Cwmavon, Torfaen
Cwmavon
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 Forge Row Cottages |
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 Cwmavon
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| Cwmavon shown within Torfaen | |
| OS grid reference | SO 27039 06557 |
| Community | |
| Principal area | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PONTYPOOL |
| Postcode district | NP4 |
| Dialling code | 01495 |
| Police | Gwent |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | |
| Welsh Assembly | |
Cwmavon (Welsh spelling: Cwmafon; translation: "river valley") is a hamlet about 2 miles south of Blaenavon and 4 miles north of Pontypool. The hamlet is part of the community of Abersychan in the county borough of Torfaen in south east Wales, and is within the boundaries of the historic county of Monmouthshire.
Cwmavon is in the south of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape (a World Heritage Site), the Blaenavon Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest, and in the Cwmavon Conservation Area.
The scattered settlement lies in the steep wooded valley of the Afon Llwyd. The agricultural landscape, with irregular field patterns, scattered farmsteads, woodlands, sheep folds, limestone quarries and kilns is typical of the medieval and post-medieval mixed agriculture in the wider region.
The Afon Llwyd is at the eastern edge of the South Wales coalfield, so no coal mining took place in Cwmavon. However, the western side of the valley, in areas such as Varteg and Garndiffaith, included coal mines and ironworks.
In 1793 the Blaenavon Railroad (a horse drawn tramroad) was completed to link Blaenavon Ironworks with the Monmouthshire Canal. The engineer for both the tramroad and canal was Thomas Dadford, Jr for the Monmouthshire Canal Company. The connection between the canal and tramroad at Pontnewynydd was completed in 1975 and the canal opened in February 1976 for shipping of goods from the ironworks to the port of Newport. A branch was built to connect the nearby Varteg Ironworks (founded in 1802) to the railroad at Cwmavon.
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Wikipedia