Aman Valley
Aneurin Talfan Davies once described the Amman Valley (Dyffryn Aman) as ‘Gwlad y Pyramidiau’, the land of pyramids, in reference to the numerous tips along the valley which resembled pyramids, testament to the coal-mining inheritance of the valley. musician and founding member of cult band, The Velvet Underground, John Cale was born in Garnant. The picture-postcard golf course at Garnant, with fine views and excellent playing facilities, offers a warm welcome to visitors. Built on a former open cast mine, many of its holes bear the names of former mines in the area, such as Gelli Ceidrim and Raven. and with its fine, quaint shopping arcade built on the site of the Cross Inn stables, it is well worth a visit.
Ammanford (Rhydaman) is the major shopping area and tourism town for many villages in the neighbouring areas with an excellent train service to Swansea and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Rail Line.
Nearby at Tycroes, Allt Nant Y Ci is another recreational space being developed by the local community on the site of an old coal mine comprising walking and cycling routes, a mountain bike circuit and a cyclo-gym loop together with an events’ field, bird-hide, and picnic and amenity areas.
An ambitious project is planned to further improve the town centre, which enjoys a variety of local and national shops and some good places to eat and drink,
At the head of the valley is the village of Brynaman, sometimes spelt Brynamman, which is divided by the River Aman into Upper and Lower Brynaman. Nestling at the foot of the Black Mountain, it has a variety of trails and footpaths, including those at Ynys Dawela Nature Park, which offer range of walks from gentle strolls to a full day’s hiking. The Black Mountain Centre is a thriving community-run facility and café with local tourism information.
Around the corner is the Public Cinema opened in 1926 and funded by the ‘check-off’ system of weekly deductions from the local miners’ wages. Built to seat over a thousand people, you can still enjoy the latest blockbusters today thanks to the dedication of local volunteers. Before leaving the village you should also take a dip in the lido, one of the few open-air swimming pools in the Valleys.
The origin of the name, Tairgwaith is still a matter of debate. Some favour ‘the three works’ as the correct translation, referring to the area’s three collieries, while others prefer ‘the works’ houses’. The village has one of the few purpose-built harness-racing tracks in the UK right run by Amman Valley Trotters.You can experience the excitement of the races with around 12 meetings per year, staged on weekends or bank holidays, starting in spring and running through until late August.
The industrialisation of the valley started in the 1750s with coal mining and the development of the iron industry, continuing in the 19th century. The Aman & Loughor Heritage Trail is a long-distance path with fine views running the length of the valley passing through the villages of Cwmllynfell, Brynaman, Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Garnant and Glanaman before reaching Betws and Ammanford.
Interpretation points along the way tell the story of this intriguing area and there are frequent opportunities to stop to enjoy the local countryside including the serene, lovely Hen Bethel Independent Chapel that dates from 1773, the final resting place of Ryan Davies, one of Wales’ greatest-ever entertainers.
At the heart of the Upper Amman Valley is the former mining village of Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen. For rugby enthusiasts in particular, its main claim to fame is as the birthplace of Welsh international scrum-half Gareth Edwards, regarded as one of the world’s greatest rugby players ever.
Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen also has something for lovers of industrial heritage: two elegant, curved, arched, red brick railway viaducts which are fine examples of the skills of early railway builders. The irony is that one of theses viaducts were never used due to a change in railway company plans. Nevertheless, it echoes the age of coal and rail. One unfortunate side effect of that period was the pollution of local rivers and streams. But nowadays, clear waters leap over a pretty waterfall under the viaduct, only a 10 minute walk from the village centre amid peaceful country scenes.
