the south; and Cadoxton and Bryncoch North to the west.

In the 2008 local council elections, the electorate turnout was 48.8%. The results were:

External links

*gbmapping|SS775995
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2835538 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Aberdulais and surrounding area]